Through the support and initiative of the British archaeologist, author and diplomat Gertrude Bell, the Archaeological Museum in Baghdad was opened in 1923 with Bell as its first Director. The museum was first located in Al Qushla. In 1966 the museum moved into its current location: a building complex designed by the German architect Werner March in the district of Al Salihiyah, on the western side of the Tigris. The museum was renamed The Iraqi Museum.
Its collections are considered among the most important in the world and the museum has traditionally exhibited collections featuring the 7,000 year long history of Mesopotamia in its 23 galleries. The museum collection currently contains more than 200,000 objects.