The plea came after looters ransacked the National Archaeological Museum of Baghdad soon after U.S.-led military forces toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein.

CNN: U.N. agency urges coalition to protect Iraqi relics

The Chimera eventually moved to the Uffizi, and then again to the National Archaeological Museum of Florence, where it can be seen today, a splendid example of the imaginary turned nearly real.

WSJ: The Imaginary Made Nearly Read | The Chimera of Arezzo | Masterpiece by Judith H. Dobrzynski

The exhibition charts the looting of the Iraq National Museum in Baghdad and the continuing looting of archaeological sites in the country.

UNESCO: UK National Commission for UNESCO :: Launch of Catastrophe! The Looting and Destruction of Iraq's Past

The event is organised in cooperation with the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO, and with the support of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, the ICOM Regional Alliance for South-East Europe, and the UNESCO Chair in intercultural policy (Thessaloniki).

UNESCO: Detailview | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

The signatories of the letter have expressed their concern over the damage and loss inflicted on the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad and other museums, libraries and archives, the looting of archaeological sites, and the damage to historic monuments that took place during the war and subsequent occupation.

UNESCO: UK National Commission for UNESCO :: Destruction of Cultural Heritage should not be left out of Iraq Inquiry