But the event nearly did not happen! In the afternoon a fire broke out in the basement of the Museum and visitors and staff had to be evacuated. The all-clear was given only about an hour before the programme was due to start at 6.30.

BIFS members and guests attended an opening reception at which the Chairman Dr Salah Al-Shaikhly underlined in a short address the importance of the occasion as a means of reaching out to the British public and introducing them to the history and culture of Iraq. Visitors were in fact spoilt for choice as there were so many events happening in the Great Court and surrounding rooms that it was hard to cover them all in the course of the evening. They were welcomed initially by a lively group playing traditional Kurdish music who were followed by a colourful fashion show demonstrating Iraqi traditional and modern costumes. Arabic music continued to fill the air throughout the evening. Meanwhile all around there were demonstrations of Arabic calligraphy and language, cuneiform writing and printing with cylinder seals, a photographic exhibition, film shows, poetry readings and talks in celebration of ancient Babylon and modern Iraq. All in all it was a wonderful feast of new experiences for the British public to share with the members of the Iraqi diaspora in Britain.