Iraqi Print Archive

Overview

The Iraqi Print Archive is a grassroots initiative dedicated to preserving Iraq's printed cultural heritage, including books, periodicals, posters, pamphlets, and other printed ephemera that document the country's modern cultural and intellectual history. The initiative has attracted coverage in international arts and culture media as an example of community-driven heritage preservation in a country where print culture has been endangered by decades of conflict, looting, and institutional neglect.

Mission and Approach

The project operates outside formal institutional frameworks, relying on individual collectors, community contributors, and grassroots networks to identify, digitize, and document printed materials from Iraq's past. The archive focuses on printed matter that captures everyday cultural life — from newspapers and literary magazines to political ephemera — that might otherwise be lost as physical copies deteriorate or are discarded. Its work has been profiled in international arts publications including Dazed.

Access

Information about and coverage of the Iraqi Print Archive has been published through arts media channels. The Dazed feature at dazed.me serves as a reference point for the project.