---
title: The Golden Lyre of Ur at the Iraq Museum
author: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/10268/the-golden-lyre-of-ur-at-the-iraq-museum/
format: machine-readable-alternate
updated: 1970-01-01
---

# The Golden Lyre of Ur at the Iraq Museum

_Authored by [Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/OsamaSMAmin/)_

## Image File

[![The Golden Lyre of Ur at the Iraq Museum](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/10268.jpg)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/10268.jpg)

## Image Caption

This is the finest among all lyres found at the Royal Cemetry at [Ur](https://www.worldhistory.org/ur/) and was given to the Iraq Museum; the other lyres were divided between the British Museum in the UK and the Penn Museum in the USA. The head of this bull is a replica and the wood is a modern replacement. However, most of the inlays and decorations are original and composed of mother-of-pearl, shells, lapis lazuli, carnelian, and bitumen. The [lyre](https://www.worldhistory.org/Lyre/) was destroyed by looters somewhere between April 10 to 12, 2003 CE after the fall Saddam's regime and some parts were found smashed in the Museum's car park. The looters stripped off the [gold](https://www.worldhistory.org/gold/) and [silver](https://www.worldhistory.org/Silver/) sheets. The lyre was restored afterwards. The original golden bull's head is stored in the Central Bank in Baghdad and is not on display. The lyre was found in the Great [Death](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Death/) Pit, PG1237, at the Royal Cemetry of Ur (in southern Iraq) in 1929 CE by Leonard Wooley. [Early Dynastic](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Early_Dynastic/) Period, c. 2500 BCE. On display at the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, Republic of Iraq.

#### Editorial Review

This human-authored image has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).

## About the Author

Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.
- [Facebook Profile](https://www.facebook.com/MRCPian)
- [Linkedin Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/osama-shukir-muhammed-amin/)

## Cite This Work

### APA
Amin, O. S. M. (2019, March 21). The Golden Lyre of Ur at the Iraq Museum. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/10268/the-golden-lyre-of-ur-at-the-iraq-museum/>
### Chicago
Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "The Golden Lyre of Ur at the Iraq Museum." *World History Encyclopedia*, March 21, 2019. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/10268/the-golden-lyre-of-ur-at-the-iraq-museum/>.
### MLA
Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "The Golden Lyre of Ur at the Iraq Museum." *World History Encyclopedia*, 21 Mar 2019, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/10268/the-golden-lyre-of-ur-at-the-iraq-museum/>.

## License & Copyright

Submitted by [Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/OsamaSMAmin/ "User Page: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin"), published on 21 March 2019. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Copyright](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright). You cannot use, copy, distribute, or modify this item without explicit permission from the author. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.