Cultural Palaces a Go-Go?

"Iraqi Culture Minister Nouri Farhan al-Rawi urged UNESCO
to help the government transform Saddam's palaces and
government buildings into cultural centers.
''The culture minister supports transforming the palaces
of the former Iraqi dictator ... 170 palaces of despotism,
into cultural palaces for Iraqi people and visitors to Iraq,''
the minister told a news conference."" (AP)

*

Comment: Maybe Iraq will simply have to do what the
post-communist world did, and slowly and carefully evolve
cultural, economic, and tourism redevelopment strategies
based upon the development of infra-structure and the
restoration of important historical and cultural properties.

*

UNESCO World Heritage List:
http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31

Image of Lviv, Ukraine opera house:
http://lvivecotour.com/images/lv_tour_opera.jpg

Image of Odesa, Ukraine opera house:
http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc/order
/general/images/odessa6.jpg