Baghdad -- Nineveh Department of Antiquities and Heritage announced on Sunday that three countries are carrying out archaeological excavations in the governorate, and decided a date to open the ancient city for tourists, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

"The German University mission was in Nineveh governorate last month to carry out archaeological excavations in Prophet Jonah location, and the mission of the University of Pennsylvania was conducting archaeological excavations at the archaeological entrance gate," Khaireddine Nasser, Director of Nineveh Department of Antiquities and Heritage, said in a statement to INA.

"A mission from the University of Bologna in Italy, for the fourth season in a row, continued its archaeological excavations in a site in the eastern part of Nineveh city. Archaeological excavations unearthed some important buildings in addition to a new gate of the ancient city of Nineveh," Nasser revealed in his statement.

Nasser confirmed that the Department of Antiquities and Heritage is currently working with the mission of the University of Bologna to add more archaeological excavations and to prepare the city's archaeological site for tourism.

Nasser also clarified that the University of Bologna will cover the preparation expenses, and the role of Nineveh Department of Antiquities and Heritage will be limited to supervision.

Nasser revealed that while the ancient city of Nineveh will open next year to receive visitors, archaeological excavations will continue for several more years.

The six square kilometer ancient city of Nineveh will have ancient houses, Assyrian palaces, ancient gates and markets.