Iraq is home to some of the world’s most important historical sites. Yet, the main drivers of tourism these days are recreation and religious pilgrimage—and not archeology or archaeological sites.

27-year-old Raya Nassif is on a mission to change these dynamics. Hailing from a town on the Euphrates about 100km (62 miles) south of Baghdad, she is one of the few Iraqis who knows cuneiform....