Ruins of Ziggurat of Ur have huge economic and historical significance to local Iraqis

Photo By Spc. Chastity Boykin | Dhiaf Mahsen, Ziggurat curator and tour guide, and a native of Tallil, Iraq, explains the history and culture of the Ziggurat, a 2,100 B.C. historical site.  

DHI QAR, IRAQ

09.05.2010

Story by Spc. Chastity Boykin 

3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

DHI QAR, Iraq –The Ziggurat, and the surrounding remains of the ancient city of Ur, are a symbol of the great history of Iraq. The ruins, tombs, and home of the prophet Abraham, who lived here before journeying toward what is now called the Holy Land, provide a glimpse of human civilization over 4000 years ago.

Archeologically, the site is extremely important for what has already been discovered, but maybe more important because it is believed that only 20 percent of the complex has been excavated. It is likely the hills just to the north of Camp Adder contain many more priceless artifacts from ancient history.

“To think of the amount of effort required to build the temple over 4,000 years ago and the sense of community and spirituality required to organize a project of this magnitude is overwhelming,” said Maj. Brian North, executive officer, 3rd BSTB, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division.
Soldiers assigned at the 3rd AAB, 4th Inf. Div. headquarters can literally walk outside to view the Ziggurat approximately two kilometers away.

The impressive size and architecture of the structure is truly something the people of Dhi Qar are proud of, and those ties to the past are very important, he said.

“You can clearly get a sense of the pride Iraqis have in their history walking through the ruins,” North said.

Examples of cuneiform, one of the earliest forms of writing, can still be seen on bricks in the ancient ruins of the city of Ur. One of section of ruins within Ur contains one of the earliest surviving archways in the world.

The Ziggurat is the most recognizable structure in the city of Ur and loosely resembles an ancient pyramid with the top half missing.

“The Ziggurat is made of a three-layered solid mass of mud and brick, completely solid with no chambers, which was a shrine to the moon god Nanna. The lower layer is from the original construction by Ur Nammu, while the two upper layers were restored during the Neo-Babylonian era,” said Mike Francis Dhaif Muhsen, Ziggurat curator and tour guide, and a native of Tallil, Iraq.

It is one of three well-preserved structures of the Neo-Sumerian city of Ur, alongside the Royal Mausolea and the Palace of Ur-Nammu, he said.

Occasional attempts by insurgents to fire rockets at Camp Adder pose a great risk to the Ziggurat. From a physical perspective, these buildings are 4,000 or more years old, and the explosions from these rockets could cause irreparable harm.

Even when rockets land in what appears to be empty land, they could very well destroy items thousands of years old buried under the sand, said North.

Economically, the continued threat of violence could significantly deter the biggest potential source of income for this area – tourism. The Ziggurat is one of the best preserved archeological sites in Iraq, drawing both professional archeologists and thousands of tourists.

“Treasures found on the grounds are currently in a British museum and it helps for two reasons: they are protected and it shows our history and culture to those that come from all over the world to visit the museum,” said Muhsen.

Already this year, many international groups have scheduled tours with the site manager, but those groups could go elsewhere if the area is not considered safe, costing the local economy hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue.

• Date Taken: 09.05.2010
• Date Posted: 10.19.2010 05:37
• Story ID: 58396
• Location: DHI QAR, IQ