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Islamic Shrines - Many religions sites are uncovered
throughout Iraq, the Tomb of Ali, the Islamic equivalent
of Christ, is buried in Najaf, a sacred Shi'ite shrine. Ali's
Son Hussein's mausoleum is in nearby Kerbala.
Ashur - the first capital of the Assyrian empire,
comparable to other great HQ like Babylon, Athens and Rome.
Its history covers some 3 millennia through the Hellenistic
Period through to the Parthian Period during the birth of
Christ.
Nimrud - another great Assyrian city, and the capital
of Assyria in the 9th century BC. Temples here are dedicated
to Nabu the God of writing and Ninurta, the deity of Nimrud.
Examples of whole pieces of furniture carved from ivory were
unearthed here.
Samarra - the largest archaeological site in the world.
A Great Mosque (one of the largest in the world) and other
property constructed of clay and mud brick and bevelled stucco
decoration were excavated. Wall paintings and glass mosaics
were also though to decorate this grand city.
Nineveh - Often mentioned in the bible, this 6th century
BC occupied city was one of the most important in ancient
Mesopotamia and the capital of Assyria. Many remains exist
from this period including the city wall and the palace of
Sennacherib. The Ceniuform tablet of Hammurabi's Law from
here now survive in the Louvre in paris and the British Museum
in London.
The Fortress of Al-Ukhaidar - 60 miles Southwest of
Baghdad, this amazing palace was influential on the development
of Islamic Architecture. An ammunition depot close to the
palace was attacked during the first Gulf War.
Ur - city of the fabled moon god Nanna and the home
of Abraham. Known in the Bible as Ur of the Chaldees, the
Chaldeans inhabited the city in 10th Century BC. Excavated
in the 1920's and 30's by Leonard Woolley, great treasures
were seized including gold, silver and clay tablets telling
the poem of Gilgamesh. The tablets were an example of cuneiform
writing, symbols chipped in clay using wedge-shaped tools,
as well as early example of mathematics including timekeeping
calculations.
Academy of Wisdom - In the 9th century, Caliph al-Ma'mun
founded the Academy of Wisdom in Baghdad, a major centre of
science and learning, with many Arabic translations of Greek
works like Aristotle, the Greek Old Testament, Plato, Hippocrates
and Pythagoras as well as making numerous mathematical and
astrological discoveries. The man who gave his name to the
term Alogrithm invented zero here.
Tower of Babel - According to Genesis Book 11, the
tower of Babel was created by God to confuse the all powerful
man by creating many languages to prevent their unification.
But did the mud brick built tower of Babel really exist? Nowadays,
a mound of broken bricks and debris signifying the possible
remains of Babylon city. In Babylon, the ziggurats (tower
temple) was the tallest tower in all of Mesopotamia. The original
tower was thought to have been in a brilliant blue brick colours
dating back to around 500BC.
Hanging Gardens - The 7th Century BC built gardens
built by Nebuchadnezzar II of the Neo Babylonian dynasty,
when Mesopotamian society reached its peak. He built the gardens
to please his mistress who missed the ountains by collating
tropical plants on the palace roof, the gardens constructed
70ft above the ground and waters from the Euphrates using
an advanced mechanical watering system. The former glory of
Babylon was restored here. The gardens lie 30 miles south
of Baghdad.
Garden of Eden - This biblical site, the beginning
of Man, was thought to lie where Mughair is now. Noah was
thought to have lived in Fara nearby and Persian poetry describes
a man with an Ark surviving a flood.
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