Nasiriyah & Ur الناصرية وأور

The plains of Dhi Qar hold some of the oldest cities on earth, including Ur, Uruk and Eridu. Together with the Mesopotamian Marshes they form the UNESCO World Heritage Site “The Ahwar of Southern Iraq”, inscribed in 2016. Nasiriyah, on the Euphrates, is the base for visiting them.

Ur was one of the great Sumerian city-states. Its ziggurat was built around the 21st century BC by King Ur-Nammu for the moon god Nanna and partly reconstructed in the 20th century. In the 1920s and 1930s the archaeologist Leonard Woolley excavated the Royal Tombs nearby, which produced some of the most famous treasures of the ancient world, including the Standard of Ur.

Uruk (Warka), to the north-west, is associated with the earliest known writing and with Gilgamesh, the hero of the world’s oldest epic. Eridu, which Sumerians believed was the first city, lies to the south-west of Ur. In 2016 Ur, Uruk and Eridu were listed by UNESCO together with the nearby marshes as “The Ahwar of Southern Iraq”.

Nasiriyah is the base for visiting the area, and the reed villages of Al-Chibayish in the marshes are about an hour and a half away by road.

Tours in Nasiriyah & Ur

Ur Ziggurat & Al-Chibayish · 2 days / 1 night · from $300

Travel tips

• Combine Ur with an overnight in the Chibayish marshes, as on our two-day private tour.
• The southern plains get very hot from May to September. Visit in the cooler months and start early.
• Bring a hat and water: there is little shade at the archaeological sites.

Questions & answers

Can I climb the Ziggurat of Ur?

Access rules at the site can change. Your guide will tell you on the day which parts are open to visitors.

How far is Ur from Nasiriyah?

About 15 km, a short drive from the city.

Which tour visits Ur?

Our two-day Ur Ziggurat & Al-Chibayish private tour, and the 10-day group tour across Iraq.

Photos

Map of Nasiriyah & Ur

Pins show the sites in this guide. Locations are approximate.

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