A Tour in the south.
[ Babylon | Kish | Borsippa | Kerbala | Nippur | Uruk | Ur |
| Wasit | The Marshes | Basra | Qurna ]
Now, as you have seen the most important sight in the north of Baghdad. Let me take southward.
A dual-carriageway bears you nowadays from Baghdad to where, in AD 633, the first raggamuffin Muslim armies charged out of their threadbare deserts into the glorious oasis of Iraq.
To day, havey lorries rumble down this turbulent highway, south-west to Nejef and Kerbala, or straight south to Diwaniya, Nasiriya and the port of Basra.
Let us start with the Governorate of Hilla, and its major historical, nobel and great place, The City of Babylon:
Babylon.
Ishtar gate-Babylon
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Babylon lies 90 km south of Baghdad, some 10 km north of Hilla.The road to Babylon braches off the main Baghdad-Hilla highway.
A legendary city in ancient history figures prominently in the Bible as well as in the writings of travellers and historians for its wealth and magnificence. Its walls and Hanging Gardens were one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
In Akkadian times, around 2350 B.C. Babylon was a small village which in five or six centuries had grown in size and importance, mostly during the reign of the Third Dynasty,m until it become, that capital of the famous king, law-giver and social reformer Hammurabi (1792-1759 B.C.). In the next thousand years or so it witnessed the growth of other Mesopotamian cities which surpassed it in power and influence until, in the 2nd. Chaldean Kingdom (625-538 B.C.) it flouished again as the capital of a mighty and prosperous country. King Nebuchadnezzar (605-563 B.C.) rebuilt it in accordance with a new plan that took especial care of its fortifications, and Babylon thus become the largest loveliest city of its time.
As he was pursuing his conquests, Alexander the Great stopped for a time in Babylon. He later returned only to die in it in 322 B.C. Seleucus, one of his commanders and successors, built Seleuicia, south of Baghdad, whereupon Babylon lost its political significance.
Babylon 605 - 562 B.C.
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Penetrated by the Euphrates from north to south, Babylon was surrounded by a moat and double wall: the outer wall was 16 kms long, the inner, 8 kms. Straight, wide streets intercrossed, all paved with bricks and bitumen. The most important was the Street of Processions, which passed through Ishtar's Gate and ended in the Stepped Tower. The remains of this street with its bituminous paving are still there to be seen today.
King Nebuchadnezzar's Southern Palace (190 x 300 meters) is situated on the west side of this major street, made up of five courtyards each surrounded by halls and a diversity of chambers, one of which is the throne room, 52 x 25 meters. The Hanging Garden, the remains of which are still visible, were part of this palace.
To the east of the Street of Processions lies Nin Makh's Temple, now reconstructed. To the north are the remains of the Main Palace, where the Lion of Babylon is. It should be noted that many remains lie under the accumulations of later bulidings, as the palace continued to be inhabited, or have been so submerged by the Euphrates that it is almost impossible to retrieve them.
On the way to Babylon, on the right-hand side, is the amphitheatre which dates to the time of Alexander the Great, who for some years made Babylon the capital of his empire.
The Ishtar Gate, in a depression a little short way off the street of Processions, still has some of its old wall decorations of bulls, symbol of Adad, god of storms, and dragons, symbol of Marduk, the chief god. The dragon here is a composite animal with the physical attributes of snake, lion and eagle. These bricks reliefs are not glazed, as the beautiful glazed-brick panels figuring bulls, dragons, and lions (symbol of Ishtar) which decorated the Gate, the Palace and the Street of Processions were all taken! away, prior to World War I, to Berlin by the German expedition which excavated Babylon then. Along the Street, on the left a brick column is seen, which may have had a statue standing on it.
The Lion of Babylon
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The Lion of Babylon, carved in basalt, reminds us again that the lion was the symbol of the goddess Ishtar. In the sculpture, the lion's back has marks indicating that it was meant for a precious saddle upon which Ishtar would stand.
To the south of the Street of Processions is a major temple, the Esagila ("the lofty house"), leading on to the site of the stepped Tower of Babylon, which had seven levels rising to a height of 91 meters, on a square base also 91 meters square. The Street runs straight until the bridge across the Euphrates, which rested on bastions 9 meters thick each.
Another temple in the area is Nabushcari, recently dug up with painted murals, the largest temple of its time.
As you cross the railway line to the city, you will see a rise which originally was 18 meters high with a palace built on it, which archaeologists call the summer palace of Nebuchadnezzar.
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The city of Kish (Al-Uhaimir).
Marble vase.Kish 2500 B.C.
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When you have crossed the reailway line on your way to Babylon, you will find on the left a sign pointing to a site which once had its importance in ancient Iraq. It is KISH, or Al-Uhaimir ("the red" because of its Ziggurat's red bricks); a well-built secondary road will lead you to it.
It is specially significant because ancient Iraqis believed that kingship, after the Flood, descended from heaven again to Kish, and not as previously to Eridu near Ur. In this city lived the magnificent Akkadian King Sargon, founder of the very first emire in history.
You will find standing in front of you the remains of the city's red ziggurat on a rectangular base measuring 190 x 180 ft. On the other side of the city there once stood two more ziggurats and a temple still partly extant
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Borsippa.
When you leave Babylon for Kufa you will see a long distance away on the right the ruin of a unique city, 15 kms. to the south of Babylon: Borsippa, or Birs Nimrud.It had its own religious significance as the place for the worship of Nabu, son of the great Babylonian god Marduk.
You can still see the 47 meters high structure which was once its seven-level ziggurat. If you climb it, you will wonder what those dark-green lumps of molten bricks are. Some scholars believe that the tower was one day hit by a comet which melted its bricks.
From the top, looking at the green country around you, you will see the traces of excavations that date back to 1902, as well as the temple of Nabu, Esida ("the firm house") and a prayer mosque.
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Karbala.
Imam Al-Hussein shrine
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It lies 102 Kms. away from Baghdad, 78 Kms. away from Najaf and 45 Kms. away from Hilla.
The city witnessed great events which left their mark on Islamic history - mainly the tragic Battle of Tuff, in which were martyred Imam Hussein bin Ali and his Abbas together with many others, who are buried in their two great shrines in the city.
Karbala, though practically on the edge of the desert, lies amidst fruitful orchards thick with greenery and palm trees. Its streets and markets are always crowded with visitors and pilgrims.50 Kms. away, in the desert, is the famed Ukhaidher Castle.
The Ukhaidher Castle :
Castle or palace, Ukhaidher is certainly one of the greatest monuments of early Islam you can see in this area.
It was built by the Arabs with stone and plaster on a plan which suggests the high skill of its architects in the use of vaults and arches.
Most scholars believe that it goes back to the eighth century - that is, the beginning of the Abbasid age.50 Kms. away to the south-west of Kerbala, this has always been the most prominent structure on the way between Iraq and the Upper Euphrates and Syria.
Ukhaidher Castle
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A fortified wall runs round the palace, exactly like a warlike castle. Its rectangular measurements are 175.8 x 163.6 metres, with a height of nearly 21 metres. In the middle of each side is a large tower which also acts as an entrance to the castle. The inner residential parts is at some distance from the wall, except on the northern side. An annex was added to the middle of the eastern wall, and another in front of the western wall.
The main parts are a guards room, reception halls, dwelling apartments, a mosque and a bath. All these are gathered in one rectangular combine measuring 112 x 80 metres.
Ain Al-Tamr :
Not very far away are the remains of the historical city of Ain Al-Tamr (Shuthatha). Although its first settlements date back to the pre-Christian era, it flourished in the 2nd. and 3rd. centuries of our era, and acquired particular importance after the Arab conquest when it became a major military and trade centre and was the birthplace of a number of famous men, notably Musa Ibn Nusair, the Arab general who conquered Spain and became the ruler of Seville.
Today Ain Al-Tamr is the largest oasis in the western plateau, famed for its palm groves and fruit orchards and lovely scenery. Its pleasant climate in Spring and Autumn, together with its mineral waters (from no less than 50 natural springs), makes it a very attractive spot to visitors.
Razzazeh lake
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Razzazeh Lake :
On the way to Ukhaidher, some 18 Kms. from Kerbala, is Razzazeh Lake, 60 x 30 Kms. In recent years this beatiful large lake has been drawing lovers of swimming, water sports and fishing in great numbers. The local governorate in Kerbala has put up many touristic facilities, afforested and planted extensive areas, and made arrangements to have the place supplied with purified water and electricity.
Najaf :
Just 8 Kms. away (and 60 Kms. to the south of Hilla) is the holy city of Najaf, where lies the shrine of Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib with its resplendent golden dome and minarets. Great quantities of pricless objects, gifts of potentates and sultans, are treasured in the mosque. One of Islam's most important seats of religious instruction, Najaf has many schools where grammar, theology, history and literature are taught. Thousands of pilgrims visit the city annually.
Kufa :
An important Islamic town of early Arab history, Kufa was the first Arab capital proper, founded by Saad bin Abi Waqas in A.D. 618 and adopted by Ali bin Abi Talibs as the centre of his caliphate. It had four sectors with the House of the Caliphate and the Mosque occupying the central space.
Shrine of Imam Ali
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Its main mosque with the golden dome holds the tombs of Muslim bin Aqeel and Hani bin Arwa. It stands on the site of the original first mosque which excavations have shown to have been square in dimensions. It has 28 semi-circular towers.
Next to the mosque and the house of Imam Ali is the reconstructed House of the Caliphate ("Dar Al-Imara"), which has an outer square wall, each side 170 metres long, 4 metres thick, with 6 semi-circular towers supporting each side, with the exception of the northern side which has only two towers. The inner building is also square-shaped, 110 metres to very side with walls two metres thick, and similarly supported by semi-circular towers. It has as number of halls, ewans and courtyards.
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Nippur.
Mud tablet
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It lies 35 Kms. to the north-east of Diwaniya, 180 Kms. to the south-west of Baghdad.
Nippur has yielded us a large number of antiquities that span the Sumerian and Babylonian periods, up to Abbasid times. It was a large city, neatly divided by Euphrates. On the east was the temple area, which held the ziggurat and the temple of Inlil, god of the wind and creator of the universe. Outside its walls is the "tell of tablets" where excavators have dug up an enormous number of tablets containing all kinds of knowledge.
The square ziggurat, 15 metres high, had probably several levels with three stair-cases, like other Mesopotamian ziggurats, all built of mud-bricks enveloped with hard bricks. It dates back to the time of King Ur-Nammu (see "Ur").
Sawa Lake :
Located near Samawa, in Al-Muthanna Governorate, Lake Sawa is famous for its natural beauty. A nearby Reast House and Restaurant cater for the visitors to the Lake.
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Uruk (Warka).
One of the most famous Sumerian citites of
ancient Iraq. It was continuously inhabited from about 4000 B.C. up to the 5th century A.D. Because of the part it played in Iraqi culture for such a long time, one may want to spend some time among its ruins.
Uruk lies about 30 kms to the east of
Samawa (see Iraq map),
and in the past it used to be on the river Euphrates before it changed its course so much that it is nearly
12 kms away. It was an important city on two scores: religion and science, which is confirmed by
the thousands of clay tablets dug in it which go back to the beginnings of writing - about 5000 years
ago - in the invention of which Uruk played a major role. It was also the centre of the worship of the
goddess Inanna, or Ishtar, which is symbolized by the star Venus. Her worship went to the Greeks and Romans
under the name of Aphrodite or Venus, who had exactly the same attributes as Ishtar.
Uruk was renowned for its walls which cuneiform
texts say were first built 4700 years ago by the Sumerian
King Gilgamesh, (see Relevent links)
hero of the epic named after him. The city limits and traces of its round walls are visible today. The latter are about 9.5 kms long.
Among major remains in the ziggurat of Inanna - Ishtar which rises to a height of 16 meters on a square base measuring 60x60 meters. It dates back to the time of Ur - Nammu, 4000 years ago. In its neighbourhood are the ruins of a temple which used for mural ornamentation thousands of coloured clay cones.
Another temple in ruins is the one devoted to Anu, god of the sky, built with mud brick some 5000 years ago. Nearby is another temple devoted to Anu and his wife Anu - Antim, but it is a comparatively recent structure: it was built in Seleucid times, about 2.200 years ago.
An even more recent structure is the brick temple whose facade is ornamented with arches and columns, together with decorative brickwork of animals and geometrical patterns. It was built around A.D. 110.
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The city of UR.
Plaese check the City of Ur secation :
Wasit.
As you tour the south, perhaps before going to the fantastic world of Marshes, it would be a good thing to go to Wasit Governorate.
65 Kms. away from the Governorate's centre Kut, lies the ancient city of Wasit amidst its ruins. It was built on once vital spot by Al-Hajjaj bin Yousif Al-Thaqafi, the governor who was sent to run the affairs of Iraq by the Omayyad Caliph Abdul Malik bin Marwan, around A.D. 702.It took three years to build.
It was divided in two parts by the Tigris, although the eastern part pre-dated the western.
Wasit in Arabic means "in the middle" as the town halfway between Kufa and Basrah. It had a number of large building, such as its mosque, and its imposing palace known as the Green Dome. Apart from the palace and the mosque, Al-Hajjaj also built an extensive souq.
Four stages in the building of its main mosque have been identified by the archaeologists; the earliest going back to the time of Al-Hajjaj which is a quadrangle surrounded by ornamented arcades resting on a large sandstone columns. The latest stage goes back to the Ilkhanid period of the 14th. century.
Your attention will be caught by a structure at whose entrance rise a couple of beautiful brick-build minarets. It is rectangular in shape, 52 x 24 metres, enclosing a tomb in a squre room. Many generations after the city had been built the Tigris changed its course gradually, which might explain why the city was almost completely abandoned by the 17th. century.
There are many archaeological tells in the area, such as Tell Na'man and Najma, some 60 Kms. away, Tell Waldiya and Tell Sabits which lies 15 Kms. away to the southeast of Kut. The last dates back to early Islamic times.
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The Marshes.
Islands of reeds
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And now, off to a unique world, the Marshes, where nature seems to preserve its virgin aspect. Miles and miles of water, with an endless variety of birds, of fish, of plants and reeds and bullrushes, dotted as far as the eye can see with huts, each a little island unto itself, with slender mash-houfs shuttling back and forth through the reeds and flowers. This vast expanse of water is shared by three southern governorates; Thi Qar, Misan, and Basrah. Old Arabic books suggest that the Marshes were the aftermath of a devastating flood which took place around A.D. 620, but archaeological indications suggest that they were formed long before Sumerian times, when the Arabian Gulf waters began to recede southwards, leaving behind all those marshes alongside the Tigris and Euphrates.
The best months for taking trips in the Marshes are march and april. The water then is pleasant, and the whole place is shot through with plants and flowers. Reeds may rise 20 feet high and papyrus, 10 feet.
In the winter season water birds of all kinds migrate to the Marshes, which then becomes a hunter's paradise. Fish, however, are always plentiful and the local inhabitants catch them with nets or spear them with a five-proged 'fala', peculiar to the area.
People in the Marshes live in huts built from reeds and reedsmattings, with attractive designs that go back to ancient times.The look like hundreds of islands clustered together into small townships. Most prominent among them is Chebayish, on the left bank of Euphrates. Each "island" is in fact a man-made mixture of earth and papyrus pressed hard (to form a base of a hut) and called "chebasheh". The watery "streets" are plied by boats of different kinds and sizes, the most popular being the mash-houf, which is made from reeds and bitumen.
Small townships
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A delightful scene ia s Marsh wedding, when the bride is carried in a lovely "regatta" made up of her own mash-houf and those of her party, all loud with men's lilting songs and women's joyous cries.
In recent years, shools and dispensaries have been put up on every spot in the area, however far or inaccessible.
There is a number of tourist cabins in Chebayish built in a slightly elevated place surrounded with palm groves and orchards.
To get to the Marshes there are two ways; 1) by car from Nasiriya to Chebayish (a distance of about 100 Kms.), and thence by boat to tour the place. 2) by car from Basra to Qurna (a distance of 75 Kms.), and thence by motorboat to the Marshes, or by car again for another 45 Kms.
See also The Marshe arabs.
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Basra.
Houses in Basra
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Basra was the starting point of Sindbad the Sailor's adventurous voyages to the world. When you see it today you will be reminded of the commercial importance it has enjoyed for centuries: endless ships shuttle back and forth on the Shatt-Al-Arab, on which it is built. It is Iraq's port on the Arabian Gulf. All around it are millions of palms trees whose delicious dates belong, literally, to hundreds of categories.
Basra was founded by Utba bin Ghazwan on orders from Caliph Omar bin Al-Khattab in the year A.D. 637, and has been a major Islamic city ever since. It startes by being an administrative centre and in less than forty years it had a population of 300.000. Its golden age was under the Abbaside when. together with its suburb Ibilla, it became the focal point of Arab sea trade which went as far as China.
Even more significantly, Basra was in those days an intellectual centre of the first order, with its great mosques and libraries, where many philosophers, scientists and grammarians flourished. One might mention such luminaries as Hassan Al-Basri, Al-Farahidi, Ibn Serene, Al-Asma'i, Al-Hariri, as well as Ibn Al-Jowzi and Ibn Al-Haitham (whose discoveries in optics and mechanics taught Europe a great deal). The city now has a museum which tells the story of this magnificent past.
Basra is 67 Kms. to the north of the Arabian Gulf, 50 Kms. away from the Iraqi-Kuwait border, and 549 Kms. to the south of Baghdad. It is connected with Baghdad with by very good roads and reglar air routes. It is also connected with Baghdad by railway. It is Iraq's outlet to the sea - to the Arabian Gulf states and the Far East.
Where to go in Basra:
Shatt Al-Arab
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A lovely spot not to be missed is Sindbad's Island, in the middle of Shatt Al-Arab (where the river is extremely broad), just opposite Shatt Al-Arab Hotel. It is connected with the bank by a bridge. The Island has its own extensive gardens, fountains, casino, refreshment kiosks and chaleys, together with an attractive boat restaurant floating nearby.In Dinar street, between Ashar and Margil, is the local administration tourist complex, which covers a total area of 32.800 sq.metres.
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Qurna.
Garden of Eden
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Qurna, as legends have it, is the place where the Garden of Eden was. There is an old tree there still called Adam's Tree. 74 Kms. to the north of Basra, it rises at the confluence of Tigris and Euphrates into one very wide river, Ahatt Al-Arab, amidst extensive fields and palm groves.
There is a modern Hotel, whose verandas give on to the great expanse of the two rivers.
Abu Al-Khasib.
The birthplace of the great Iraqi poet, the late Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab. A district which has the highest density of date palms trees in the world: a magnificent unforgettable sight. It lies 26 Kms. to the south of Basra, along Shatt Al-Arab chanel.
[ Babylon | Kish | Borsippa | Kerbala | Nippur | Uruk | Ur | Wasit |
| The Marshes | Basra | Qurna ]
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