Al-Uzair Shrine

The shrine at Al-Uzayr stands on the bank of the Tigris in Maysan province, a domed building traditionally identified as the tomb of Ezra the Scribe, called Uzair in the Quran, and for centuries it was one of the principal Jewish pilgrimage sites in Mesopotamia, with an annual gathering and a synagogue beside the tomb; Hebrew inscriptions were recorded there. After the Jewish community of Iraq left in the mid-twentieth century the site passed into Muslim care and has been maintained as a shrine, with restoration carried out at various points and some of the Hebrew inscription work preserved. It sits among date palms on the river, in the marsh-edge country of the south, and receives local visitors rather than organised tourism.

What you actually see

• The domed shrine - the tomb building on the Tigris bank.
• Hebrew inscription traces - surviving elements of the older fabric.
• Date palms - the groves along the river around the village.
• Marsh-edge country - the southern landscape of water and palm.

When to go

November to March; the southern summer is extreme. Access should be arranged locally in advance rather than assumed. Mornings are best for the light and the heat.

Honest expectations

Access is not guaranteed and may need arranging through local contacts. Modest dress is expected. Restoration has changed a good deal of the fabric. There is no interpretation and the village has no facilities.

Nearby

Amarah lies north; the southern marshes are west.