The Ziggurat of Ur

The Ziggurat of Ur, rising from the desert of southern Iraq near Nasiriyah, is one of the most impressive surviving monuments of ancient Mesopotamia and a landmark from the very dawn of civilisation. Built over four thousand years ago as a massive stepped temple-platform to the moon god, its great restored lower terrace and staircases still command the plain. Around it spread the ruins of Ur, one of the oldest cities on earth, a powerful Sumerian city-state and, by tradition, the birthplace of the patriarch Abraham. Part of the UNESCO-listed Ahwar of Southern Iraq, it is a place of profound antiquity and quiet grandeur.

What you actually see

• The great ziggurat - the restored stepped temple-platform and stairs.
• The ruins of Ur - the remains of one of the world's oldest cities.
• The royal tombs - the site of the famous Sumerian burials.
• The house of Abraham - the traditional site linked to the patriarch.

When to go

October to April, the cooler months, are best for the exposed desert site, avoiding the fierce summer heat; the ziggurat is often combined with a visit to the nearby marshes. The low winter sun casts fine shadows across its great staircases.

Honest expectations

The ziggurat's lower terrace and staircases were substantially restored in the twentieth century, so the towering form blends ancient core with modern rebuilding, and the desert setting is hot and exposed outside the cool months. As one of the best-preserved monuments of ancient Sumer, at the very birthplace of cities and writing, though, the Ziggurat of Ur is a place of extraordinary historical depth.

Nearby

The Mesopotamian marshes and the city of Nasiriyah lie nearby.