Have you ever thought about visiting Iraq, well Iraq is known as Mesopotamia, which means the land that lies between the rivers, and Iraq is considered the country of civilizations, as it witnessed the passage of many civilizations on its lands, including the civilizations of Babylon, Assyria, Akkad, and Sumer, and then this rich region became part of In the seventh century, this region became an integral part of the Islamic world, and in the eighth century, Iraq was identified as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, then the establishment of the modern nation-state in the period between 1914 AD -1918 AD). 

Iraq is distinguished by having a rich heritage of culture, as the country was famous for having the best poets, painters, and sculptors in the Arab world, some of whom were known on a global level. It was also known for its distinctive architecture, which can be observed in the buildings in Baghdad, where the building appears as if it is completely new, and the beauty of its architecture can be observed in some old buildings and complexes on some of the islands.

Iraq witnessed a great turnout this year in the increase in the number of tourists from all over the world to visit the cultural, archaeological, and religious landmarks

here are the most visited places in Iraq

Babylon: 

The archaeological site of Babylon is located 85 km south of Baghdad. It consists of the ruins of the city that was, between 626 and 539 BC, the center of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, along with a number of villages and agricultural areas surrounding the old city. These monuments – inner and outer city walls, gates, palaces, and temples – offer a unique testimony to one of the most influential empires in the ancient world. Babylon was the seat of a number of successive empires, led by rulers such as Hammurabi or King Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon embodies the creativity of the neo-Babylonian Empire at its height. The city’s association with one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – the Hanging Gardens of Babylon – had an impact on forms of artistic, popular, and religious culture worldwide.

The marshes of southern Iraq and the cities of Mesopotamia: They are a group of water bodies that cover the low lands located in the south of the Iraqi alluvial plain and are in the form of a triangle, the cities of Nasiriyah and Basra are located on its heads. The area of land covered by water expands at the time of the flood in late winter and during the spring, and the cold days are reduced

Erbil Castle:

It is located in the city center of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan dating back to the Assyrian era. It was built for defensive purposes, as it was considered an impenetrable fortress for the city of Erbil at that time. The Erbil Citadel, when it was established, included the entire city

Samarra:

The archaeological city of Samarra in Iraq offers a close look at life under the Abbasid caliphate, the major Islamic empire which ruled large swathes of North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia between the 8th and 13th centuries. 

The Great Mosque of Samarra, built-in 851, was the world’s largest mosque at the time of construction. Its unusual and iconic spiral minaret remains mostly intact, standing at 52 meters tall. 

The Kingdom of Hatra

A large fortified city with a wall fortified with towers, subject to the influence of the Parthian Empire and the capital of the first Arab kingdom. Hatra resisted the Roman invasion twice, in the years 116 and 198 AD. As for the ruins of the city, especially the temples, where Greek and Roman architecture are mixed with decorative elements with oriental features and roots, they testify to the greatness of its civilization.

The urban dwellers worshiped several gods, including Al-Lat and Shamash. The urbanites called the word (Shamash) to mean the absolute truth. They called the sun the greatest deity and depicted him in the form of a sane adult.

Assyria (the Eastern Citadel) 

on the banks of the Tigris River in northern Mesopotamia, in a distinct geographic and ecological area, with an agricultural irrigation system and distinct irrigation systems. The city arose in the third millennium BC. Between the fourteenth and ninth centuries BC, the city became the first capital of the Assyrian Empire, a “city-state” and an international trade crossroads. Then the city was destroyed by the Babylonians, but it was able to rise from the ashes in the Parthian era between the first and second centuries.

The marshes of southern Iraq

It is a group of water bodies that cover the lowlands located in the south of the Iraqi alluvial plain, and they are in the form of a triangle, the cities of Nasiriyah and Basra are located on its heads. The area of land covered by water expands at the time of the flood in late winter and during the spring, and the cold days are reduced

ziggurat of Ur 

The ziggurat is the most distinctive architectural invention of the Ancient Near East. Like an ancient Egyptian pyramid, an ancient Near Eastern ziggurat has four sides and rises up to the realm of the gods. However, unlike Egyptian pyramids, the exterior of Ziggurats was not smooth but tiered to accommodate the work which took place at the structure as well as the administrative oversight and religious rituals essential to Ancient Near Eastern cities. Ziggurats are found scattered around what is today Iraq and Iran and stand as an imposing testament to the power and skill of the ancient culture that produced them.

One of the largest and best-preserved ziggurats of Mesopotamia is the great Ziggurat at Ur. Small excavations occurred at the site around the turn of the twentieth century, and in the 1920s Sir Leonard Woolley, in a joint project with the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia and the British Museum in London, revealed the monument in its entirety.