The Ziggurat of Ur
.JPG)
I was in Tallil and heard about this ancient edifice that existed on post. I had a vague remembrance of reading something about it years ago and went to wikipedia to read about it. It knocked my socks off! It is the oldest artifact in Iraq and the most profound archaeological site in Iraq. It is biblical!.JPG)
I was lucky enough to wrangle a pass to visit and get some photos. I love taking photos in the late afternoon because the long rays of the sun bring out such vibrant colors but it didn't help with pictures of the front of the temple as it was in some dark shadows. I was in mixed emotions when I saw that so much of it has been rebuilt. It cheapens the effect but at the same time it is a reminder of how much effort went into building this monument to their gods..JPG)
This last pose is me sitting on the stairs of the temple. I usually don't put pictures of myself in here but I don't think you can blow it up enough to see my face. I do promise though that I will come clean once I have finished my TDY and go home.
There is also the House of Abraham and a Valley of Tombs nearby. We visited both and I will run some more pictures later of these as blogger will only let me put three per post up.
posted by flythemig29 at 3:15 PM
4 Comments:
Awesome! That is a place that I've always wanted to visit and the last remaining vestige of Ur. There has certainly been concern over the status of archaeological spots throughout the Middle East, but substantially in Iraq given the conflict, so it is good to see, even if it has been "restored".
Thanks so much for the encouraging comment on my blog. I do read your blog too, when I have time!
I only have a week left here at Ft. Bragg and I am excited about being with my family again. Two and a half months of being away was long enough for me and I sympathize with those who have to be away for FIFTEEN!
I was at the AAFES compound in Talill when I woke up in the morning and looked out and saw that site. I talked about it with several of the locals who had a "shop" in the PX and they told me about how it was one of the Saddam regimes projects to promote Iraq to foreign visitors (seems he found a better way in the mean time). It is awsume to see such a structure that I understood to be 2,000 years older than Christ. It sat for years under a huge sand dune before they found it and uncovered it to start the reconstruction (so I was told).
Having working in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and UAE I have seen some interesting sites but it is Iraq I want to be able to return to one day when things have calmed down. I would hope that it would become open to the world to see as it does have so much of our history originating there.
Great pictures.
Trackbacked by The Thunder Run - Web Reconnaissance for 10/17/2007
A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.
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