My UNESCO World Heritage Postcards: Iraq 6

Showing posts with label Iraq 6. Show all posts

Iraq - The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities (2016 Inscribed)

"The Ahwar is made up of seven sites: three archaeological sites and four wetland marsh areas in southern Iraq. The archaeological cities of Uruk and Ur and the Tell Eridu archaeological site form part of the remains of the Sumerian cities and settlements that developed in southern Mesopotamia between the 4th and the 3rd millennium BCE in the marshy delta of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The Ahwar of Southern Iraq – also known as the Iraqi Marshlands – are unique, as one of the world’s largest inland delta systems, in an extremely hot and arid environment."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Sunset at South Iraq Marshes. Thanks to Esam of Basra, Iraq. Postcard was postmarked August 3, 2020 and arrived in Penang on January 5, 2022.

Iran - Babylon

"Situated 85 km south of Baghdad, the property includes the ruins of the city which, between 626 and 539 BCE, was the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. It includes villages and agricultural areas surrounding the ancient city. Its remains, outer and inner-city walls, gates, palaces and temples, are a unique testimony to one of the most influential empires of the ancient world. Seat of successive empires, under rulers such as Hammurabi and Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon represents the expression of 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—has also inspired artistic, popular and religious culture on a global scale."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

2019 UNESCO World Heritage of Babylon, Iraq. Cool postcard of Babylon, Iraq. Thanks to the Maselis family of Belgium. Babylon is inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage on July 5, 2019.

Iraq - Erbil Citadel

"Erbil Citadel (Iraq) is a fortified settlement on the top of an imposing ovoid-shaped tell (a hill created by many generations of people living and rebuilding on the same spot) Located in the Kurdistan region, Erbil Governorate. A continuous wall of tall 19th century facades still conveys the visual impression of an impregnable fortress, dominating the city of Erbil. The Citadel features a peculiar fan-like pattern, dating back to Erbil’s late Ottoman phase. Written and iconographic historical records document the antiquity of settlement on the site – Erbil corresponds to ancient Arbela, an important Assyrian political and religious centre – while archaeological finds and investigations suggest that the mound conceals the levels and remains of previous settlements."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Wow.. my first postcard mailed from Iraq Kurdistan. It shows Erbil with its historical citadel - a tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage nomination. The postcard was missent to Thailand but fortunately arrive. Thanks to Patrick, Valirie, Sisko, Matthieu.

Iraq - Samarra Archaeological City

"Samarra Archaeological City is the site of a powerful Islamic capital city that ruled over the provinces of the Abbasid Empire extending from Tunisia to Central Asia for a century. Located on both sides of the River Tigris 130 km north of Baghdad, the length of the site from north to south is 41.5 km; its width varying from 8 km to 4 km. It testifies to the architectural and artistic innovations that developed there and spread to the other regions of the Islamic world and beyond. The 9th-century Great Mosque and its spiral minaret are among the numerous remarkable architectural monuments of the site, 80% of which remain to be excavated."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1
Spiral Tower of Samarra. Thanks to Milad of Iraq.

Postcard 2
A multi-view Iraq postcard showing at top right corner the minaret of Great Mosque of Samarra. Nice bird stamps. Postcard sent on Dec 4, 2009 from Erbil, in Kurdistan region of northern Iraq and arrived in Penang on Jan 17, 2010. Thanks to Chris who was visiting Iraq.

Iraq - Hatra

"A large fortified city under the influence of the Parthian Empire and capital of the first Arab Kingdom, Hatra withstood invasions by the Romans in A.D. 116 and 198 thanks to its high, thick walls reinforced by towers. The remains of the city, especially the temples where Hellenistic and Roman architecture blend with Eastern decorative features, attest to the greatness of its civilization."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1
Hatra in the bottom right of this multiview of Iraq. Thanks to Milad of Iraq.