the cradle of civilisation
Iraq wasn't only about religion (and Hussein), of course. It's also well-known as the 'Cradle of Civilisation', with amazing sites such as the above partially restored Ziggurat (temple) of Ur, built in the early Bronze age (in the 21st century BC) and crumbled to ruins by the 6th century BC. Some places, such as Babylon which dates from the third century BC, did not need quite so much restoration as some of the old walls were still in place - including their incredible decorations such as this relief of the mythical mushkhushshu, of which there were many. I'm quoting the age of these buildings as information for those reading this, but should perhaps admit that to me they are just 'old', and whilst I like old buildings in a general way, older doesn't necessarily mean better or more impressive. What was surprising was the quantity of pieces of ceramics on the ground - mostly broken pieces of pot, but also quite a number of the ceramic 'plugs' tha...