| Accession Number | P05408.188 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Digital file |
| Maker |
Westhead, Greg |
| Place made | Iraq: Dhi Qar, Tallil |
| Date made | 27 June 2005 |
| Conflict |
Iraq, 2003-2013 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Commonwealth of Australia copyright |
A view of the remains of the ziggurat at the site of the ancient city of Ur, near the Tallil Air ...
Description
A view of the remains of the ziggurat at the site of the ancient city of Ur, near the Tallil Air Base. Over 4,000 years ago, Ur was one of the largest and greatest cities in ancient Mesopotamia, and is still considered to be a sacred site by many today. The purpose of the ziggurat varied, however this one at Ur was built by Ur-Nammu approximately 2113-2096 BC as a temple of worship, dedicated to the Sumerian moon god Nanna. It has been partially reconstructed to a height of 11 metres. Tallil Air Base had not been used by the Iraqis since 1991, when it was badly damaged during Operation Desert Storm. In March 2003, it was taken over by coalition forces, and used for a number of different purposes, including accommodation and transit camp for troops, quartermaster and supply operations, as well as enemy prisoner of war detention camps.