The Tourist City of Warka

Hamad Majid Badawi Hamza

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Abd Ali Kazim Al-Fatlawi

It is a large archaeological city, part of which has been excavated and the most significant part of which is still unexcavated. It is located in Section 13 near the lands of repentance in Warka District (30 km) southeast of Samawah. Its highest point is (26 m), and its area is approximately (13 km2).
Historical sources indicate that the city of Uruk is considered the first cultural center in Mesopotamia and the history of the ancient world (Al-Yasiri et al., 2007: 159). Excavation work in the city discovered that its first inhabitants lived in hair and mat houses with bricks on the banks of rivers during the lunar period of the regions of southern Mesopotamia since its establishment during the fifth millennium BC. Inhabiting it continued, and its fame spread since the fourth millennium BC as an important religious center after its cultural maturity (Hanun, 2006: 17). One of the greatest inventions during this era, which was called (the Uruk era), was the invention of the means of recording and the emergence of writing for the first time in human history in primitive stages and early models of pictorial writings that appeared in the fourth layer of the city of Uruk as well. The city of Uruk advanced in the field of civilization that appeared in the middle of the fourth millennium BC, so the features of civilization began to extend and spread in its various joints represented by the art of architecture and the construction of (temples) that were decorated with dyed pottery nails, thus forming excellent mosaic geometric panels, in addition to the improvement of industry in the fields of mining, crafting and sculpture (Al-Shaikhli, 1990: 68). As for the third millennium BC, historical events began to be recorded, such as wars, the lives of kings and the construction works that were completed, in addition to proof in the names of the kings that Sumerian myths referred to some of them, the most famous of whom is King (Kalgamesh), the owner of the immortal historical epic, as sources indicate that he ruled the city (126 years), as he is the fifth king in this dynasty (Kazem, 2017: 8). As for the year (2350) BC, the city of Uruk became one of the possessions of King Sargon of Akkad, who unified the lands of the Tigris and Euphrates Valley, but the town remained a religious center And it is a flourishing urban and cultural city (Gee, 1955: 47). The ancient city of Uruk includes a group of the most famous temples, buildings and mounds.