Military now giving tours of antiquities in Iraq!

The Great Ziggurat of Ur stands after 4,000 years near Ali Base, Iraq. The Ziggurat construction was finished in the 21st century BC by King Shulgi in the ancient Sumerian city of Ur in Mesopotamia, which is near An Nasiriyah in present-day Iraq. Members of the 407th Air Expeditionary Group Chaplains Office offer three tours weekly of the Ziggurat and ruins of the city of Ur.

Dhaif Muhsen, Iraq Ministry of Antiquities curator for the Ur site, explains the history behind the oldest known standing archway in the world, located in the ruins of the ancient city of Ur

ALI BASE, Iraq — Less than two miles outside the front gate lies an area of historical and biblical significance – a place where the man considered the father of all nations, Abraham, used to call home. This place houses a temple nearby called the Ziggurat of Ur.

The city of Ur (Ur of Chaldeans) is located in southern area of Iraq and was first identified in Genesis 12:28. It is considered the most ancient city within Sumaria and later Babylonia.

The Sumerians were credited with inventing beer, irrigation, the wheel and the first written language.

“The Ziggurat was originally a place of worship for the Sumerians who built it about 4,000 years ago,” said Chaplain Maj. Kevin Lockett, 407th Air Expeditionary Group chaplain. “This was the place civilization, as we know it, began. This was the time when people evolved from individual families who survived as hunters and gatherers into communities where they relied upon each other as farmers, craftsmen and tradesmen. This was one of the first cities known to exist.”

According to Lockett, Abraham, the son of a wealthy merchant, was thought to have lived there during his childhood and part of his adulthood before traveling to Canaan.

Staff Sgt. Ariel Sauvey, 407th Expeditionary Operation Support Squadron, takes in the view of the ruins of King Shulgi's palace from atop the Great Ziggurat of Ur, Feb. 9. The Ziggurat construction was finished in the 21st century BC by King Shulgi in the ancient city of Mesopotamia, which is near An Nasiriyah in present-day Iraq.

A Soldier looks into the dark ruins of a royal tomb, Feb. 9, near the Great Ziggurat of Ur. The tombs were built more than 4,000 years ago in the Sumerian city of Ur in ancient Mesopotamia, near present-day An Nasiriyah, Iraq

Now, services members, Department of Defense civilians and contractors have the opportunity to experience that history by taking a tour of the Ziggurat and Abraham’s home with 407th AEG Chaplains Office. The tour, which averages about 30 people, began several Air and Space Expeditionary Force cycles ago under the guidance of the Chaplain Corps.

Services members who want to take the tour first have to sign up for an orientation and safety briefing. Briefings are held Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at Bedrock Chapel Annex, a week prior to the tour. Tours are held Sundays and Mondays at 2:30 p.m.

During the tour, service members can expect to visit the Ziggurat of Ur, the oldest-known standing archway in the world, a royal palace and tombs of the members of the third dynasty of Ur, and the home of Abraham.

DVIDS
Story by Staff Sgt. Kenya Shiloh

If you are ever given the opportunity to see the beginning of civilization, the great Ziggurat, a royal palace and tombs from 2600 B.C., and the boyhood home of the prophet Abraham, you should say, “Book me on the next flight!”

Tallil, Iraq, the home of Contingency Operating Base Adder, surrounds several of Iraq’s most historical treasures.

Up until 2004, visits to this archeologist’s dream were limited. Now, any service member can take an hour and half tour to learn of Iraq’s vast history.

UR OF THE CHALDEES
“Ur of the Chaldeans, one of the capital cities of Samaria, is the oldest known civilization,” said Dhaif Muhsen Naies, the area’s curator. Naies’ maternal grandfather was one of the first to work with Sir Charles Leonard Woolley during the 1922 to 1934 excavations.

The earliest excavations uncovered iconographics, evidence of the earliest forms of writing. The next oldest form of writing, cuneiform, is found etched in the stones throughout the site. Hieroglyphic writing from Egypt was found much later, said Naies.

The great Ziggurat was built between 2113 and 2048 B.C., during the times of two kings, Ur-Nammu and Shulgi. The pyramid-shaped stone architecture was built as a place of worship to the moon god, Nanna. The original construction was four levels with the bottom three levels being solid. The top level had rooms and was a place of sacrifice.

The Ziggurat stands 17 meters today, but is estimated to have stood 26 meters when built. The holes on the side serve as drainage, moisture protection, and allow for expansion; building construction techniques still used today.

The Ziggurat’s presence is commanding, but the surrounding areas hold intrigue as well. A small building that was once a storage area, turned temple, has the world’s oldest known standing archway.

PALACES AND TOMBS
Just a few meters away is a temple built in 2047 B.C., which may have been the first museum. “Excavators found royal objects from different kings housed in one room,” said Naies.

Beyond the temple are the remains of a royal palace and royal tombs. The tour group entered both the royal tomb and the tomb of servants and guards. On the walls are cuneiform writings depicting the achievements of King Shulgi.

Many of the royal tombs date back to around 2600 B.C. The tomb of Queen Puabi was found with 59 other bodies of servants and guards. It was a common practice when royalty died, servants would take poison and be buried with their queen or king as a form of sacrifice.

The Euphrates River once ran about 2 kilometers north of the city. Today the river is 1500 kilometers further north, having shifted sometime around 500 B.C., said Chaplain (Capt.) Damon Saxon, Battalion Chaplain, 7th Brigade Special Troops Battalion.

Walking in the dried river bed, which looks like nothing more than the desert landscape, one can find small sea shells as evidence of a body of water. It is not hard to imagine the servants of the Prophet Abraham’s mother doing laundry in this river.

ABRAHAM’S BOYHOOD HOME
The boyhood home of the Prophet Abraham, the patriarch of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, rests further from the Ziggurat. Archeologists found a stone inscribed with the words “Terah” and “Abram” among the ruins, said Saxon. Terah, Abram’s father, was an idol maker for the city. Abram’s name was changed, by God, to Abraham in the Bible at Genesis 17:5: “No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.”

The home was reconstructed in the 1990’s using the original foundation. It has no roof, so visitors can walk up stairs to see the entire structure as well as a panoramic view of the area, to include the great Ziggurat.

The houses adjacent to Abraham’s house remain in ruins and stand, on average, about three feet high.

Shards of pottery from the different periods lay scattered throughout the grounds, making it difficult to avoid stepping on a piece.

Between the Ziggurat and Abraham’s home is a large excavation pit showing evidence of the great flood of Noah’s time. “Abraham lived during the last 50 years of Noah’s life,” said Chaplain (Maj.) Yvette C. Hudson, 7th Sustainment Brigade Chaplain.

This would have allowed Abraham to receive a third hand account of the history of Cain, Abel, and the fall from Noah. Noah would have received a second hand account from Methuselah, the oldest person recorded in the Bible, said Hudson.

TOURING
The Soldiers, Sailors, and third country nationals who took the tour remained respectful of the site and observed Iraq’s national treasures in silenced awe, occasionally punctuated with exclamations of surprise and appreciation.

“It was a great privilege to be taken through the site by the gentleman who is the third generation custodian of the site and to stand in a place where Abraham talked with God. Personally, spiritually, it was almost like a miniature pilgrimage being able to go back to the place where Christianity originates,” said Maj. Bryan E. Canter, Assistant S-3 Fielding, 402nd Army Field Support Brigade.

There are some mounds of dirt that show signs of ruins waiting to be discovered. The entire area is dotted with such mounds and one wonders what treasures they hold.

“After the tour, a Christian and a Jew and an agnostic were standing around talking about how amazing [the tour] was. I think it’s great that something like this can transcend all religious bounds and be a treasure to everyone,” said Staff Sgt. Jacob Hanson, 1st Sustainment Brigade liaison team non-commissioned officer.

Eventually the borders of COB Adder will pull back, allowing the Iraq ministry of tourism to assume control of the Ziggurat and the surrounding archeological area. This step will be one of many moving the Iraqi government closer to self sustainment.

In the meantime, servicemembers of COB Adder keep many of Iraq’s national treasures safe within their border. The site remains sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians, alike.

I look forward to coming back with my family, sometime in the near future, to see the completion of the excavation of thousands of years of treasures still buried in the sands of Tallil.

DVIDS
By Capt. Penny Zamora
215th Movile Public Affairs Detachment