The French mission begins work to discover the oldest ziggurat in Iraq and the world

The French mission began excavations in the archaeological city of Eridu, which dates back to five thousand years BC, to reach the highest and oldest ziggurat in the world built at that time. Eridu is located 22 kilometers from the city of Nasiriyah and 20 kilometers west of the ancient city of Ur.

The director of the Dhi Qar Antiquities Inspectorate, Amer Abdul Razzaq, says, "The ziggurat was scanned with special techniques before excavation, and it is very similar to Ur's ziggurat but taller and larger, and it is part of the oldest civilized city in the world dating back to about five thousand years BC."

He indicated that the ancient legends indicated that the city of Eridu was one of the five cities built on earth before the Great Flood, and it was a great center for the worship of the water goddess “Enki”.

Abdul Razzaq explained that the Sumerians considered Eridu to be “a city of the first kings" and a royal landing from heaven. In the eyes of the residents of the later Sumerian city-states, it was the main city during the Golden Age.

The mission said, “We are determined to completely unveil the ziggurat, which will be one of the most beautiful and important monuments in the world, and will be a tourist destination that surpasses Ur's ziggurat in its splendor,” explaining that Eridu occupies significant religious importance in the first Sumerian civilization.

 

Emad Bao