Uruk

More than 5,000 years ago, Uruk changed the course of human history. Widely recognized as the world's first true city, it was here that urban civilization, monumental architecture, organized government, and the earliest known writing began to shape the modern world.

Walk through the ruins of the city where the legendary King Gilgamesh is believed to have ruled, explore the magnificent Eanna Temple Complex dedicated to the goddess Inanna (Ishtar), and visit the Anu District, home to the impressive White Temple of Anu, the Mesopotamian god of the sky.

Discover the remains of one of the world's earliest known schools (Edubba), where young scribes learned to read, write, and record history using cuneiform—the world's earliest known writing system.

Continue your journey through the Irigal District, which preserves monuments from Uruk's later history, including the Seleucid period that followed the conquest of Mesopotamia by Alexander the Great, revealing how the city continued to flourish centuries after its Sumerian origins.

Today, Uruk is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as The Ahwar of Southern Iraq, offering visitors a unique opportunity to stand where the world's first great city was born.