The Ziggurat of Ur (or Abraham’s Birthplace)

About 4,000 years ago, in present day Iraq, a monument to the moon god, Nanna, was built. The last vestige of the structure, the Ziggurat, was a part of the temple complex. It consisted of a huge stepped platform over 100 feet high. It is still well preserved in many parts, considering its age.

The following information was presented to me by a military member serving in Iraq and I have put his comments in my own words:

“Because of the many historical artifacts that this monument presented, the caretaker was told by the leadership of Iraq that if he would prepare the monument for tourists, the site could be a way to bring visitors into the area and result in a monetary gain for the caretaker. Necessary repairs were made, a safe walkway was constructed, archaeological information was researched and an informational tour presentation was organized. These improvements came at great expense to the caretaker.

The very first visit was to be the Pope and his entourage which was to lead the way for further visits by the general public. Shortly before the arrival of the Pope, Saddam Hussein, contacted the Vatican to tell them that the Pope and his group was welcome to come, but that Iraq’s security team could not guarantee his safe passage. As a result, the Pope cancelled his trip. No further visits were planned to the Ziggurat because of safety issues. The caretaker was now deep in debt and virtually penniless.

During the War on Terror, the U.S. established a base not far away from the monument. The caretaker saw an opportunity to give guided tours to the site and perhaps to earn a little money by asking for donations to go on the tour. I gave him five dollars at the end of the presentation and the man almost broke down and cried. For a time it seemed that the caretaker would be able to win back some of his losses by giving more and more tours to more American military members.

Unfortunately the 'Ugly American' stigma of years ago is still alive and well. Many of the military are discouraged and extremely unhappy to be in Iraq and a few even vent their anger on the innocent. Some of the soldiers urinated on artifacts and desecrated the building. The end result was that the monument was ordered 'off limits' to all American military and the caretaker’s hopes of success were dissolved. So much for our 'good example' overseas. “