Page 38 - Hussein Revivalism - Issue 16

It is neither a forgotten story nor a lost
civilization, the Iraqi Marshes have survived
to show the world a facet of the culture and
civilisation of Iraq. 13 of UNESCO’s members
voted to include the middle and southern Iraqi
Marshes as well the antiquities sites of Ur, Eridu,
Uruk and al-Warkaa to the list of World Heritage.
UNESCO declared: “The archaeological cities
of Uruk and Ur and the Tell Eridu archaeological
site form part of the remains of the Sumerian
cities and settlements that developed in
southern Mesopotamia between the 4th and the
3rd millennium BCE.”
Furthermore, UNESCO issued the following:
“The Ahwar of southern Iraq – also known as
the Iraqi marshlands – are unique, as one of
the world’s largest inland delta systems, in an
extremely hot and arid environment”.

What are the Marshes?
The Mesopotamian Marshes or Iraqi Marshes
are a wetland area located in southern Iraq
and partially in south-western Iran and Kuwait.
Historically the marshlands, were mainly
composed of separate but adjacent wetlands,

38 Hussein Revivalism