Top Historical Attractions in Iraq

A land that contains both the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Iraq gives historians a place to search for remains of a "cradle of civilization." A part of man's history began in Iraq. One group of early men settled in the region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

The city of Erech is where cuneiform writing first emerged. That city, located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, has been partially restored. The famous city of Babylon has an important structure that has been fully restored. It holds the old palace of King Nebuchadnezzar. The King's stamped bricks have been viewed by tourists since the late 1980s.

A number of cities in Iraq have a religious significance. The city of Ur was once the home of the prophet Abraham. The city of Karbala is the location of the battle that led to the schism in Islamic society. In Karbala the forces of the Caliph Omayad battled the 70 supporters of Hussein ibn Ali.

The City of Najaf draws pilgrims, Shia Muslims. The father of Hussein Ali, a man named Ali, was buried in Najaf. He was murdered while standing in the doorway of a mosque that he had had constructed in that city.

Some of those city names might sound familiar to the reader of this article. The U.S. forces in Iraq have battled insurgents who had sought to control one or more of those cities. Tony Horowitz, a reporter who has traveled to Iraq offers a suggestion to others who might plan to go there. He advises taking with you plenty of hard currency and a generous supply of passport-sized personal photos.

Horowitz has been at the scene where more recent historical events took place in Iraq. He was at the point where Sadam Hussein's tanks crossed from Iraq into Kuwait in August of 1990. Earlier Horowitz had been at the battlefield of Majnon. That was the scene of one of the many battles fought during the 8 year Iran-Iraq War.

Horowitz has sailed on the Strait of Hoummos. That is the body of water in the Persian Gulf. Control of the Strait of Hoummos means control of the oil laden ships the pass through that strait. During the Iran-Iraq War, battles took place in the Strait of Hoummos, as well as on the land near the border between those two countries.