Shafaq News- Al-Muthanna
More than 1,000 tourists from countries including the UK, China, Japan, and the United States have visited the ancient city of Uruk in Iraq’s Al-Muthanna province in recent months, the director of the Antiquities and Heritage Department told Shafaq News on Saturday.
Salwan Al-Ahmar
attributed the increase in tourism to restoration and development work carried
out by the department in cooperation with the German Archaeological Institute
mission working at the site.
The project
included the first phase of a dedicated visitor pathway inside the
archaeological city, alongside the installation of informational signs in
Arabic, English, and German containing historical explanations and images
related to the city and its temples. The signs were prepared in Berlin before
being shipped to Iraq. Al-Ahmar also pointed to the construction of a rest area
for visitors, noting that the next season will include a second phase focused
on expanding visitor facilities and completing the tourist pathway across the
ancient complex.
The ancient city of Uruk, historically known as one of the world’s earliest urban centers, is widely regarded as the cradle of human civilization. It is associated with the invention of the first writing system, the construction of the first ziggurat, and the Epic of Gilgamesh.
UNESCO added Uruk to its World Heritage List in 2016 as part of the Ahwar of Southern Iraq and associated archaeological cities.
The increase in visitors comes as Iraq records a broader rise in Arab and foreign tourism. The sector’s revenues increased by 25% in 2024 to $5.7 billion, while Baghdad’s designation as the Arab Capital of Tourism for 2025 further boosted the sector, as Iraqi authorities seek to attract up to 10 million visitors annually over the next decade through infrastructure upgrades and heritage restoration projects.
Read more: Baghdad crowned Arab Capital of Tourism 2025: A turning point for Iraq's future.