The Pope leaves Ur carrying souvenirs

Shafaq News / Pope Francis ended today Saturday his tour in the Ancient City of Ur taking special souvenirs.

A video shows the farewell ceremony of the Pope at the Nasiriya International Airport, where the temporary governor of Dhi Qar, Abdul al-Ghani Al-Asadi gave the Pontiff a long, slim canoe - made from reeds- known as “Mashuf” which is the main mode of transport through the reedy waterways for thousands of years in The Ahwar (Marshlands) of Southern Iraq.

Al-Asadi also gave the Pope a reed-made model of “Madafa (a place to host people)”, in addition to a book on the civilization of the Ahwar.

Pope Francis started his day-two tour by visiting Najaf in a historic meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

Later, he visited “Ur” Archaeological City in Dhi Qar Governorate linked to the memory of Abraham, performing the Prayer of the Children of Abraham in the Ancient City.

In the coming two days, the Pope will continue his Iraqi tour by visiting the city of Erbil, as well as Mosul and Qaraqosh in the plain of Nineveh.

This is the first-ever visit by a pope to Iraq.