Iraqi antiquities authoritiesadvanced an Italian-supported preservation effort at the historic Taq Kasrasite in Baghdad, while restoration work continued at the ancient Ur Zigguratin Dhi Qar.
Ali Basim, Director of BaghdadAntiquities and Heritage, told Shafaq News on Wednesday that a specializedIraqi team of engineers and archaeologists visited Taq Kasra to review anItalian proposal aimed at treating structural cracks and preserving the landmarkin line with international conservation standards.
Basim noted increasing numbers ofIraqi and foreign tourists visiting the site, also known as the Arch ofCtesiphon. Located in the ancient city of al-Madain, the structure dates backto the Sasanian era during the reign of King Khosrow I Anushirvan in the sixthcentury AD. The monument formed part of a royal palace complex in the Sasaniancapital and remains the largest surviving brick arch from antiquity, standingabout 37 meters high and nearly 50 meters deep.
In Dhi Qar, Kazem Hassoun,supervisor of the Ur restoration project, said Iraq’s State Board ofAntiquities and Heritage, in cooperation with the provincial AntiquitiesInspectorate, is carrying out the seventh major restoration campaign at theziggurat since its construction under the Third Dynasty of Ur around 2112 BC.
The current phase includesrestoration of the first level and its three main staircases, repairs to cracksin the second level, and reconstruction work on the third level based onavailable archaeological evidence, with the site expected to reopen in July2026.
Built by King Ur-Nammu around 2100BC, the Ur Ziggurat is considered among the world’s earliest examples ofstepped monumental architecture, predating the Egyptian pyramids. The structureoriginally consisted of three levels and three staircases, each containing 100steps, though only the first level and parts of the second remain today aftercenturies of erosion.
As of 2025, Iraq, often described asthe heartland of Mesopotamia, ranked ninth among Arab countries for the numberof UNESCO World Heritage sites, with five cultural sites and one mixedcultural-natural site, including Hatra, Ashur (Qalaat Sharqat), SamarraArchaeological City, Erbil Citadel, and the Ahwar of Southern Iraq, also knownas the Mesopotamian Marshes.
: From Babylon to Erbil: Iraq’s UNESCO sites and those next in line