🌾 The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities
UNESCO World Heritage wetlands and ancient Mesopotamian cultural landscape
📋 Fast Facts
- UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2016 under natural and cultural criteria (iii, v, ix, x)
- Located in southern Iraq between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Dhi Qar and Maysan governorates
- Four marshland components: Hawizeh, Central, East Hammar, and West Hammar Marshes
- Home to over 200 bird species and endangered species including the Basra reed warbler and marbled teal
The Ahwar of Southern Iraq is a rare mixed UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for both ecological and cultural significance. Located in the vast alluvial plain of southern Iraq, the Ahwar—an Arabic term meaning "marshes"—represent the remnants of ancient Mesopotamian wetlands, one of the largest and most ecologically vital wetland systems in the Middle East. The site encompasses four major marshland areas and the archaeological remains of three ancient Sumerian cities: Uruk, Ur, and Tell ...