🌾 The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities
UNESCO World Heritage wetlands and ancient Mesopotamian heartland
📋 Fast Facts
- Inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016 under natural and cultural criteria
- Comprises four major marshland areas: Hawizeh, Central, East Hammar, and West Hammar Marshes
- Home to over 200 bird species and the endangered Basra reed warbler
- Contains three ancient Sumerian cities: Uruk, Ur, and Tell Eridu
The Ahwar of Southern Iraq is a rare mixed UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for both natural and cultural significance, inscribed in 2016. Located in the vast alluvial plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the Ahwar (Arabic for "marshes") represent one of the largest inland delta systems in the Middle East and the remnants of ancient Mesopotamian wetlands. The site encompasses four major marshland areas and the archaeological remains of three Sumerian cities that rank among ...