Iraq

A vast inland delta and marshland ecosystem at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates, habitat for migratory birds and home to the Ma'dan (Marsh Arab) culture, partially restored after systematic drainage in the 1990s.

Ancient Mesopotamian city on the Euphrates, capital of the Babylonian empire, famed for the Ishtar Gate, ziggurat foundations and the legendary Hanging Gardens.

A conical artificial mound in Erbil city, inhabited continuously for over 6,000 years, with an enclosed Ottoman-era compound at its summit and the vibrant Souq al-Beghere at its foot.

Ancient Parthian walled city and temple complex that resisted Roman siege twice in the 2nd century CE, famed for its hybrid Hellenistic-Mesopotamian architecture and elaborate carved stone reliefs.

The National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad, opened 1922, housing the world's most comprehensive collection of Mesopotamian artifacts from Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian civilizations including the treasures of Ur.

Abbasid capital (836-883 CE) on the Tigris, containing the ruins of the Great Mosque with its iconic spiral minaret, the Malwiya Palace, and extensive palace complexes covering 50 square kilometers.