Iraq was the cradle of civilization and home to one of human history's earliest civilizations. Babylon, as it was called, was one of the most beautiful, legendary, famous and imfamous of ancient cities containing one of the wonders of the ancient world, the Hanging Gardens and great palaces. Nearly all of that is gone, but a giant stone lion, predating and perhaps influencing the Egyptian Sphinx, remains to memorialize one of the greatest cities in world history. Sadly Iraq has suffered from colonial mis-administration on a spectacular scale which led to vicious dictatorships, wars, and the recently baffling Anglo-American invasion that has made Iraq a tumultuous state on the brink of civil war. If the situation stabilizes, there are a number of historical sites to bring visitors back to Iraq. For now though, Iraq should be off limits to most travellers. The tragedies of war and the inevitable acts desperate people are capable of in order to survive, eat, shelter and protect themselves and loved ones are in stark contrast to what most of us are familiar with. One famous place in Iraq is Ur of the Chaldees. This was the birthplace of Abraham and the capital of the ancient civilization of Sumeria. The capital of Baghdad is a heavily damaged warzone, but will hopefully retain buildings worth visiting in the Abbasid Palace or the Al Kadhimain Mosque. The National Museum of Iraq once held an impressive collection of artefacts and antiquities. Most were 'mysteriously' looted in 2003 following the Anglo-American Invasion. An event that will stand as one of history's greatest tragedies - in that it was predicted and could have been avoided - our species lost priceless relics and fragments of our past to mercenary private collectors and careless vandals.
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