Iraq South / Jug

South Iraq

 

I was lucky to visit this part of Iraq before the wars (with Iran and Kuwait) and before the American invasion.

Ur became a military base and it was closed to the public.

Babylon was American military base and who knows what was left after “culture and democracy loving” people left Iraq.

Ctesiphon was irreparably damaged (as I heard) during the American occupation. Unfortunately, once the widest and highest single-span vault built of baked bricks in the world, was crushed. It resisted degradation for centuries till “culture and democracy lovers” came to “help” Iraq.

Juzni Irak

 

Imao sam srece da ovaj deo Iraka vidim pre ratova koje je Iraq vodio od dolaska Sadama nav last. 

Ur je u njegovom periodu postao vojna baza I ziguratu se nije moglo prici.

Vavilon je po invaziji Amerike, postao vojna baza Amerikanaca I ko zna sta je od grada ostalo. 

Stesifon je u vreme invazije Amerikanaca urusen.  Nazalost, svod od zemlje I pecene opeke koji je vekovima stojao kao jedinstven spomenik u svetu I prkosio vremenu, nije mogao da odoli I Amerikancima.

Karbala

 

Kerbala

 

  • Grad osnovan u 7 veku
  • Islamski sveti grad (kao I Meka, Medina I Jerusalem)
  • Desetine miliona Si’ita ga poseti dva puta godisnje

Al-Ukhaidir

 

  • Located 50km south of Karbala
  • Fortress erected 775AD
  • important stop on trade routes (“motel” of that time)
  • Ukhaidir represents Abbasid architectural innovation in the structures of its courtyards, residences and mosque
  • The fortress exemplifies Abbasid architecture in Iraq by demonstrating the "despotic and the pleasure-loving character of the dynasty" in its grand size but cramped living quarters.

Ugadir

 

  • Nalazi se oko 50km juzno od Kerbale
  • Utvrdjenje podignuto u 8 veku (775AD)
  • Vazna stanica trgovinskih puteva tog vremena
  • “motel” onog vremena, mogao da ugosti velike karavane
  • Predstavlja primer Abasidske arhitekture: Objekti radjeni prvenstveno za uzivanje vladara

Ctesiphon

 

  • First mentioned in the Book of Ezra (the Old Testament)
  • Ctesiphon was founded in the late 120s BC
  • The city became the Empire's capital circa 58 BC
  • The city was captured by Rome five times in its history
  • Ctesiphon served as a royal capital of the Iranian empire in the Parthian and Sasanian eras for over eight hundred years.
  • Ctesiphon remained the capital of the Sasanian Empire until the Muslim conquest of Persiain 651 AD.
  • It is the widest and highest single-span vault built of baked bricks in the world
  • The vault was built in mid 3rd century AD,
  • Barrel vault 36m high, 24m wide, 50m long – the largest vault constructed in Persia (at that time)
  • While I was there, Iraqis built the building with the mural inside, representing the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah. The Arabs attacked Ctesiphon, and occupied it in early 637.
  • The mural was done in the circular wall, long approx. 125m and high 20m. (At that time, it was one of 4 in the world of similar size).
  • In the ground floor is a museum. The lift leads to the platform from where is the view to the mural. The platform goes around the lift shaft so onlookers can enjoy the view.
  • Between the mural and onlooker, is a terrain, mostly of sand, with human sized figures, soldiers fighting. The transition between 3D images and the mural on the wall is seamless so, the onlooker has the impression that everything is shown in 3 dimensions.
  • On the basis of my memories and photos, I made sketches (floor plan end section) of the building

Stesifon

 

  • Prvi put je spomenut u Bibliji (Stari Zavet; Book of Ezra)
  • Stesifon je osnovan oko 120 god pre nove
  • Oko 58 god pre nove ere postaje centar iranske imperije
  • Rimljani ga osvajali u vise navrata (5)
  • Persijanci ga osvajaju od Rimljana
  • Centar persijske imperije do 651 god kada ga osvajaju muslimani
  • Najsiri I najvisi svod na svetu od pecene opeke, gradjen u 3 veku
  • Svod je 36m visok, 24m sirok I 50m dugacak, najveci svod izgradjen u Persiji tog vremena
  • Ctesiphon je prvi put je spomenut u Bibliji, stari zavet (Book of Ezra)
  • U vreme mog boravka, izgradjen je objekat u kome je iscrtan mural koji predstavlja Bitku za Kadisiju is 636god.
  • Mural je iscrtan na kruznom zidu I velicine je otprilike 125m mx 20m. Jedan je od 4 slicne velicine koji su u to vreme uradjeni u svetu
  • Gledalac iz prizemlja gde je muzej, liftom odlazi na kruznu galeriju sa koje se posmatra mural
  • Izmedju murala I gledaoca je pesak I teren kao iz tog doba sa predstavom borbe tako da se prelaz izmedju te trodimenzionalne predstave I slike uopste ne primecuje. Figure boraca su u prirodnoj velicini.
  • Osnovu I presek objekta sam skicirao na bazi secanja I fotografija.

Babylon

 

Babylon has had an unfortunate past as well as Iraq itself.  The city was destroyed by conquerors a few times; Persians, Alexander the Great, Romans… and, at the end of the 20th century, Americans.

The rest, who came to visit the remains of Babylon, were mostly those stealing cultural artifacts (they call it “protection of cultural goods”): Germans, Britishers, French, Americans…

 

  • “The Gate of Gods”
  • Became important in 21st century BC
  • 18th century BC, during Hammurabi, became capital of Mesopotamia
  • In 6th century BC, during Nebuchadnezzar, Ishtar Gate and Hanging Gardens were built.
  • The original of “The Gate of Gods” (Ishtar Gate) is kept in Berlin
  • 539 BC the Persian king Cyrus the Great captured Babylon
  • 331 BC Alexander the Great captured Babylon and died there.  It is believed that his grave is somewhere close to Babylon.
  • 116 AD Roman Emperor Trajan invaded Babylonia, Babylon was in ruins
  • Saddam Hussein rebuilt the city up to the level as it is assumed it was originally (except The Hanging Gardens)
  • Destroyed in the last 20-25 years (military bases of invaders - Americans); Typical American “culture” and “Wild West Mentality”.

Vavilon (Babylon)

 

Vavilon ima nesrecnu proslost kao uostalom I sam Irak.  Tokom vekova grad je vise puta unistvan I diazo se iz pepela.  Osvajacu su ga uglavnom unistavali; pocevsi od Persijanaca preko Aleksandra Makedonskog I Rimljana do Amerikanaca krajem 20 veka.

Ostali, koji su dolazili da ga posete, uglavnom su krali: Nemci, Englezi, Francuzi, Amerikanci.

  • Postaje vazno mesto u 21 veku stare ere
  • Bio glavni grad Vavilonske imperije I to u dva navrata: od 19 do 15 veka pre nove ere I u 6 I 7 veku pre nove ere
  • U 18 veku pre nove ere, u vreme Hamurabija postaje glavni grad Mesopotamije
  • U 6 veku pre nove ere, u vreme Nabukodonosora, izgradjeni su viseci vrtovi I kapija boginje Istar.
  • Kapija boginje Istar je poznata I kao Kapija Bogova (original se cuva u Berlinu, u Vavilonu je samo kopija iste)
  • 539 god pre nove ere Persijski kralj, Kir Veliki je osvojio Vavilon
  • 331 god Aleksandar Makedonski osvaja Vavilon, gde I umire. Pretpostavlja se da mu je grob u blizini grada
  • 116 god Rimski Imperator Trajan osvaja Vavilon I ostavlja ga u ruinama
  • Sadam Husein ga je obnavljao do nivoa kakav se pretpostavlja da je nekada bio (izuzev visecih vrtova)
  • Amerikanci ponovo unistavaju grad krajem 20 I pocetkom 21 veka gradeci bazu na tom mestu; tipicna Americka “kultura” i mentalited Divljeg Zapada.

Marshes - Swampland

 

  • It is called Iraqi “Venice’
  • Near Biblical “Garden of Eden”
  • Populated by Marsh Arabs of Persian origin
  • 1950s population of about 500,000
  • 2003 – population of about 20,000 due to drainage. During war with Iran, Saddam was draining marshes in order to chase war deserters.
  • They practice temporary marriage” (fixed term or short term contractual marriage, without priest – “God as witness”)

Mocvare (Marshes - Swampland)

 

  • Nalaze se blizu biblijskih Rajskih Vrtova
  • Mocvare su naseljene arapima Persijskog porekla
  • Pedesetih godina ih je bilo oko 500.000
  • 2003 se populacija smanjila na oko 20.000 zbog isusivanja
  • U vreme rata sa Iranom, Sadam je isusivao mocvare jureci dezertere
  • Stanovnici praktikuju “privremeni brak”, sa fiksiranim trajanjem, bez svestenika; Bog je svedok

Qurna ("The Garden of Eden")

 

  • Biblical “The Garden of Eden” – the birth place of mankind
  •  “where God put Adam and gave him Eve”
  • There is the Tree, supposedly from the period of Adam and Eve.
  •  Point where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers join to form the Shatt al-Arab
  •  Second largest oil field in the world
  • At the time when I visited Qurna (I visited the area a few times) it didn’t  look like “The Garden of Eden”; the area was a battlefield (Iraq – Iran war) and it was pretty obvious.

Qurna ("Rajski vrtovi")

 

  • Ovde su po predanju biblijski “Rajski Vrtovi” gde je “Bog ostavio Adama I dao mu Evu”
  • Na tom mestu postoji drvo koje navodno potice iz it biblijskih vremena, Adama I Eve
  • Mesto gde se Eufrat I Tigar spajaju I formiraju Sat El Arab.
  • Drugo najvece naftno polje na svetu.
  • Danas ne lici na Rajske Vrtove
  • U vreme moje posete jos uvek su bili vidljivi tragovi velikih sukoba Iracke I Iranske vojske

Ur

 

I was lucky that I was there in 1974 before the military base was established next to the ziggurat when visitors were not allowed to go there.

 

  • Once a coastal city (Persian Gulf), today inland, 16km from Nasiriyah
  • City Inhabited more than 5000 years ago
  • Ziggurat was built in 2100BC
  • Temple of Nanna, residence of Moon God in Sumerian mythology
  • 21m high
  • B/w 2030BC and 1980BC it was the largest city in the world – 65.000 people.
  • From 500BC no longer inhabited
  • Mentioned in the Bible, Book of Genesis (the prophet Abraham’s birth place - the father of Judaism, )

 

Ur

 

Srecan sam da sam tamo bio pre nego sto je formirana vojna baza na tom mestu I onda je bilo nemoguce doci do zigurata.

  • Kad je osnovan, bio je grad na obali mora (Persijski zaliv). Sada je duboko na kopnu, 16km od Nasirije
  • Bio je naseljen grad pre 3.000 god pre nove ere
  • Izmedju 2030 and 1980 god pre nove ere, bio je najveci grad na svetu sa 65.000 stanovnika.
  • Od 500 god pre nove ere nije naseljen
  • Pominje se u Bibliji (Book of Genesis) kao rodno mesto proroka Abrahama, oca Judaizma
  • Zigurat je izgradjen 2100 god pre nove ere
  • Trenutno je 21m visok
  • Predstavljao je hram Nane I staniste meseca o Sumerskoj mitologiji