The ancient aban­doned ruins of Dur-Kuri­­galzu date back 3,500 years and this part of Iraq used to be the heart of the Cra­dle of Civ­i­liza­tion of south­ern Mesopotamia.

Close to the mighty Euphrates and Tigris rivers, this was the home of the Kas­site kings of old who built the Zig­gu­rat in the 14th cen­tu­ry.

This can still be found here in the form of strik­ing stonework and mud-brick walls that rise into high tow­ers above the desert and this would also have been used as a mark­er for camel car­a­vans en route to Bagh­dad.