March 21st, 2013

Image of Ashur, the ancient city of power for the Assyrian Empire. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1130

Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat): Ashur was once a great and powerful city built in the 3rd millennium BC. It was the first capital of Assyria, dedicated to their god Ashur (Assur), from the 14th to the 9th centuries BC and it was eventually destroyed by the Babylonians. It was located in the fertile crescent area in Mesopotamia, what is now modern Iraq. This ancient city preserves evidence of not only Assyrian culture but also of Akkadian and Sumerian as well. Currently the site is not well protected from flood of a local dam project. The recent conflict between Iraq and the United States of America halted that problem and has preserved it for the time being. Ashur is also not a well known site for tourism nor is it well publicized. Once the conflict reaches it's end point more publicity can be made and Ashur can be opened up to be a tourist attraction to help the fledgling infrastructure of Iraq's new regime. Without a comprehensive conservation and management plan the ruins of Ashur are in danger of keeping their secrets buried in the desert.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1130

A beautiful spiral from the city of Samarra. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/276

The city of Samarra is a much better example of a world heritage site being better protected. Currently the major threat to Samarra is that the current regime is unable to come up with a proper management plan due to war in the area. When the war subsides it should be much easier for the current regime to plan conservation and management for this wondrous city. Already it has received more donations and funding then Ashur has as well as being touted as an upcoming attraction to Muslim historians. Collaboration will be able to happen better under a stable regime as will tourism opportunities. Samarra is only 140km from Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, and that means that travel is not an unruly option. The area is currently under no threat of becoming too "touristy" and that helps it meet another criterion for successful world heritage sites. Samarra has a lot to offer and will in the near future as the U.S. continues to draw troops out of Iraq.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/276