Dur-Kurigalzu Archaeological Site

Address: Dur‑Kurigalzu (Aqar Quf), near Baghdad, Iraq

Dur-Kurigalzu is an ancient Kassite city founded by a king named Kurigalzu and located in central Mesopotamia west of modern Baghdad. It is notable for its monumental mud-brick architecture from the Kassite period.

The site contains a prominent ziggurat and palace foundations along with urban remains that illustrate its role as a regional administrative and ceremonial centre in the second millennium BCE. Archaeological work has documented building phases and inscriptions associated with Kassite rulers.

Founded in the second millennium BCE by the Kassite dynasty, the city served as a political and religious centre during Kassite rule in Mesopotamia. Over time the site was abandoned and fell into ruin, leaving the standing mud-brick monuments visible today.

Dur-Kurigalzu lies in the Baghdad Governorate, to the west of Baghdad near the modern settlement often called Aqar Quf, within the alluvial plain of central Iraq.

• Also known as Aqar Quf: Often referred to in scholarship by the modern name Aqar Quf, the site is a key Kassite-period archaeological location near Baghdad.

What to See#

• Ziggurat and palace ruins: The main feature is a large mud-brick ziggurat and adjacent palace foundations, representing Kassite-period monumental architecture.
• Urban remains: Extensive archaeological remains including city walls and administrative buildings document the site’s role as a Kassite regional capital.