Ziggurat of Ur

Ziggurat of Ur is the monumental stepped temple platform of the ancient Sumerian city of Ur, located near modern Tell al-Muqayyar in southern Iraq’s Dhi Qar Governorate. It is one of the best-known surviving examples of Mesopotamian ziggurat architecture and dates to the early 2nd millennium BCE.

The structure is a multi-tiered platform of mudbrick faced with fired bricks and was originally part of a larger temple complex dedicated to the moon god Nanna. It remains a key archaeological and tourist landmark for understanding early urban and religious architecture in Mesopotamia.

The principal construction phase is attributed to the Third Dynasty of Ur under king Ur-Nammu and his successor Shulgi, around the 21st century BCE. The site was excavated by Sir Leonard Woolley in the 1920s and 1930s, and it has seen later conservation and partial restoration work in the 20th century.

The ruins lie on the Mesopotamian plain near the modern city of Nasiriyah and the ancient city mound of Ur, in southern Iraq.

• Excavations: Archaeological excavations in the 1920s and 1930s by Sir Leonard Woolley documented extensive royal tombs and architectural remains at the site.

What to See #

• Ziggurat platform: The raised, stepped earthen-and-brick platform that remains visible today; it preserves the characteristic tiered profile of a Mesopotamian ziggurat.
• Royal Cemetery and adjacent ruins: Adjacent burial and temple remains uncovered during early 20th-century excavations, including the Royal Cemetery area where significant grave goods were recorded and later removed for museum collections.