🌍 The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities
UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising ancient Sumerian cities and vital Mesopotamian wetlands
📋 Fast Facts
- UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2016 as a mixed natural and cultural property
- Comprises four major wetland areas: Hawizeh, Central, East Hammar, and West Hammar Marshes, plus three Sumerian archaeological sites (Uruk, Ur, Tell Eridu)
- Home to over 200 bird species including globally threatened Basra reed warbler and marbled teal; critical stopover on Central Asian Flyway
- Traditional homeland of the Marsh Arabs (Ma'dan) for over 5,000 years; ecological and cultural restoration ongoing since 2003
The Ahwar of Southern Iraq represents a rare fusion of natural and cultural heritage, recognized by UNESCO for ...