Iraq

Notable facts

• Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates, is where the earliest known writing, cities and legal codes appear.
• The Code of Hammurabi, one of the oldest written legal codes, was set down in Babylon around 1750 BC.
• The Iraqi Marshes, drained in the 1990s and partly restored, are traditionally identified with the Garden of Eden.
• Baghdad’s House of Wisdom was a leading centre of learning during the Islamic Golden Age.

World Heritage 6 sites

• Hatra 1985 · Cultural
• Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) 2003 · Cultural In danger
• Samarra Archaeological City 2007 · Cultural In danger

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National dish

Masgoufمسكوف Tigris carp, split flat, marinated in tamarind and turmeric and roasted upright beside an open fire.