Good friend of mine in Iraq sent me pics of the Ziggurat (interesting)

[Javelin]

A good friend of mine (former Army Captain) is in Iraq working for Blackwater and sent a couple photos of the ziggerut. It was built a few thousand years ago (pre-Christ biblical days) and known as the House of Abraham. Even though I was in N. Baghdad, Sammara, and Baq'ubah I never got out west to see it (nor even knew about it). There is so much history over there as the area currently occupied by Iraq (then Mesopotamia) is where much of the old testament took place. Of course I did not find it that "historical" as we were more interested in the wildlife that inhabited the region... :whistling:

Anyway figured you guys might find it interesting.

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/3839/zig2dh6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/8152/zig3kg5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

-Javelin

[glock22357]

Maybe if the day does come that Iraq is a truly open society and country, archeologists can get in there and start investigating it's ancient sites.

I bet there is a lot to learn of ancient history there.

[Javelin]

Maybe if the day does come that Iraq is a truly open society and country, archeologists can get in there and start investigating it's ancient sites.

I bet there is a lot to learn of ancient history there.


Yes there is. Probably one of the most unusual things I saw on my first tour in '03 was the Mineret in Sammara, Iraq. It is fairly tall (160 feet) built around 800AD located at the "gold dome mosque" as we called it but it is really called "the great mosque" by muslims.

Here is a better picture. I never actually walked up to the top (probably should have just to say I did :dunno:) but pulled up at its base with the Bradleys a few times. Funny thing is everytime we went down there at night we would always make contact by some rogue RPG or small arms fire. One of those shoot-em-up and they run behind the mosque located next door and through all those alleys and gone. Cat and mouse games when on patrol but we usually got our shooter at some point during the week. Here is a great arial shot.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2240/2101124959_c87e2a5389.jpg?v=0

-Javelin

[Javelin]

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/scott_11b/Iraq/fe42.jpg

[Historian]

Maybe if the day does come that Iraq is a truly open society and country, archeologists can get in there and start investigating it's ancient sites.

I bet there is a lot to learn of ancient history there.

My head spins at the thought of it. That place in unreal when it comes to undiscoverd history. Syria is the same way. There's so much to learn but it's all been closed off for many years.

One of the things I'm most proud of is that after we took Iraq we made a gigantic effort to return national treasures to the people of Iraq.

[Javelin]

Here is the Gold Dome Mosque that is located not too far away in downtown Sammara. Really not a great place to hang out at night but the towers and outline are all lined with green neon lights which make for an interesting look at night (when you were not taking fire back in 03).

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/images/samarra_naqi.jpg

[Targettarget]

Those a cool as hell, thanks for sharing. In Canada at least, the oldest building is something like 1900, not 800 or less, so I love seeing things like this.