The Supreme temples (Ziggurats) in the Kashi era in Babylonia and their impact on archaeological tourism Ziggurat of Aqarquf - an example

Abstract

tourism is a global phenomenon with a wide range of social, economic and cultural dimensions and has
occupied many specialists, science, which led researchers to research and develop in order to appear
in the best condition that reflects the image of the country in a way good in front of other countries, and
since the tourism sector has become a focus of attention for all countries, we decided to research how
to invest the sites of the ziggurats, especially the archaeological ziggurat of aqarquf, in order to develop
the tourist demand for it and developing services in it and holding events and making it an outlet for
tourists, especially on weekends the ziggurat of aqarquf is distinguished by its proximity to the capital,
baghdad. the ziggurat is located in an agricultural area characterized by fertile land. and the green
spaces that can be used for the practice of natural tourism, and what this archaeological site owns
archaeological monuments that still exist today, such as the ziggurat, temples, the mastaba, and the
remains of the city’s wall. the signs represent the cornerstone of archaeological tourism in the
archaeological site of aqarquf, and they are one of the symbols of baghdad as a place and heritage.
and history and an important factor of tourist attractions, the problem of the study began to find out the
reasons neglecting this archaeological site to this day and not investing it in the tourist aspect, and
developing solutions that lead to the development of this archaeological landmark, in the study, the
researchers relied mainly on the (questionnaire), which is the main tool for collecting data and
information, in addition to using another method, which is (personal interview); for a number of directors
and their assistants and heads of departments in the department of antiquities and heritage, the
descriptive analysis method and the historical method were used as a scientific methodology in the
current study, and through this study, communication was made to the most important conclusions, the
most prominent of which were, the proximity of the ziggurat of aqarquf to the capital, baghdad, provides
an opportunity for local and foreign tourists to visit it and learn its history, and thus constitute a desire to
visit the rest of the ziggurat, such as the ziggurat of ur in the province of dhi qar, one of the important
conclusions reached by the researchers is the extent of the damage and neglect suffered by the ziggurat
of aqarquf.