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.