Nasiriya, Iraq – It is where the wheel was invented, the Hammurabi Code (or rule of law) was first established, and where oil was first burned as a source of energy.
It is the ancient Iraqi city of Ur, located in Dhi Qar province, 300 km south of the capital Baghdad, and where Pope Francis plans to visit during his historic three-day trip to the country.
More than 6,000 years ago, Ur emerged as one of the world’s first urban centers and, centuries later, became the center of the then world economy, with its mass-producing factories producing carpets and woolen garments. for export to Mesopotamia and abroad.
Ur – also called Tal al-Muqayer – has been considered one of the most important archaeological sites in history. 
The pontiff is expected to hold an interfaith meeting in Ur on Saturday.
Dhi Qar is the center of the ancient Iraqi civilization of Sumer and includes the ruins of Ur, Eridu, Lagash, Gisu, Umma and Bad-tibira, or the Wall of the Copper Workers.
In July 2016, UNESCO placed Ur on the World Heritage List, in addition to the swamps of southern Iraq, and other places such as Eridu and Al-Warka.
During his visit to Iraq, Pope Francis will visit Ur after meetings with politicians, religious figures and archeological sites in the cities of Najaf, Erbil, Mosul and the capital Baghdad.
The stairs leading to the top of the Ziggurat temple [Asaad Mohammed/Al Jazeera]A life of luxury
Ur is one of several cities built by the Sumerians who made it the capital of their state. When they settled in southern Iraq around 3,500 BC, they surrounded it with walls and built markets, workshops, and agricultural villages inland. It generated the development of primary commercial transport routes with other cities and nations of that time.
Excavations in the early 1900s in Ur indicated that its people lived a life of luxury as the city prospered in the growth and trade of wheat and barley. Excavations continue to this day, as there are still treasures that have not yet been discovered that will allow you to get to know one of the first progressive cities in the world better.
For decades, archaeological excavations were banned due to conflicts and security issues. But Iraqi and American investigators began resuming excavations in the area a few years after the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein.
“During the 2007 excavation season in the ancient city of Ur, we found about 100 tablet artifacts that included important ancient texts,” Mustafa al-Hussaini, an archaeologist based in Nasiriya, told Al Jazeera.
“When we studied the texts with the help of the American University of Stony Brook, it was discovered that these tablets are a miniature library. I discovered about 45 of them, ”he said.
The Sumerians developed systems of irrigation and cultivation of cereals, as well as invented the cuneiform script used in ancient Mesopotamia and Persia. They also developed an algorithm on which the measurement of time to date is based.
Sumerian society recognized the leadership role of the mother in the family and women had a high level of respect. Another cultural legacy of Sumerian civilization was poetry and pottery.
Tourists stand in front of the Ziggurat temple in the ancient city of Ur [Asaad Mohammed/Al Jazeera]The oldest pyramid
British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley, who excavated in Ur in 1922, discovered a royal tomb that coincides with the pharaonic ones in the pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
The Sumerians were interested in building temples from mud and asphalt. An ancient ziggurat, or terraced complex, is still found in Ur and is considered one of the oldest pyramids in the civilization of Mesopotamia.
It is said that the complex next to the Ziggurat dates back to 1900 BC and that at one time it was the home of the Prophet Ibrahim, known as Abraham by Christians and Jews.
Amer Abdulrazzaq, head of the Museum of Nasiriyah Civilization, explained why Ur is considered so important to Christians, Jews and Muslims.
“Ur is the birthplace of the prophet Ibrahim and this is mentioned in the Torah and the Gospels and for this reason all religions consider him his spiritual father.
“Therefore, visiting the country of his birth is considered one of the most important religious rites of Christian pilgrimage,” he told Al Jazeera.
Surveys conducted for al-Hamdani and American archaeologists suggest that there are 15,000 archaeological sites throughout Iraq.
“In Nasiriya alone there are about 1,200 archeological sites, which equates to all the antiquities of France and Italy combined,” he said.
Pope Francis’ historic visit aims to raise the morale of the besieged Christian minority in Iraq, which has declined in recent years amid wars and persecution, and to encourage religious coexistence among Muslims, Christians and other minorities.
“Politicians must promote the spirit of fraternal solidarity,” the pontiff said Friday.
“There is corruption, abuse of power, it’s not like that. At the same time, we need to think about justice, transparency, strengthening certain values, this is how credibility can grow so that everyone, especially young people, can have hope for the future ”.
The complex next to the Ziggurat is said to date back to 1900 BC [Asaad Mohammed/Al Jazeera]