Nasiriyah
Nasiriyah, also spelled Nassiriya or Nasiriya, is a city in Iraq, the capital of the Dhi Qar Governorate.
It lies on the lower Euphrates, about 360 km south-southeast of Baghdad, near the ruins of the ancient city of Ur, as well as the recently established Ur Tourist City located adjacent to the archaeological site. Its population in 2024 was about 700,000, making it the ninth-largest city in Iraq. It had a diverse population of Muslims, Mandaeans and Jews in the early 20th century; today its inhabitants are predominantly Shia Muslims.
Getting to Nasiriyah
There are limited domestic flights from Baghdad to Nasiriyah with the national carrier Iraqi airways.
- 01Nasiriyah Airport
Nasiriyah has a station on the railway between Baghdad and Basra.
- 02Nasiriyah
Worth seeing
There is a UNESCO World Heritage Site called The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities. "Ahwar" translates as "marshland" and the region is listed partly for the wetlands flora and fauna. However, the listing also includes several cities of ancient Sumer.
- 01Museum of Nasiriyah
The second largest museum in Iraq, housing a large collection of Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Abbasid artifacts.
- 02Ruins of Ur
The historical city of Ur, one of the most important cities during the Sumerian era.
- 03Ruins of Tell Eridu
A smaller archaeological site containing the city of Eridu, another Sumerian city, possibly the oldest recorded city in the world.
- 04Ruins of Larsa
Ruins of the historic city of Larsa, the city peaked in its influence around 1750-1700 BC.
- 05Ruins of Girsu
Continuously inhabited from around 5000 BC to 1750 BC, Girsu was the religious capital of the state of Lagash.
- 06Nasiriyah
A large park along the Euphrates river with restaurants, an outdoor theater and corniche.
Things to do
The amusement park in Nasiriyah.
Where to eat
- 01Mandi Palace Restaurant
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Spc (Public domain), Wikimedia Commons.