Posted
October 3, 2016
Today
is the anniversary of Iraq gaining independence from the United
Kingdom, in 1932.
When
I say “Iraq,” many of us think of the brutality of Iraqi leader
Saddam Hussein, the invasion by the U.S. and its allies in 2003, and
the continued violence and problems. Why is the Iraqi insurgency
still going on and more dangerous than ever? We can point to a
variety of causes, from the U.K. and U.S. interventions over the
course of the last century to conflict between people practicing
different forms of Islam, from activities by rebel groups like ISIS
to a spillover from other wars such as the Syrian Civil War.
Iraq is, however, also called the cradle of civilization.
Historians credit the civilizations that arose in the fertile
area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers – then known as
Mesopotamia – as the first peoples to read, write, and create laws
and governments.
Here
are some of the early civilizations that arose where Iraq is today:
Akkadian,
Sumerian, Assyrian, and Babylonian empires
Also,
the area made up part of these civilizations:
Median,
Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid empires
Greek
and Roman empires
Rashidun,
Umayyad, Abbasid, Ayyubid, Mongol, Safavid, Afsharid, and Ottoman
empires
Even
though this is not a good time for people to travel to Iraq, let's
look at some of the beautiful sights that can be seen in this
country:
 |
| Ruins of Babylon |
 |
| Mosque in Baghdad, I think |
 |
| The Arc of Triumph |
 |
| Ishtar Gate to the ruins of Babylon |
 |
| Martyrs' Monument |
 |
| Rawanduz |
 |
| Minaret of Samarra |
 |
| Saddam Hussein's former palaces in Tikrit |
 |
| Monument to the Unknown Soldier |
Also
on this date:
First
Monday in October
First
Monday in October
Plan
ahead:
Check
out my Pinterest boards for:
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