The most beautiful Arab archaeological
The most beautiful Arab archaeological sites that can be visited, which have remained constant despite the war and destruction around them.
Although the world is full of impressive and safer places, there are certain places that contain impressive monuments and archaeological areas whose countries are going through a state of instability due to wars, terrorism, civil unrest, or violent crimes.
Nevertheless, these countries are home to stunning natural beauty, fascinating history, unique culture, and impressive architecture. (Syria, Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia)
1 - Aleppo Citadel, Syria
Aleppo is one of the oldest cities in the world and definitely one of the largest cities in Syria and its main industrial and financial centre.
But by July 2012, the war had cut Aleppo in half, and the scars of war were very visible throughout the city and its UNESCO World Heritage-listed old town, though the beauty can still be found - even though the citadel came under heavy fire. During the war, it suffered great damage, but the ruined structure still stands, and its fortified entrance remains as it was more than 800 years ago. The magnificent Citadel of Aleppo is one of the most magnificent fortifications in Syria and the entire Middle East.
Aleppo Citadel, a vast fortified palace dominating the city's historic center and formerly a busy tourist attraction.
The surface of the castle is about 38 meters above ground level and has an oval shape. It is the oldest, largest and most famous archaeological historical site in Syria.
Its dimensions at the top are (375-275). The castle has a trench 22 m deep and 30 m wide. It was filled with water. A blacksmith temple dating back to the ninth century B.C. was found in the depth of the castle, in addition to Roman and Byzantine sarcophagi.
The castle, with its walls and towers, is of Arab style, and its builders date back to the period between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries. It is considered a miracle of defensive castles.
Many of the castle’s buildings were demolished as a result of two major earthquakes in 1139 AD and 1157 AD, then Nur al-Din al-Zanki restored the walls and built a new one, and al-Zahir Ghazi bin Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi restored parts of the castle, dug its trench and built a wall of large stones at its foot and placed three doors for its entrance It was made of wrought iron, and inside it a large mosque was built.
In the year 1260 AD, King Al-Zahir Baybars, after his victory over the Mongols, restored the castle, and so did the Ashraf King Khalil bin Qalawun after him, who left an inscription at its entrance mentioning his victories over the Franks, Armenians and Tatars in 1291 AD, and in 1401 AD the Mongols returned with Tamerlane and burned the city And its castle, so the Mamluks returned to restoring the castle, and the Mamluk ruler of the city, Jakam, fortified it and built the northern and southern trench towers and the walls of the throne hall.
2 - Ziggurat of Ur, Iraq
Iraq has suffered from almost continuous acts of violence since the American invasion in 2003. Then, terrorism and bombings shook the country for many years. Despite this, Iraq remains one of the most important places from a historical point of view - and one of the oldest and most ancient civilizations in history. It is no coincidence that the fertile land Bordered by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, it is often referred to as the "cradle of civilization".
Of Iraq's many cultural and archaeological treasures, arguably the most striking is the Ziggurat of Ur, a massive pyramid-like structure of adobe topped with a temple dating back to the 21st century BC. The Ur ziggurat is the most famous ziggurat and one of the oldest temples that remained in Iraq. It is located about 40 km to the west of the city of Nasiriyah (340 km south of Baghdad), which was built by the founder of the third "Ur" dynasty, and its greatest king "in the year 2050 BC. It is evidence of people embracing At that time, there were many religions that had importance in their lives.
The ziggurat of Ur is rectangular in shape, its dimensions are 200×150 meters, and its height is 45 feet. The ziggurat, when first built, had three floors.
The ziggurat was built of mud bricks and covered from the outside with a thick layer of red brick, excavated and fixed with bitumen. Its side walls tend inward as we go up. Ziggurat of Ur Now, only the first layer and some parts of the second layer remain, and it now rises about 20 meters from the ground. The ziggurat of the moon In the ancient city of Ur.
Ur means in the Sumerian language the city with walls, and the house of the Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and the ziggurat of the moon and a group of temples and residential quarters are located in it.
The Ur ziggurat is located specifically west of Nasiriyah, and it is one of the ancient Iraqi capitals that ruled Iraq and parts of the ancient Middle East in the twenty-first century BC.
3 - Dar Al Hajar, Yemen
The United Nations has described the conflict in Yemen as the world's largest humanitarian disaster. In 2018, Human Rights Watch reported that at least 6,872 civilians were killed in the violence and that 14 million people remain at risk of starvation and death in the country. While Yemen suffers greatly from armed conflict, it is still home to natural and man-made beauty. Yemen has one of the oldest and greatest civilizations in history. The Yemeni lands are rich in UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the skyscraper of the city of Shibam in Yemen, the first skyscraper in history, as well as the Dar Al Hajar Palace.
Dar Al Hajar is built on top of a naturally raised rocky tower, built in the 1930s. The main structure has five storeys, but several outbuildings cling to the lower reaches of the rocky surface. While the interior design is undeniably impressive, with large rooms, kitchens, corridors and staircases, the Dar Al Hajar Palace is one of Yemen's architectural wonders and one of its most prominent historical landmarks, built in 1736 AD and still standing.
4 - Las Gill, Somalia
Somalia comes second, after war-torn Yemen, on the Fund for Peace's Fragile States Index.
Internal strife, terrorist attacks, recurrent droughts, poverty and hunger have led to a severe humanitarian crisis and hundreds of millions of displaced Somalis. However, as with every country on this list - in fact, Somalia deserves to be seen with a lot of interest.
Among Somalia's vast cultural heritage is Laas Geel, described by the British Museum as one of the most important sites of rock art in Africa, and also possibly the oldest. Dating from the mid-fourth to mid-third millennium BC, these colorful panels on rocky granite depict human figures alongside groups of up to 15 cows.
As such, they provide some of the oldest evidence that the first humans set foot in Somalia in the Paleolithic period, with inscriptions and drawings found carved on the walls of caves in northern Somalia dating back to around 9000 BC.
"Las Gill Complex", which is located in the city of Hargeisa, where one of the oldest wall inscriptions in Africa was discovered on its walls. Writings were also found at the bottom of each picture or wall inscription in the complex, but archaeologists have not been able to decipher that language or writings until now.
5 - Leptis Al-Kubra Archaeological Site, Libya
Since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been the scene of a violent power struggle involving rival governments, several armed groups, and support from foreign countries. The conflict paralyzed the national economy, killed thousands, and caused the displacement of thousands of Libyans.
Libya is home to five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the remarkably preserved remains of Leptis Magna - described by the organization as "one of the most beautiful cities of the Roman Empire".
While Leptis Magna is full of grand and awe-inspiring structures, including a 1,500-foot racetrack and a colossal amphitheater built by the Romans between the first and third centuries AD, it was abandoned in the seventh century and buried under layers of sand until the site was excavated in the early twentieth century. Leptis Magna Leptis Magna is considered one of the most important Roman sites in the world, and is widely recognized as the best preserved archaeological site for its Roman ruins, still giving a clear picture of a complete Roman city which is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.