Al-Qurnah

Al-Qurnah (or Qurna, meaning connection/joint in Arabic) is a city in southern Iraq about 74 km northwest of Basra, within the town of Nahairat.[2] Qurna is located at the confluence point of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to form the Shatt al-Arab.[2] Local folklore holds Qurna to have been the site of the Garden of Eden. An ancient jujube tree (recently dead) is locally celebrated and shown to the tourists as the actual Tree of Knowledge of the Bible.

al-Qurnah

القرنة
City
A farm in the town of Al-Qurna.
Flag
al-Qurnah
Coordinates: 31°0′57″N 47°25′50″E
Country Iraq
Governorate
(muhafazat)		Basra Governorate
DistrictAl-Qurna District
Elevation16 ft (4 m)
Population
 (2014)
 • Total450,000
 District total
Time zoneUTC+3 (GMT +3)
 • Summer (DST)+4

History

The town experienced the Battle of Qurna during the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I, when the British defeated Ottoman troops who had retreated from Basra.

Current conditions

The small Qurna Tourist Hotel was built during the Ba'athist period to encourage tourism for the region. However it is most likely not in use now.[3] As of the start of the 2003 Iraq War, conditions at the site were reportedly woeful.[4] Cracked pavement and bullet holes along with the poor condition of the tree itself made future tourism seem out of the question.[5] However, the area's natural environment and Western presence make it viable for development for tourism.[2]

  • Basra area map.

See also

References
  1. Maps, Weather, and Airports for Al Qurnah, Iraq
  2. Qurna, Iraq
  3. "War Takes Its Toll on the Garden of Eden". Archived from the original on 2007-11-29. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  4. BBC - History - The Lost Palaces of Iraq
  5. e.thePeople : Article : The Legendary Garden of Eden Now a Wasteland
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