Al-Qurnah

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al-Qurnah
Arabic: القرنة‎‎
Village
Flag of al-Qurnah
Flag
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Country Iraq
Governorate muhafazat (Arabic: محافظة‎‎) Basra Governorate (Arabic: البصرة‎‎)
Elevation[1] 16 ft (4 m)
Population (2014)
 • Total 450,000
  District total
Time zone GMT +3 (UTC+3)
 • Summer (DST) +4 (UTC)

Al-Qurnah (Qurna) is a small town in southern Iraq about 74 km northwest of Basra, within the town of Nahairat.[2] Qurna (Arabic for connection/joint) is located at the confluence point of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers join 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.

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 beauty and Western presence make it viable for development for tourism.[2]

Gallery

See also

References

External links