Basra Museum

This building had been one of Saddam Husein's fifty palaces in Iraq, but was converted into a very fine cultural museum after his overthrow.

The ceiling of the central hall, leading to eight galleries. Each gallery had been a room, whose scale can be judged by the photo below, in one of the palaces

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One of the galleries housing the objects below.

Thought to be one of the Gilgamesh tablets

Haanah, our local guide  through both Northern Iraq (Kurdistan) and Southern Iraq, exuberant as always at the entrance to the Basra Museum.

Basra Tea House and Private Museum

 An interesting place to spend an hour or so.

Basra Street Scenes

 

Basra Balconies and Canals

Basra, Iraq's second largest city and predominantly Shia, is located in the far southeast near where the Shatt of Arabia meets the Persian Gulf. Petrochemical industry and shipping are the most important components of the economy. Part of the city has canals and ornate balconies, suggesting comparisons to Venice, but Basra is in worse repair though interesting in its own right.

"Ottoman balconies" are common in what used to be the Ottoman Empire, because they shield women from public view and extend the living area out above the street.

Nasirayah Vendors

On the outskirts of the city. As usual, the produce looked beautiful, even if the conveyances were not.

Dining Hall in the Mesopotamian Marshes

The impressive reed building where we were served a a tasty local lunch.

            

Details of the workmanship

Some members of our group

Local kids

An elder with some grandchildren

Boats and Boaters in the Mesopotamian Marshes

Boats being prepared for our group.

A couple of portraits of our group members

Meeting some locals 

Water Buffalo in the Mesopotamian Marshes

Photos taken from our motorboat on the river.