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This project aims at planning, documentation and conservation of the shrine of the Prophet Uzayr or Ezra, built in eleventh century AD. This shrine is believed to be the Prophet's burial place. It is one of the Iraqi Jewish heritage sites located on the banks of the Tigris in the southern province of Maysan, Iraq. This archaeological site is at great risk due to several social, economic, religious and cultural changes particularly in the last five to six decades.
The project team, part of University of Misan, worked with the Directorate of Antiquities, Directorate of Planning, Ministry of Awqaf, Research and Educational Centres and even Tourism Administration.
Today the site comprises the blue-domed shrine and school along with a small surviving portion of an Ottoman-era khan within a small walled complex in the town of Uzayr.
It is of particular importance to Jews but also to Muslims, and the site has been a place of worship and pilgrimage for both for many centuries.
The project surveyed and documented the site in order to provide the basis for a conservation plan and to help publicise the history and the importance of the site with a view to encouraging tourists and others to visit. To that end the work included historical research, site visits and survey, study of the surviving Hebrew wall-mounted tablets and other inscriptions/carvings, interviewing of the local community and other stakeholders, and a number of other activities including several online webinars about the heritage of the area.
Project Outputs
Study of the Hebrew tablets and inscriptions
This project studied and translated the nine Hebrew tablets and inscriptions found in the shrine.
Interviews
In addition to surveying and researching the shrine, the team carried out a series of interviews with the local and investigating attitudes towards the shrine. Interviewees included students and academics from University of Misan, University of Al-Qadisiyah, administration employees, and residents of the Al-Uzayr district. The interviewees group came from different age groups and social backgrounds. These interviews were completed using questionnaires and some recorded by video.
Academic Papers and Reports
Three academic research papers that identify, describe, interpret, and analyse the shrine of the prophet Al-Uzair were written.
1. ‘Hebrew Writings in the Shrine of the Prophet of Al-Uzair in Maysan’, Magazine of Historical Studies and Archaeology: 252 (4 May 2021). In Arabic
2. ‘Ezra the Scribe and the Different Texts in His Personality. An Analytical Study’, ISIN Journal for Archaeology, History and Ancient Languages, (16 December 2021). In Arabic.
3. ‘Cultural heritage values and management in preserving the shrine of Al-Uzair’. In Arabic.
Surveys
One of the main results of this project was to produce overall ground plan or survey of the shrine itself.
In addition, using a drone and photogrammetry, a 3D model was also produced. These 3D models are available at:
In addition to the shrine itself, ten sites of the heritage buildings around the shrine of the Prophet Al-Uzair were also documented.