ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Tourist City of Ur, located in the remains of the ancient Sumerian city in Dhia Qar provice, will launch a so-called "drama city" that will feature theaters, an opera house, and recording students in a landmark cultural initiative intended to revitalize the historic site.

Hussein Khazaal, assistant director of Ur Tourist City, told the Iraqi state-owned media agency that the project is the first of its kind in Iraq and is designed to support television and film production.

The drama city is located within Ur Tourist City and includes several themed areas reflecting different historical periods. Among them is a Babylonian quarter that recreates daily life in ancient Babylon, including shops, houses and classrooms.

The project also features a Sumerian quarter with 12 Sumerian-style houses and models of traditional Sumerian professions. In addition, there is an old Iraqi popular quarter documenting crafts, professions, and social life dating back to the 1920s.

Khazaal said the complex includes a fully equipped studio covering 880 square meters for filming indoor scenes for TV series and movies. It also contains a media and performance platform, a small theater, and dancing fountains.

The project includes what officials describe as Iraq’s first opera house, with a seating capacity of 1,250 people.

Khazaal said the drama city represents a qualitative addition to Iraq’s cultural and artistic sector and is expected to help develop the country’s drama industry while attracting local and Arab productions.

Ur is an ancient Sumerian capital and one of Iraq’s most important archaeological sites, located in Dhi Qar province in southern Iraq near Nasiriyah.

Founded around 3800 BC, it became a major religious and commercial center and served as the Sumerian capital around 2100 BC. The city is best known for the Great Ziggurat of Ur, a massive mudbrick temple dedicated to the moon god Nanna, as well as the Royal Cemetery, where rich golden treasures and luxury artifacts were discovered.

Ur is traditionally believed to be the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham, making it a site of significant religious significance for Christians, Muslims, and Jews.

The site, which was visited by Pope Francis in 2021, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is currently undergoing government-backed efforts to develop it into a global tourism destination through new cultural, tourism, and restoration projects.

Dhi Qar province also includes other key Sumerian sites such as Eridu, Girsu, and Lagash.