What Is The First City In The World? Visiting Uruk, Where History Began

We often throw around terms like “ancient” and “historic”, but what does it actually mean to be the first? When humanity transitioned from wandering hunter-gatherers to settled urbanites, something fundamental shifted in human consciousness. That shift happened in Uruk. Located in modern-day Iraq, Uruk isn’t merely old. It’s foundational. This Mesopotamian metropolis, established around 4500 BCE, gave us writing, bureaucracy, monumental architecture, and the very concept of city living. Whilst historians debate whether Eridu technically predated it or Ur rivalled it, Uruk represents the moment civilisation truly coalesced. Visiting Uruk today isn’t standard tourism. It’s time travel to the literal beginning of history itself.

Uruk: The Mother Of All Cities

Imagine a city thriving 6,000 years ago, boasting 50,000 residents when most humans lived in small bands. Uruk (modern Warka) represents this extraordinary leap. Here, Sumerians developed cuneiform writing initially to track grain and beer rations—proving bureaucracy is as old as civilisation itself. The city covered roughly 6 square kilometres, featuring massive temples, defensive walls, and sophisticated irrigation systems fed by the Euphrates River.

The Gilgamesh Story

Uruk can never be mentioned without talking about Gilgamesh. Regarded as humanity’s first hero, the legendary king who was immortalised in the Epic of Gilgamesh (the oldest surviving piece of literature), supposedly built those massive walls around Uruk. Walking these ruins means walking where myth and history intersect. The epic describes Uruk’s “burnt brick” foundations and palm gardens, descriptions archaeology confirms.

The Innovation Hub

Uruk gave the world the potter’s wheel, the cylinder seal, mass-produced pottery (the famous “bevelled rim bowls”), and monumental ziggurats. It wasn’t just a settlement; it was Silicon Valley, New York, and London combined for the ancient world—a centre of innovation, trade and power.

Visiting Uruk Today: A Genuine Adventure

Uruk lies in Al-Muthanna Governorate, roughly 30 kilometres east of Samawah and 300 kilometres south of Baghdad. The site sits in desolate desert terrain, a stark contrast to the lush marshes that once sustained it.

How To Get There: Reaching Uruk requires planning. Iraq’s tourism infrastructure is developing but remains limited.

1. Fly to Baghdad or Basra: International flights connect via hubs like Dubai, Istanbul, or Doha.

   
   

2. Hire a Guide/Driver: Independent travel is difficult due to checkpoints and language barriers. Authorised tour operators are essential.

   
   

3. Drive South: From Baghdad, the drive takes approximately 3-4 hours. From Basra, roughly 2-3 hours. The journey itself offers glimpses of rural Iraqi life.

   
   

Visa Requirements: Most Western and Asian passport holders (including Indians) can obtain visas on arrival or e-visas for Iraq. Verify current regulations before travel as policies shift.

Best Time to Visit: October through March. Iraqi summers are brutally hot (often exceeding 50°C). Winter offers pleasant, manageable temperatures for exploring exposed ruins.

What To See And Do

The Ziggurat of Anu:

Uruk’s most prominent feature is the massive Ziggurat dedicated to Anu, the sky god. Though eroded, its sheer scale remains impressive. Climbing its remains offers panoramic views of the entire ancient city layout, revealing the vastness of what once stood here.

The Eanna District:

Dedicated to Inanna (Ishtar), goddess of love and war, this district formed Uruk’s religious and administrative heart. Archaeologists uncovered thousands of clay tablets here. Walking through these foundations means standing where writing likely began.

The Mosaic Temples:

Look for clay cone mosaics. Sumerian builders decorated mud-brick columns with thousands of coloured clay cones pushed into wet plaster, creating geometric patterns. Original fragments remain visible, showcasing humanity’s earliest architectural decoration techniques.

The Silence:

Unlike Rome or Athens, you will likely have Uruk entirely to yourself. The silence is profound. Standing atop the ruins, listening to the wind, you feel the weight of 6,000 years. It’s a contemplative experience few destinations can match.

Nearby: Ur And Eridu

Whilst Uruk is the star, nearby sites provide:

Eridu: Often cited in Sumerian King Lists as the actual first city (‘“Kingship descended from Heaven to Eridu”), it predates Uruk but remained smaller. It’s purely archaeological today, lonely and ancient

Ur: Home of the magnificent Ziggurat of Ur (better preserved/restored than Uruk’s). Ur represents the later height of Sumerian power. Most tours combine Uruk, Ur and Eridu into a single “Sumerian Triangle” itinerary

Practical Travel Tips

Safety: Southern Iraq (historical Mesopotamia) is generally stable and welcoming to tourists. However, always check government travel advisories. Travelling with reputable local guides ensures safety and smooth navigation through checkpoints.

Accommodation: Stay in Samawah or Nasiriyah. Hotels are basic but comfortable. Do not expect luxury tourism infrastructure. Hospitality is genuine and warm.

Respect: Dress modestly. Ask permission before photographing people. Iraqis are incredibly hospitable; accept tea if offered.

Final Thoughts

Visiting Uruk isn’t about ticking a bucket list box. It’s about witnessing our collective origin story. Standing amidst the dusty mounds of Warka, you aren’t just looking at ruins; you’re looking at the prototype for every city that followed. New York, Tokyo, London—they all trace their lineage back to these mud-brick foundations in the Iraqi desert. It was here that we first decided to live together in tens of thousands, here we invented writing to manage our complexity, here we built towers to reach the gods. Uruk represents humanity’s greatest experiment: civilisation itself. For the adventurous traveller, no other destination offers such a profound connection to the human journey. It is, quite literally, where history began.