Nasiriyah, Iraq – Here the wheel was invented, the Hammurabi Code was first established – or the rule of law and where oil was first burned as a source of energy.
It is the ancient Iraqi city of Ur – located in Dhi Qar province, 300 km (200 miles) south of the capital Baghdad – and where Pope Francis intends to visit during his historic three-day trip to the country.
More than 6,000 years ago, Ur emerged as one of the first major urban centers in the world and developed centuries later into the center of the global economy since then, with its factories producing carpets and woolen garments for export to Mesopotamia and abroad.
Ur – also called Tal al-Muqayer – has been considered one of the most important archaeological sites in history. 
The pontiff is hosting an inter-religious meeting in Ur on Saturday.
Dhi Qar is the center of the ancient Iraqi civilization in Sumer and includes the ruins of Ur, Eridu, Lagash, Gisu, Umma and Bad-tibira or the Copper Workers’ Wall.
In July 2016, UNESCO placed Ur on the World Heritage List, in addition to the swamps in southern Iraq and other sites such as Eridu and Al-Warka.
During his visit to Iraq, Pope Francis will visit Ur after meetings with politicians, religious figures and archeological sites in the cities of Najaf, Erbil, Mosul and the capital Baghdad.
Stairs leading to the top of the Ziggurat temple [Asaad Mohammed/Al Jazeera]A life of luxury
Ur is one of several cities built by the Sumerians who made it the capital of their state. When they settled in southern Iraq around 3,500 BC, they surrounded it with walls and built markets, workshops and agricultural villages inside. It generated the development of the main commercial transport routes with other cities and nations of that time.
Excavations in the early 1900s in Ur indicated that its people lived a luxurious life, with the city thriving in the growth and trade of wheat and barley. Excavations continue to this day, as there are as yet undiscovered treasures that will provide an additional perspective on one of the world’s first progressive cities.
For decades, archeological excavations have been banned due to conflicts and security issues. But Iraqi and American researchers began resuming excavations in the area a few years after the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein.
“During the 2007 excavation season in the ancient city of Ur, we found about 100 tablet artifacts that included important ancient texts,” Mustafa al-Hussaini, a Nasiriya archaeologist, told Al Jazeera.
“When I studied the texts with the help of the American University of Stony Brook, it was discovered that these tablets are a miniature library. We discovered about 45 of them, “he said.
The Sumerians developed irrigation systems and grain cultivation, as well as invented the cuneiform writing used in ancient Mesopotamia and Persia. They have also developed an algorithm on which time measurement is based so far.
Sumerian society recognized the leadership role of the mother in the family, and women achieved a high level of respect. Another cultural heritage of Sumerian civilization was poetry and pottery.
Tourists stand in front of the Ziggurat temple in the ancient city of Ur [Asaad Mohammed/Al Jazeera]The oldest pyramid
British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley, who dug in Ur in 1922, discovered a royal tomb that matches the pharaonic ones in the pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
The Sumerians were interested in building temples out of mud and asphalt. An ancient Ziggurat, or terraced compound, is still in Ur and is considered one of the oldest pyramids of Mesopotamian civilization.
It is said that the complex near Zigurat dates from 1900 BC. and was at one time the house of the prophet Ibrahim, known as Abraham by Christians and Jews.
Amer Abdulrazzaq, head of the Museum of Nasiriyah Civilization, explained why Ur is considered so important to Christians, Jews and Muslims.
“Ur is the birthplace of the prophet Ibrahim and this is mentioned in the Torah and the Gospels and, for this reason, all religions consider him their spiritual father.
“Therefore, visiting the country of his birth is considered one of the most important religious rites of the Christian pilgrimage,” he told Al Jazeera.
Surveys conducted by al-Hamdani and American archaeologists suggest that there are 15,000 archeological sites in Iraq.
“In Nasiriya alone, there are about 1,200 archeological sites, which is equivalent to all the antiquities in France and Italy combined,” he said.
Pope Francis’ historic visit aims to strengthen the morale of the besieged Christian minority in Iraq, which has declined in recent years amid wars and persecution, and to encourage religious coexistence between Muslims, Christians and other minorities.
“Politicians must promote the spirit of fraternal solidarity,” the pontiff said on Friday.
“There is corruption, abuse of power, that’s not the case. At the same time, you need to think about justice, transparency, consolidating certain values, so that credibility can increase, so that everyone, especially young people, can have hope for the future. ”
The complex near Zigurat is said to date from 1900 BC. [Asaad Mohammed/Al Jazeera]