Deployed Airmen give tours to Iraqi historical landmark

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Melissa Phillips
  • 407th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
ALI BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  Most 407th Expeditionary Services Squadron Airmen here are used to interacting with customers over a counter.

However, two services Airmen here are expanding the customer service concept by leaving the confines of the base three times a week.

The Airmen act as both tour guide and body guard, escorting people to the Ziggurat of Ur, a historical temple tower built here more than 4,000 years ago by worshippers of the Sumerian moon god, Nanna.

“The tours allow each visitor the chance to forget work and step back into time,” said Tech. Sgt. Mike Radke, the 407th ESVS director of marketing and publicity and a tour guide for the unique service. “Walking inside the city of Ur is a highlight of my Air Force career. This is one of the only places on earth that allows me the opportunity to see, touch and listen to a guided tour (from an Iraqi caretaker) containing more than 4,000 years of history in one location.”

The archeological site is also said to be the home of Abraham, a biblical figure which several religions regard as their ancestor. Along with the house of Abraham, which was recently renovated in 1999, visitors can also see the royal tombs and walk through the remains of the city.

Although visitors are required to bring their helmet and flak vest, the Airmen guides carry an M-16. Throughout the tour, they are tasked with protecting the group.

“It’s great that services provides us the opportunity to see the ziggurat,” said Tech. Sgt. Luis Sanchez, noncommissioned officer in charge of the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron information management who is deployed from Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas.

“They already understand what we can learn from the visit, and help us get the most out of the experience. I appreciate that we are in a combat zone and they keep us safe, so we don’t have to worry about anything except enjoying the tour,” Sergeant Sanchez said.

For one services Airman, facilitating the tour is more than just a job.

“It’s a privilege to be one of the few fortunate to stand on holy ground not seen by many Westerners,” said Staff Sgt. Nat Ruiz of the 407th ESVS who is also deployed from Laughlin. “There is a peacefulness out there that breaks the monotony of everyday life here; it is two hours of solitude.”

The ziggurat has been restored several times. Most of the exposed outer surface of the structure visitors see today is from work done 40 years ago.

The first two layers of the ziggurat are preserved, but the upper level is no longer standing. The ziggurat was built in three stages taking hundreds of years to complete. The structure was unearthed in the mid 1800s by the British Consul J. E. Taylor, who partly uncovered the ziggurat.

Unlike the pyramids of Egypt, the ziggurat is a solid structure. There are no inner passages or chambers for burying former rulers. However, just a few steps from the monument there is a cemetery in the adjacent city of Ur, which was later excavated in 1922 by Sir Leonard Wooley.

There is one man especially knowledgeable about the ziggurat and its surrounding sites. Dhaif lives on the grounds and takes care of the site. Taking care of the ziggurat is a family tradition. His grandfather was part of the team that helped excavate in 1922. Dhaif and his father, who also lives there, have participated in excavations throughout their lifetime.

Dhaif, who speaks a smattering of more than four languages, carries many of the site’s secrets around in a blue binder, tattered and worn from years of use. In broken English he has picked up and polished through years of speaking to servicemembers from all over the world, he guides visitors through the monument and the city’s ancient past.

“It’s fascinating that a man can spend his whole life in one area,” Sergeant Ruiz said. “He possesses the knowledge of three generations and dedicates his life to pass it onto anyone who will listen.”

Locked inside the bricks are ancient writings of civilizations long gone. However, they are next to impossible to locate without a guide to show visitors where to look. Staying current on the city’s mysteries is a never-ending process.

“After each strong dust storm, something new is almost always uncovered,” said Sergeant Radke, who is deployed from McConnell AFB, Kan. “Even today, new items such as skeletons and artifacts are being uncovered by nature versus excavation.”

Walking around the site evokes strong reactions in visitors.

“It’s a tremble within your senses that can never be comprehended from a history book,” Sergeant Radke said. “The rise and fall of four dynasties is written on (these) brick walls with over 1,800 remains found among the royal tombs.”

The more commonly known name of the city is its biblical name, Ur of the Chaldees. This name refers to the Chaldeans who settled in the area about 900 B.C. In the Bible, the book of Genesis describes Ur as the starting point of the migration westward to Palestine for the family of Abraham around 1900 B.C.

During the Chaldean dynasty, King Nebuchadnezzar II ruled over another period of construction at the city of Ur. However, less than a century later, Babylonia came under the control of Persia, and Ur began its decline.

Historians speculate the change was most likely because of a combination of warfare in the area combined with a shift in the Euphrates River, which decreased its value as a trade route.

For many, their trip to the ziggurat is a glimpse into Iraqi history.

“A large majority of (Airmen) were just getting started with their careers or still in school during (operations) Desert Shield and Desert Storm,” Sergeant Radke said. “Since then, Iraq has never left the media or minds of the American public.

“For many, the ziggurat tour is their first realization of Iraq’s place in history beyond the negative images they were shown on the news,” he said.

It was a one-sided image Sergeant Ruiz said has been corrected since he arrived.

“One time (the United States and Iraq) were on different sides of the fence,” Sergeant Ruiz said. “It feels good knowing I am a part of a mission that is helping to nurture and protect their new government.” (Master Sgt. Don Perrien contributed to this article.)