Ed Kinane
Voices in The Wilderness
Baghdad
October 18, Saturday

SAMARRA

Driven and guided by our friend Ghareeb, Neville and I go north for the weekend. G. drives unusually fast, so we cover a lot of ground. First we go to Samarra, 160 kilometers north of Baghdad. There we view a huge ancient now-roofless mosque. Reconstruction work began here a couple years ago. It was interrupted by the war.

Next door is the ‘Spiral’ — a winding outside staircase about four feet wide and about seven stories high. It’s conical: broad at the bottom, narrow at the top. It’s what I, but not people here, would call a ziggurat. Nev and I climb to the top. Unlike most monuments or public works projects anywhere, the steps are spaced comfortably for walking. Far views of the flat landscape in all directions.