Iraqi Christians on a spiritual pilgrimage to the birthplace of biblical patriarch Abraham visit the ruins of Ur, southern Nassiriya province, about 300 km (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad, November 22, 2013. About 150 Christians from the southern Iraqi city of Basra took part in the pilgrimage to the ancient Sumerian city of Ur, revered as the birthplace of Abraham. Picture taken November 22, 2013. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani (IRAQ - Tags: RELIGION TRAVEL) 

A U.S. Army C-23 Sherpa aircraft flies over a ziggurat located in the town of Ur, 365 km (227 miles) south of Baghdad, in this military handout photo released July 25, 2005. Ziggurats were a form of temple common to the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians. U.S. and Iraqi forces are assisting in the preservation and protection of the structure, built many centuries ago by a Sumerian king. REUTERS/US Army/Staff Sgt. Suzanne Day/Handout RCS/KS