Here are 7 often-overlooked World Heritage Sites, each with its own history.

Source: 7 fascinating UNESCO World Heritage Sites

They were clearly skilled glass-makers.

Source: A palace-city in Iraq produced its own ornamental glass a thousand years ago

The maverick cleric’s surprising election victory prompted this question in Baghdad, Washington and Tehran: Who is the real Moqtada al-Sadr?

Source: Public enemy or savior? An Iraqi city could reveal the true Moqtada al-Sadr

Iraq – Samarra Archaeological City

The 1,200-year-old minaret of the Great Mosque in Samarra is in dire need of restoration, which the Iraqi authorities and UNESCO have started working on.

The Malwiya Minaret, an impressive tower at a height of 52 meters (171 feet) with a spiral ramp, still recalls the past glory of the Great Mosque of Samarra, which had been the largest mosque in the world during the Abbasid Caliphate.

However, the spiraling structure of more than a thousand years now runs the risk of crumbling because of the many attacks it has suffered, according to Iraqi media reports.

Its external stairway is unstable, with some stones missing, and the minaret has shaky walls that have the names of visitors carved into them. There is no security at the site, and a young man fell from the minaret and died on March 29, 2017, after having attempted to climb it.

Malwiya is known for its spiraling structure; it does not look like any other minaret in the world. It is one of the many historical landmarks of Samarra, which was put on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2007.

Source: Will Great Mosque of Samarra and its minaret survive?