A railway track running in front of the main temple site and ziggurat. The White Temple was built ...

A railway track running in front of the main temple site and ziggurat. The White Temple was built at Uruk, an ancient city of Sumer in approximately 3200 BC, now located approximately 30km east of As Samawah. It contains a shrine, believed to be dedicated to Anu, the sky god and protector of the city, and is built on top of the ziggurat which reaches 40 feet above street level. This is believed to have two purposes, firstly to make it stand out amongst other structures, and more importantly to place the temple closer to the sky where the ancient Sumarians believed that their gods existed. In addition to its religious functions, the White Temple also served as the centre for political matters. The White Temple is so named due to its repeated layers of gypsum whitewash.