Editing Ur (section)

==Current status and preservation==

Though some of the areas that were cleared during modern excavations have sanded over again, the [[Ziggurat of Ur|Great Ziggurat]] is fully cleared and stands as the best-preserved and most visible landmark at the site.<ref>"Soldiers visit historical ruins of Ur", Nov 18, 2009, by 13th Sustainment Command Expeditionary Public Affairs, web: [https://www.army.mil/-news/2009/11/18/30595-soldiers-visit-historical-ruins-of-ur/ Army-595].</ref> The famous Royal tombs, also called the Neo-[[Sumerian architecture|Sumerian]] Mausolea, located about {{convert|250|m}} south-east of the Great Ziggurat in the corner of the wall that surrounds the city, are nearly totally cleared. Parts of the tomb area appear to be in need of structural consolidation or stabilization.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}

There are [[Cuneiform script|cuneiform]] (Sumerian writing) on many walls, some entirely covered in script stamped into the mud-bricks. The text is sometimes difficult to read, but it covers most surfaces. Modern [[graffiti]] has also found its way to the graves, usually in the form of names made with coloured pens (sometimes they are carved).{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

The Great Ziggurat itself has far more graffiti, mostly lightly carved into the bricks. The graves are completely empty. A small number of the tombs are accessible. Most of them have been cordoned off. The whole site is covered with pottery debris, to the extent that it is virtually impossible to set foot anywhere without stepping on some. Some have colours and paintings on them. Some of the "mountains" of broken pottery are debris that has been removed from excavations.

Pottery debris and human remains form many of the walls of the royal tombs area. In May 2009, the [[United States Army]] returned the Ur site to the Iraqi authorities, who hope to develop it as a tourist destination.<ref>{{cite web|title= US returns Ur, birthplace of Abraham, to Iraq|publisher=AFP|date=2009-05-14|url= http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/14/2569969.htm|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090515001750/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/14/2569969.htm|url-status= dead|archive-date= May 15, 2009|access-date=2009-09-12}}</ref>

[[File:Wall plaque showing libation scene from Ur, Iraq, 2500 BCE. British Museum.jpg|thumb|Wall plaque from Ur, 2500 BC; the [[British Museum]]]]

Since 2009, the [[non-profit organization]] [[Global Heritage Fund]] (GHF) has been working to protect and preserve Ur against the problems of erosion, neglect, inappropriate restoration, war and conflict. GHF's stated goal for the project is to create an informed and scientifically grounded Master Plan to guide the long-term conservation and management of the site, and to serve as a model for the stewardship of other sites.<ref>[http://globalheritagefund.org/images/uploads/projects/ur_2pager.pdf Ur preservation project at the Global Heritage Fund]</ref>

Since 2013, the institution for Development Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs DGCS<ref>[http://openaid.aics.gov.it/it/iati-activities?q=ur Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs DGCS Ur funding]</ref> and the SBAH, the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage of the Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, have started a cooperation project for "The Conservation and Maintenance of Archaeological site of UR". In the framework of this cooperation agreement, the executive plan, with detailed drawings, is in progress for the maintenance of the Dublamah Temple (design concluded, works starting), the Royal Tombs—Mausolea 3rd Dynasty (in progress)—and the Ziqqurat (in progress). The first updated survey in 2013 has produced a new aerial map derived by the flight of a UAV ([[unmanned aerial vehicle]]) operated in March 2014. This is the first high-resolution map, derived from more than 100 aerial photograms, with an accuracy of 20&nbsp;cm or less. A preview of the ortho-photomap of Archaeological Site of Ur is available online.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://archeoguide.it/ur/2014/05/16/prima-orto-foto-mappa-di-ur-da-fotogrammi-ripresi-con-lausilio-di-sistemi-uav/ |title=UAV aerial Ur Photograph |access-date=2016-12-10 |archive-date=2016-12-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220081802/http://archeoguide.it/ur/2014/05/16/prima-orto-foto-mappa-di-ur-da-fotogrammi-ripresi-con-lausilio-di-sistemi-uav/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>