The mysterious 'reflective city' forgotten in the middle of the Iraqi desert

The famous 2,300-year-old ruins of the city of Dura-Europos in Syria may have a perfect "twin" across the border with Iraq.

The ruins of the ancient city of Dura-Europos in Syria serve as a window into the world of the ancient Greek, Parthian and Roman periods.

In recent years, access to Dura-Europos has become difficult due to prolonged conflict. However, a study just published in the scientific journal Journal of Near Eastern Studies points out an unexpected "path".

Not far away, there is another ruin that looks like a desert mirage from Dura-Europos.

Part of Dura-Europos, said to be the perfect twin of the mysterious ancient city of Anqa across the Syria-Iraq border - (Photo: SCITECH DAILY).

According to SciTech Daily, it's a much less prominent cluster of structures than Dura-Europos. Its remains consist of only a large mound, an inner polygonal wall and a large outer defensive wall.

The site is located almost symmetrically with Dura-Europos on the other side of the Syria-Iraq border, in Al-Qaim district of Anbar province - Iraq.

That "reflective city" is called Anqa.

According to a research team led by archaeologist Simon James from the University of Leicester (UK), Anqa is located at the point where the Euphrates flood plain narrowed significantly. Thus, this city would control the route between the populated area of ​​the valley upstream and the downstream trade route connecting Syria, Northern Mesopotamia and Babylonia, becoming a location of economic and war significance. Great strategy of ancient times.

This ancient city was completely ignored by archaeologists until 1850, when a British expedition arrived.

A more thorough study was conducted in the late 1930s, including aerial photographs of the remaining structures.

However, due to geopolitical factors, including the history of imperialist intervention in the region in the early twentieth century, Anqa has continued to be forgotten.

According to new research , Anqa is actually the same size and composition and likely has the same archaeological value as the famous ruins across the border.

Although what is seen on the surface is not as much as its "twin brother" , if invested in excavation, the "reflective city" of Anqa has the potential to become another "Middle Eastern Pompeii" , as people say. Let's compare Dura-Europos.