Restoration work is underway at the Ziggurat of Ur (a massive stepped temple built around 2100 BCE in southern Iraq by the ancient Sumerian civilisation), with crews using local materials and traditional construction techniques to recreate its original appearance. The project aims to preserve one of the ancient world's most iconic structures while honouring the building methods of the civilisation that first raised it. The restoration is seen as a significant effort to safeguard Iraq's pre-Islamic heritage, which has faced decades of neglect and damage from conflict.