Ur of the Chaldees (Modern Tell el-Muqayyar, Iraq)
Abraham was born in this thriving Sumerian city with its impressive ziggurats and busy trade routes. The Chaldean label came later with Babylonian influence. Its importance decreased after 500 BCE as rivers changed course and conquests reshaped the region. Archaeological digs in the 19th century revealed its ruins in southern Iraq, where tourists now visit to see the remnants of this ancient biblical site.
