Al-Qurnah is a small village in southern Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

 about 74 km northwest of Basra

Basra

Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...

, within the town of Nahairat. Qurna (Arabic

Arabic language

Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...

 for corner) is located at the point where the Tigris

Tigris

The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...

 and Euphrates

Euphrates

The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...

 rivers join to form the Shatt al-Arab.

Current conditions

There is the small Qurna Tourist Hotel built during Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...

's reign in order to encourage tourism for the region, however it is most likely not in use now. As of the start of the Iraq War in 2003, conditions at the site were reportedly woeful. Cracked pavement and bullet holes along with the poor condition of the tree itself made future tourism seem out of the question. However, photographic evidence seen below and a certain amount of western presence has made it a viable tourist destination once again.

See also

• List of places in Iraq
• Battle of Qurna (1915)
  Battle of Qurna
  The Battle of Qurna, was between British forces and Ottoman forces that had retreated from Basra, which they lost at the Battle of Basra during the Mesopotamian campaign of World War I.-Background:...
  
  
• Battle of Qurna (Iraq War)
  Battle of Qurna (Iraq War)
  Battle of Qurna was a battle during the Iraq War between the Multinational force in Iraq and Iraqi insurgents. The battle took part in Al-Qurna. In the battle, the insurgents tried to take the control of the city from the allies, mainly Danish, Lithuanian and British soldiers...
  
  
• West Qurna Field
  West Qurna Field
  West Qurna is one of Iraq's largest oil fields, located north of Rumaila field, west of Basra. West Qurna is believed to hold of recoverable reserves, making it the second largest field in the world after Saudi Arabia's Ghawar oil field...
  
  

External links

• Iraq Image - Al-Qurnah Satellite Observation
• Page about ancient Mesopotamia with more info about Al-Qurnah
• The Capture of Qurna in 1914 - about the Battle of Qurna
  Battle of Qurna
  The Battle of Qurna, was between British forces and Ottoman forces that had retreated from Basra, which they lost at the Battle of Basra during the Mesopotamian campaign of World War I.-Background:...
  
  
• Article concerning the poor conditions at the site
• GNS official page - United States Board on Geographic Names