The Significance of Sumerian House Architecture for Achieving Sustainable Tourism Development

This study examines the relationship between the architectural characteristics of the Sumerian dwelling in southern Mesopotamia and the prerequisites of sustainable tourism development. It proceeds from the premise that Sumerian domestic architecture is more than inert archaeological evidence; rather, it embodies a set of environmental and social solutions that can be harnessed to create a sustainable cultural tourism product. Adopting a descriptive-analytical approach, the study reviews the findings of field excavations at Tell Madhhur and Ur and discusses recent engineering research on the thermal performance of the internal courtyard. The study concludes that three core attributes  the central courtyard, locally sourced building materials, and a compact urban fabric  constitute a viable foundation for developing cultural tourism in Dhi Qar Governorate and the neighbouring governorates, provided that the principles of the ICOMOS International Charter for Cultural Heritage Tourism are observed.