Baghdad, Iraq
Ancient sites near Baghdad
2 archaeological and heritage sites within 800 km of Baghdad, closest first. Distances are straight-line (“as the crow flies”); road journeys are longer.
-
87km
Babylon
Iraq · height in the 6th c. BCE · UNESCO
One of the most famous cities of the ancient world, on the Euphrates south of Baghdad.
Nearest town: Hillah
-
658km
Göbekli Tepe
Türkiye · c. 9500 BCE · UNESCO
Carved T-shaped pillars raised before farming, pottery or writing — and before Stonehenge by about 6,000 years.
Nearest town: Şanlıurfa · Best time to visit: April – May, September – October
-
890km
Persepolis
Iran · founded c. 518 BCE · UNESCO
Columned halls and carved processions of tribute-bearers from across an empire.
Nearest town: Shiraz
-
906km
Petra
Jordan · flourished c. 1st c. BCE – 1st c. CE · UNESCO
A Nabataean trading capital carved straight into rose-red sandstone cliffs.
Nearest town: Wadi Musa · Best time to visit: March – May, September – November
-
1,150km
Çatalhöyük
Türkiye · c. 7100–5700 BCE · UNESCO
Thousands of people lived in tightly packed mud-brick houses entered through holes in the roof.
Nearest town: Konya
-
1,305km
Pyramids of Giza
Egypt · c. 2560 BCE · UNESCO
Royal tombs of the Fourth Dynasty — and the workers’ town that proves who built them.
Nearest town: Cairo · Best time to visit: October – April
Day trips and distances from Baghdad
What is the closest ancient site to Baghdad?
Babylon in Iraq is about 87 km from Baghdad in a straight line; the nearest town is Hillah.
Which ancient sites can I visit on a day trip from Baghdad?
Babylon (about 87 km) are within roughly 150 km.