Roots of Sumer · 04 / 12

Girsu

Tello · Dhi Qar, near Shatra

Amer worked here

Statue attributed to Gudea, ruler of Lagash (about 2120 BCE), Louvre collection. Photo: Jean-Pol Grandmont, licence CC BY 3.0, source.

Why it matters

Girsu matters because its excavations first introduced the world to the Sumerians. Since French work at Tello began in 1877, it has produced the statues of Gudea, the Stele of the Vultures, and the Gudea Cylinders, which carry the longest known text in Sumerian. It was the religious capital of the state of Lagash and the centre of the cult of the god Ningirsu. Since 2016 the British Museum's Girsu Project has worked there with Iraqi archaeologists, and in 2023 it announced the discovery of the E-ninnu temple and the remains of a Sumerian palace. It lies close to Shatra, linking the town today with one of Sumer's most important sites.

The religious capital of the Sumerian state of Lagash. The famous statues of Gudea and the Stele of the Vultures were found here, and French excavations from 1877 introduced the world to Sumerian civilisation.

Since 2016 the British Museum's Girsu Project has worked here together with Iraqi archaeologists. The site is a short distance from Shatra, Amer's home town.

Notable factIn 2023 the temple of the god Ningirsu, E-ninnu, about 4,500 years old, was uncovered, along with the remains of a Sumerian palace.

Amer and this site: He supervised the British Museum mission here in 2021.

Visitor guide

58km from Nasiriyah

17km from Shatra

Approximate straight-line distance; the road is longer.

Best time: Roughly November to March. Summers in the south are extremely hot, often above 45°C, so avoid midday visits in summer.

Practical tips:

Do not enter or approach the excavation trenches without the team's permission.
Arrange your visit in advance with the Dhi Qar Antiquities Inspectorate; archaeological sites are protected and guarded.
Do not walk on exposed walls or pick up any sherd or stone; Iraq's Antiquities and Heritage Law No. 55 of 2002 forbids it.

Getting there

A short distance north of Shatra. It is an active excavation, so visits are arranged with the Dhi Qar Antiquities Inspectorate.

Photos of the site

Statue of Gudea, ruler of Lagash, seated and holding a temple plan — Statue of Gudea, ruler of Lagash, from Tello (Girsu), Louvre Museum (نحو 2120 ق.م). Photo: Jastrow, licence Public domain, source.

Votive stele of Gudea dedicated to the temple of Ningirsu — Votive stele of Gudea for the temple of Ningirsu, from Girsu, Istanbul Archaeology Museums (2144–2124 ق.م). Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), licence CC BY-SA 4.0, source.

Cuneiform inscription of Gudea commemorating the building of the temple of Ningirsu — Foundation text of Gudea for the temple of Ningirsu, from Girsu (نحو 2100 ق.م). Photo: Daderot, licence CC0, source.

Small copper figurines of gods buried in the foundations of a temple — Copper foundation figurines from the temple of Ningirsu at Girsu, reign of Gudea (نحو 2150 ق.م). Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), licence CC BY-SA 4.0, source.

Relief from Girsu showing a seated god with a sun disc above him — Relief plaque from Tello (Girsu). Photo: Meskalam, licence CC BY 4.0, source.

Sources

Information last reviewed: November 2026. Dates are approximate.