Al-Qurnah

Al-Qurnah (Qurna) is a small village in southern Iraq about 74 km northwest of Basra, within the town of Nahairat. Qurna (Arabic for corner) is located at the point where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers join to form the Shatt al-Arab. There is the small Qurna Tourist Hotel built during Saddam Hussein'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