Pilgrims step quietly into the tomb chamber, where a long tomb lies under green cloth. Outside, the hills toward Mount Judi rise beyond the river.

City of Noah

Cizre stands on the Tigris by the Syrian border, close to Iraq. It was founded in the 9th century as Jazirat Ibn ʿUmar by al-Hasan ibn Umar, Emir of Mosul, on a man-made island in the river. Medieval scholars recorded the belief that it was the second city founded by Noah after the Great Flood, since nearby Mount Judi was held to be where the Ark came to rest.

The shrine

Cizre became a place of pilgrimage in the 15th century because of its link with Noah, drawing figures such as the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The Mosque of the Prophet Noah claims to hold his tomb. The tomb of the Kurdish poet Ali Hariri is also in the city.

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  Noah's tomb Inside the mosque.
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  Tigris Beside the old town.
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  Mount Judi Traditional resting place of the Ark.

Visiting a working mosque: cover shoulders and knees, women cover their hair, take off your shoes at the entrance, and avoid prayer times.