Aerial photograph of ancient Uruk, now Warka, from 1973, Iraq. It was an ancient city of Sumer and later Babylonia located in the modern Al Muthanna Governorate, in southern Iraq. It was founded circa 5000 BC. Like many ancient cities various versions were built one on top of the other. Archeologists have determined that 8 Uruks have been built over the ages. It is the site of the discovery of the famous Uruk or Warka Vase, a carved alabaster stone vessel, which is one of the earliest examples of narrative relief sculpture from 3200-3000 BC. It was looted in 2003 during the Iraq invasion and returned during an amnesty period, but heavily damaged. It's current condition is unknown. In myth and literature it is the capital city in the epic of Gilgamesh.