Old tower,  Kirkuk, Iraq, 2200 BC. Located at a distance of about 150 miles north of Baghdad, Kirkuk is on the site of the ancient Assyrian capital Arrapha. Its strategic importance was recognized by the Babylonians and the Medes, who tried to control the city. Ruins of 5,000-year-old citadel are still visible, but the city is now the headquarters of the Iraqi oil industry.