Archive
The Exorcist (1973) — Iraq prologue location
26 December 1973
The opening Iraq archaeological dig sequence in William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) was filmed in the Mosul-Nineveh region of Iraq, with Hatra specifically cited as the architectural and atmospheric reference for the prologue — where Father Merrin, played by Max von Sydow, discovers the sinister Pazuzu statuette that triggers the film’s events. The sequence was shot in the actual desert landscape of northern Iraq and is one of cinema’s most celebrated opening sequences.
📷 Become a Cultural Heritage Online photographer
Share your photos of events: they stay published under your name as the author. The more they're seen, the more you get noticed — and soon a contest will reward the most appreciated photos.
Log in or sign up free to add a photo