Birtha (Mesopotamia) bastions are quite traceable. There are the ruins of a vaulted secret staircase, leading down from the heart of the citadel to the water's edge. Birtha (Mesopotamia) Birtha () was an ancient fortress on the river Tigris, which was said to have been built by Alexander the Great. It would seem, from the description of Ammianus, to have resembled a modern fortification, flanked by bastions, and with its approaches defended by out-works. Shapur II here closed his campaign in 360, and was compelled to retire with considerable loss. D'Anville and Edward Gibbon both identify Birtha as modern-day Tikrit, Iraq. The
Mesopotamia (EP) "Mesopotamia", producing the former during the day and the latter at night, with little sleep in between. Originally, "Mesopotamia" was conceived as a full album. Due to extensive pressure on the band to release new material, the sessions were hurriedly brought to an end and the bulk of the material was released as an EP. This is also speculated to be because David Byrne had different ideas for the mixing of the album than the band had anticipated. Of the four abandoned tracks, three were re-recorded for the following album, "Whammy!". There are four known outtakes: "Mesopotamia" was a major