For other uses, see Mesopotamia (disambiguation). Sumerian list of gods in cuneiform script, ca. 24th century BC Ancient Mesopotamia Euphrates – Tigris Assyriology Sumerian pronunciation Cities / empires Sumer: Uruk – Ur – Eridu Kish – Lagash – Nippur Akkadian Empire: Akkad Babylon – Isin – Susa Assyria: Assur – Nineveh Nuzi – Nimrud Babylonia – Chaldea – Elam – Amorites Hurrians – Mitanni – Kassites Chronology Kings of Sumer Kings of Assyria Kings of Babylon Language Cuneiform script Sumerian – Akkadian Elamite – Hurrian Mythology Enûma Elish Gilgamesh – Marduk Nibiru Mesopotamia (Greek: Μεσοποταμία, translated from Old Persian Miyanrudan "between rivers"; Aramaic name being Beth-Nahrain "House of Two Rivers") is a region of Southwest Asia. Strictly speaking, it is the alluvial plain lying between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, composing parts of Iraq, Turkey and Syria. More commonly, the term includes these river plains in totality as well as the surrounding lowland territories bounded by the Syrian Desert to the west, the Arabian Desert to the south, the Persian Gulf to the southeast, the Zagros Mountains to the east and the Caucasus mountains to the north. Mesopotamia is famous for the site of some of the oldest civilizations in the world. Writings from Mesopotamia (Uruk, modern Warka) are among the earliest known in the world, giving Mesopotamia a reputation of being the "Cradle of Civilization". The age of Sumerian writing is about on a par with Egyptian hieroglyphs, and some yet older inscriptions are known, probably ranking as proto-writing (Old European script, Naqada [1]. Contents 1 City states and Imperial glory 2 Later history 3 List of links 4 Further reading City states and Imperial glory Mesopotamia was settled, and conquered, by numerous ancient civilizations: Mesopotamia was home to some of the oldest major ancient civilizations, including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians and Assyrians. In 5000 BC, the Sumerians arrived in Mesopotamia. The Semites arrived in 2900 BC and by 2000 BC they had mixed peacefully with the Sumerians and had assumed political dominance. The Mitanni were an eastern Indo-European people (belonging to the linguistic "satem" group) who settled in northern Mesopotamia circa 1600 BC South-East of Turkey and by circa 1450 BC established a medium-size empire east, north and west, and temporarily made tributary vassals out of kings in the west, even as far as Kafti (minoic Crete) and making them a major threat for the Pharaoh. By 1300 BC they had been reduced to their homeland and the status of vassal of the Hatti (the Hittites), a western Indo-European people (belonging to the linguistic "kentum" group) who dominated most of Asia Minor from their capital of Hattutshash (modern Turkey) and threatened Egypt even more. Meanwhile the Kassites established a strong realm, Sangar, in southern Mesopotamia, with Babel as its capital, not touched by Mitanni or Hittites. But the Elamites threatened or invaded them. Chaldaean New Babylonia circa 600 BC. Later history A Mesopotamian lapis lazuli pendant circa 2900 BC. The region ceased to be a major power house since its inclusion in the Persian Empire of the Achaemenids, apparently as two satrapies, Babylonia in the south and Athura (from Assyria) in the north. After the conquest of all Persia by the Hellenizing Macedonian king Alexander the Great, the satrapies were part of the major diadochy, the Seleucid Empire, almost until its elimination by Greater Armenia in 83 BC. Most of Mesopotamia then became part of the Parthian Empire of the Arsakides. However part, in the northwest, became Roman. Under the Tetrarchy, this was divided into two provinces, called Osrhoene (around Edessa; roughly the modern-day border between Turkey and Syria) and Mesopotamia (a bit more northeast). During the time of the Persian Empire of Sassanids, their much larger share of Mesopotamia was called Dil-i Iranshahr meaning "Iran's Heart" and the metropol Ctesiphon (facing ancient Seleukia across the Tigris), the capital of Persia, was situated in Mesopotamia. Since the early caliphs annexed all Persia and advanced even further, Mesopotamia was reunited, but governed as two provinces: northern Mesopotamia (with Mosul) and southern Iraq (with Baghdad, the later caliphal capital). Add education List of links Overview map of ancient Mesopotamia These civilizations arose from earlier settlements and cultures which were among the first to make use of agriculture. Neolithic settlements e.g., Jarmo, Tell Abu Hureyra Hassuna period Halaf period (or Halafian) Samarra period (or Samarran), e.g., Choga Mami Ubaid period, e.g., Eridu Uruk period, named after the city Uruk. Sumerian Early Dynastic period Early cities in this region include: lower Mesopotamia / Sumer Uruk Isin Lagash Akkad Agade Babylon Kish Nippur upper Mesopotamia / Assyria Assur Nineveh Mari Aleppo Further reading A DWELLER IN MESOPOTAMIA, being the adventures of an official artist in the garden of Eden, by Donald Maxwell, 1921 (a searchable facsimile at the University of Georgia Libraries; DjVu & layered PDF format) MESOPOTAMIAN ARCHAEOLOGY, by Percy S. P. Handcock, 1912 (a searchable facsimile at the University of Georgia Libraries; DjVu & layered PDF format) ast:Mesopotamia bs:Mezopotamija ca:Mesopotàmia cs:Mezopotámie da:Mesopotamien de:Mesopotamien et:Mesopotaamia el:Μεσοποταμία es:Mesopotamia eo:Mezopotamio fa:بین‌النهرین fr:Mésopotamie gl:Mesopotamia ko:메소포타미아 hr:Mezopotamija id:Mesopotamia is:Mesópótamía it:Mesopotamia he:ארם נהריים ku:Mezopotamya lt:Mesopotamija nl:Mesopotamië ja:メソポタミア no:Mesopotamia pl:Mezopotamia pt:Mesopotâmia ru:Междуречье sk:Mezopotámia sl:Mezopotamija fi:Mesopotamia sv:Mesopotamien tl:Mesopotamya th:เมโสโปเตเมีย vi:Lưỡng Hà tr:Eski Mezopotamya zh:美索不达米亚 Search Term: "Mesopotamia" Categories: History of Iraq | Mesopotamia | Ancient history | Near East