Mesopotamian irrigation was vital for farming in the region. The Sumerians built an immense network of irrigation canals fed by the Euphrates River to water their crops. They also constructed city walls, temples, and other early engineering works. Later, the Assyrians further developed public works projects and adopted a new tunnel irrigation method called qanats from Armenia that brought underground water to foothills. Irrigation was crucial for Mesopotamian agriculture due to seasonal rainfall patterns that otherwise left the land dry part of the year.

1. Mesopotamian Irrigation System
By:
Damini Kashelkar
&
Manisha Mehra

2. Mesopotamian Irrigation System

3. Mesopotamia was known
as the land between two
rivers, the Tigris to the
north and the Euphrates
to the south. Irrigation
was extremely vital to
Mesopotamia because
rains were seasonal in
this area, which meant
that the land flooded in
the winter and spring and
water was scarce at other
times. Farming in the
region depended on
irrigation from the Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers.

4. Canals
An immense network of irrigation canals fed by the Euphrates River

5. The Sumerians in southern Mesopotamia built city walls and temples and dug
canals that were the world's first engineering works.

7. The Assyrians also developed extensive public works. Sargon II, invading Armenia
in 714 B.C.E. , discovered the qanat (Arabic ) or kariz (Persian), which is a tunnel
used to bring water from an underground source in the hills down to the
foothills. Sargon destroyed the area in Armenia but brought the concept back to
Assyria. This method of irrigation spread over the Near East into North Africa
over the centuries and is still used.

8. THANK YOU