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1. FIVE HEARTHS OF URBANIZATION:
MESOPOTAMIA(c. 3100 BC –c.1100)

2. MESOPOTAMIA
● Mesopotamia is a historical region in West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates
river system, in modern days roughly corresponding to most of (Today: Iraq plus Kuwait,
the eastern parts of Syria, Southeastern Turkey).
● “Mesopotamia” is a Greek word meaning, “Land between the Rivers”
● Ancient Mesopotamia was fundamentally an agrarian society, the principal occupations
were growing crops and raising livestock
● The temple, at the center of every city (often on a raised platform), symbolized the
importance of the city’s patron deity who would also be worshipped by whatever
communities that city presided over.
● In the words of Bertman, “The domestic architecture of Mesopotamia grew out of the
soil upon which it stood. Unlike Egypt, Mesopotamia –especially in the south– was barren
of stone that could be quarried for construction.”

3. MESOPOTAMIA
Civilizations that surfaced throughout the
reign of Mesopotamia:
● Sumerians - are thought to have
formed the first human civilization in world
history. They lived in southern Mesopotamia,
between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in
the Middle East.
- Some of the most powerful
city-states included Eridu, Bad-tibura,
Shuruppak, Uruk, Sippar, and Ur. Eridu is
thought to be the first of the major cities
formed and one of the oldest cities in the
world.
● Akkadian Empire - The first Empire to
rule all of Mesopotamia was. It lasted for
around 200 years from 2300 BC to 2100 BC.
- There were many
good roads built between the major cities. They
even developed an official postal service.

4. MESOPOTAMIA
Civilizations that surfaced throughout the
reign of Mesopotamia:
● Babylonian Empire - After the fall of
the Akkadian Empire, two new empires rose
to power. They were the Babylonians in the
south and the Assyrians to the north. The
Babylonians were the first to form an empire
that would encompass all of Mesopotamia.
- Under
Hammurabi's rule, the city of Babylon became
the most powerful city in the world. It also
became the largest city at the time with as
many as 200,000 people living there at its
peak.
- At the center of the city was a large temple
called a ziggurat. This temple looked
something like a pyramid with a flat top.
- The city was also famous for its gardens,
palaces, towers, and artwork. It would have
been an amazing sight to see.
- The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was built
around the Neo-Babylonian Empire, a
successful attempt to restore the former
glory of Babylon Empire. The garden was
consist of was a large series of terraces that
rose to around 75 feet high. It is considered
one of the great wonders of the ancient
world.

5. MESOPOTAMIA
Civilizations that surfaced throughout the reign
of Mesopotamia:
● Assyrian Empire - lived in northern
Mesopotamia near the start of the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers. The Assyrian Empire rose and
fell several times throughout history.
- Assyrians were known
throughout the land as cruel and ruthless
warriors.
- The great cities of the
Assyrian Empire included Ashur, Nimrud, and
Nineveh. Ashur was the capital of the original
empire and also their main god.
- The Library at Nineveh
Much of our knowledge of the Ancient
civilizations of Mesopotamia comes from
the remains of this library. According to
the British Museum in London, just over
30,000 tablets have been recovered.
These tablets make up around 10,000
different texts.

6. MESOPOTAMIA
Civilizations that surfaced throughout the reign
of Mesopotamia:
● Persian Empire - The first Persian Empire took control of the
Middle East after the fall of the Babylonian Empire. It is also called the
Achaemenid Empire.
- The empire was connected by many roads and
a postal system. The most famous road was the Royal Road built by King
Darius the Great. This road stretched around 1,700 miles all the way
from Sardis in Turkey to Suza in Elam.

7. MESOPOTAMIA
Great Cities of Mesopotamia
Uruk
- Was one of the first major cities in
the history of the world. It reached its
peak around 2900 BC when it had an
estimated population of nearly 80,000
people making it the largest city in the
world.
- It was the center of the Sumerian
civilization. It was able to grow so large
because of advanced farming and
irrigation techniques. The abundance of
food made the city rich.
Akkad
- The city of Akkad was the center of
the world's first empire, the Akkadian
Empire.
- Archeologists still haven't found the
city of Akkad and are unsure where it is
located. It was likely located in southern
Mesopotamia just east of the Tigris
River.

8. MESOPOTAMIA
Great Cities of Mesopotamia
Assur
- became the first capital city of the
Assyrian Empire. Although other cities
would later take over as capital of the
Assyrian Empire, Assur was always
recognized as the religious center of the
empire
Babylon
- Babylon was the largest city in the
world with populations exceeding
200,000 people. It was home to kings
such as Hammurabi and
Nebuchadnezzar as well as the fabled
Hanging Gardens of Babylon which are
one of the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World.
Nimrud
- Nimrud became the capital city of
the Assyrian Empire in the 13th Century
BC. Although the city later fell into ruins,
the great King Ashurnasirpal II rebuilt
the city and made it the Assyrian capital
once again in 880 BC.

9. MESOPOTAMIA
Great Cities of Mesopotamia
Nineveh
- The greatest city of the Assyrian
Empire was Nineveh. It became the
largest city in the world at the height of
the Assyrian Empire. The city was largely
built under the rule of King Sennacherib
around 700 BC. The great walls of
Nineveh enclosed an area of 7 square
kilometers and had 15 gates. There were
18 canals that brought water to different
areas of the city.
Persepolis
- Persepolis was the capital of the
Persian Empire. The name is actually
Greek for "Persian city". The city was
originally built by Cyrus the Great
around 515 BC. Other kings such as
Darius I and Xerxes completed the
palace and other buildings. The city was
located in southeast Iran.
- Much of the city is currently being
reconstructed by archeologists. Some of
the structures include the Gate of
Nations, the Throne Hall, and the
Apadana Palace.

10. MESOPOTAMIA
Facts about Mesopotamia:
- The Babylonian law created by King Hammurabi, the Code of Hammurabi, may be the
oldest written law in the world.
- The Sumerians are often credited with inventing the wheel.
- The Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers are both well over 1,000 miles long.
- Because this is where people first began to write, Mesopotamia is often called the
place where history began.
- Mesopotamia is part of a larger area that archeologists call the Fertile Crescent.
- Many of the buildings, walls, and structures were made from sun-dried bricks. These
bricks didn't last long, so very little of Ancient Mesopotamian cities still stand.

11. MESOPOTAMIA(c. 3100 BC –c.1100)
Mimi Alguidano