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Iraq / History / Ancient Mesopotamia

The territory of modern Iraq is roughly equivalent to that of ancient Mesopotamia, which fostered a succession of early civilizations. The history of Mesopotamia began with the civilization of the Sumerians, who emigrated from the highlands of Iran and northern Anatolia in about 3000 BC. Two kingdoms, Sumer and Akkade, combined in about 2350 BC to form one nation under King Sargon of Agade. In about 2000 BC the Amorites assumed control. Their king, Hammurabi, made Babylon a famous city (see Babylonia), though he is best known for his code of laws. After his death came invasions by the Hittites and then by the Kassites, who formed the Kingdom of Assyria about 1350 BC. The Kassites originally had their capital at Ashur, but they moved it in 720 BC to Nineveh, opposite the modern city of Mosul.

Various tribal invasions weakened the Assyrian empire during the next century, and the Chaldeans under King Nebuchadnezzar II rebuilt Babylon and ruled for 40 years. The Persian ruler Cyrus the Great invaded in 539 BC, and Persia ruled Babylonia until Alexander the Great's conquests in 331 BC. His successors, the Seleucids, ruled for 175 years, during which Greek cultural influences became paramount. Persian invasions under the Parthians and, later, the Sassanids established a new capital at Ctesiphon near the midpoint of the Tigris. Persians constructed many irrigation systems and canals.

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