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Mesopotamian Places

Welcome to our exploration of Mesopotamian places, where we journey through the ancient landscapes and delve into the significance of the remarkable locations that shaped the rich history and cultural tapestry of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia, known as the "Land Between the Rivers," was home to a multitude of cities, sanctuaries, and architectural marvels that played pivotal roles in the development of civilization.

In this section of our website, we invite you to embark on a tour of Mesopotamian places, where each location holds a unique story waiting to be discovered. From bustling city-states to sacred temples and grand palaces, we will uncover the secrets and marvels hidden within these ancient sites.

Explore the renowned city of Babylon, once the epicenter of Mesopotamian civilization and a symbol of power and splendor. Discover the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and delve into the historical and cultural significance of this magnificent city.

Visit the ancient city of Ur, the birthplace of Abraham according to biblical accounts. Learn about its impressive ziggurat, a towering structure that served as a religious center and a testament to the architectural prowess of the Mesopotamians.

Step into the city of Uruk, one of the earliest urban centers in history and a key hub of trade and culture. Uncover the mysteries of the White Temple and the legendary hero Gilgamesh, who ruled over Uruk.

Marvel at the grandeur of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Discover its imposing city walls, the vast palaces of Assyrian kings, and the Library of Nineveh, a treasure trove of ancient knowledge.

Journey to the ancient city of Nippur, a religious center with temples dedicated to various deities. Explore the significance of the temple complex of Enlil, the chief god of the Mesopotamian pantheon.

Through informative articles, vivid imagery, and historical insights, our website aims to bring these Mesopotamian places to life, unraveling their stories and showcasing their architectural brilliance and cultural importance. Whether you are a history enthusiast, a student of ancient civilizations, or simply fascinated by the wonders of Mesopotamia, this section will serve as your gateway to a captivating world.

Digital reconstruction of Northwest Palace, Nimrud. Source: YouTube Screenshot / The Met.
10 October, 2023 - 16:57 Robbie Mitchell

Digital Reconstruction of the Northwest Palace, Nimrud, Assyria (Video)

In 2014, the Metropolitan Museum of Art unveiled a captivating digital reconstruction of the Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal II in Nimrud, Assyria (near modern Mosul in northern Iraq). This...
The Hanging Gardens of the Chaldean Dynasty of Mesopotamia. Source: Sarry/Adobe Stock
15 September, 2023 - 14:55 Aleksa Vučković

The Chaldean Dynasty and the Rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire

Empires are formed and fall, dynasties rise to prominence and crumble in poverty and ruin, ethnicities disappear from the fate of the Earth - these are the inevitable aspects of the histories of...
Votive stele of Gudea, ruler of Lagash, to the temple of Ningirsu. Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul. Source: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP (Glasg)/CC BY-SA 4.0)
4 September, 2023 - 22:52 Aleksa Vučković

The Rule of Ensi Gudea and the Golden Age of Lagash

Ancient Mesopotamia, called by many the “cradle of civilization”, is in many ways enigmatic and mysterious. There is plenty about it that we are still to uncover, as it reaches so far back in time...
Representational image of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Source: Creative Digital Art / Adobe Stock
20 August, 2023 - 19:00 Joanna Gillan

Searching for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The real location of the elusive Hanging Gardens of Babylon has eluded researchers for centuries. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World whose location is still unknown, yet...
Remote sensing and drone footage of the Lagash / Tell al-Hiba site was deployed to conclude that the ancient Mesopotamian city was made up of four marsh islands. Source: Lagash Archaeological Project
15 October, 2022 - 14:53 Sahir

Drone Footage Reveals Lost Mesopotamian City Built on Marsh Islands

Using remote sensing data technologies at the site of one of the oldest urban centers in world history, scientists have identified a vast Mesopotamian settlement called Lagash. Once upon a time,...
‘The Tower of Babel’ (1595) by Lucas van Valckenborch.
10 May, 2018 - 18:57 Mark Oliver

Inside Etemenanki: The Real-Life Tower of Babel

If there was a tower of Babel, it was Etemenanki: a massive, stone ziggurat at the center of Babylon built to be a passageway up to heaven. The Babylonians didn’t see their tower of Babel as a...
Arg-é Bam: An Ancient Citadel Destroyed By Nature and Reconstructed By Humanity
21 November, 2016 - 03:56 dhwty

Arg-é Bam: An Ancient Citadel Destroyed By Nature and Reconstructed By Humanity

Arg-é Bam is a citadel located in Bam, a city in the Kerman Province in the south-eastern part of Iran. This citadel was built entirely out of adobe unbaked clay bricks, and it is often regarded as...
Lives And Losses Of Laodicea, Crown Of Phrygia
10 December, 2021 - 12:34 micki pistorius

Lives And Losses Of Laodicea, Crown Of Phrygia

In the west central part of ancient Phrygia in Anatolia, Turkey, the ruins of Laodicea crown the hill between the narrow valleys of the Asopus and Caprus rivers, converging into the Lycus river...
The baked tablet that had been deciphered by Dr George. It is finely carved with a relief showing the king and tower and chiseled with text saying how people were gathered from all over to construct the ziggurat.
8 May, 2017 - 22:59 Mark Miller

Ancient Babylonian Tablet Provides Compelling Evidence that the Tower of Babel DID Exist

Half the world seems to say the Bible is pure bunk, while the other half says it’s, well, the word of God. Now comes a professor who isn’t religious to say that a baked tablet from ancient Babylon...
Painting of the second Peacock Throne from the Red Fort in Delhi, India. (1850) The first Peacock Throne was taken as a war trophy by the Persian King Nader Shah in 1739 and has been lost ever since.
10 October, 2015 - 03:40 dhwty

Thrones of Gods and Kings: Symbols of Power through History

The Iron Throne from the Game of Thrones is perhaps one of the most iconic objects in 21st century pop culture. The concept of the throne, as many already know, has been in existence for a much...
Top image: A photo of Assur. Inset: Head most likely of Sargon of Akkad.
28 August, 2018 - 09:41 dhwty

Both Religion and Royalty Reigned in the Assyrian City of Assur

Known today also as Qal’at Sherqat, the ancient Assyrian city of Assur is located in the Saladin Governorate of modern day Iraq, about 280 km (174 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad. This city was...
The tower of Babel
6 March, 2019 - 22:41 dhwty

The Legendary Tower of Babel: What Does it Mean?

One of the many fantastic stories in the Book of Genesis is the Tower of Babel, a tall construction made in Babylonia after the Deluge. The gist of the story is: All human beings used to speak the...
Illustration of an ancient city in Mesopotamia.
12 May, 2018 - 18:58 Ed Whelan

Hoard of Ancient Tablets Found in Iraq Reveal Location of Lost Royal City of Mardama

In an exciting discovery, archaeologists have found the location of the lost royal city of Mardama. The ancient Hurrian city had laid buried for millennia until archaeologists unearthed the remains...
Ruins of ancient Persepolis, Iran, with the columns of the Apadana Hall on the right. Source: pawopa3336 / Adobe Stock.
29 September, 2019 - 02:03 Aleksa Vučković

Apadana – The Everlasting Hall of the Achaemenids

Throughout countless centuries, across all kinds of different epochs, the great hypostyle hall of Apadana has been an impressive source of wonder and inspiration for all manner of folk. This once...
Virtual recreation by Charles Chipiez. A panoramic view of the gardens and outside of the Palace of Darius I of Persia in Persepolis.
24 November, 2017 - 23:03 Riley Winters

An Empire in Death: The Extensive Remains of Persepolis

Once the stunning capital of the Persian Empire (also known as the Achaemenid Empire), Persepolis was lost to the world for almost nineteen hundred years, buried in the dirt of southwestern Iran...
Naqsh-e Rustam
13 September, 2020 - 11:04 dhwty

Naqsh-e Rustam: Ancient Tombs of Powerful Persian Kings

Naqsh-e Rustam is one of the most spectacular and awe-inspiring ancient sites of the Achaemenid Empire, consisting of the colossal tombs of Persian kings dating back to the first millennium BC. It...
A view of the Bibi-Khanum Mosque, Samarkand.
15 February, 2016 - 14:53 dhwty

Samarkand: An Ancient Link Between East and West

Samarkand, also spelled as Samarqand, is a city located in modern day Uzbekistan, or the historical Central Asian region of Transoxiana. The city’s location in the Zerafshan River Valley provided it...
Objects in the "Apadana" reliefs at Persepolis: armlets, bowls, and amphorae with griffin handles are given as tribute.
10 January, 2017 - 21:51 Theodoros Karasavvas

2,400-Year-Old Tomb in Iraq Holds 6 Skeletons and Bronze Goods – But It Was NOT Wealthy

A tomb in northern Iraq held a pile of skeletons of at least six people, including those who lived 2,400 years ago. Apart from the human remains, valuable objects where discovered in the tomb as well...
The ancient city of Susa in Iran
11 July, 2015 - 04:09 Robin Whitlock

The ancient city of Susa in Iran is a worldwide treasure

The Biblical city of Shushan, now the modern Iranian city of Shush, has been added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage List along with six...
Pasargadae Tomb in Shiraz, Iran.
20 April, 2017 - 13:59 dhwty

Was the Magnificent Monumental Tomb of Pasargadae Really Built for Cyrus the Great?

The tomb of Cyrus the Great is the name given to a monument located in the ancient Persian city of Pasargadae. This city was founded by Cyrus, and served as the capital of the Achaemenid Empire until...
Ancient monuments in Hasankeyf
23 February, 2014 - 01:19 aprilholloway

The 12,000-year-old ancient Mesopotamian town of Hasankeyf set to submerged by new dam

Hasankeyf, Turkey, is one of the oldest ancient sites in the world with evidence of human settlement. Dating back 12,000 years, it has been home to virtually every major Mesopotamian civilisation,...
Ritual site - cultic platform found under the war god’s temple. Source: British Museum.
30 March, 2020 - 22:56 Ed Whelan

Ritual Site Dedicated to Mesopotamian War God Discovered in Iraq

Archaeologists working in Iraq have made an intriguing discovery. They have found a sacred area that was dedicated to a Mesopotamian war god. The site is up to 5,000 years-old and is in one of the...
Secret underground tunnels of ancient Mesopotamian cult - Ani ruins
27 August, 2014 - 01:00 aprilholloway

Secret underground tunnels of ancient Mesopotamian cult under Ani ruins

For the first time in history, the academic world is paying attention to the spectacular underground world of Ani, a 5,000-year-old Armenian city located on the Turkish-Armenian border. Hurriyet...
Hand-colored engraving of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (19th Century)
17 August, 2015 - 01:01 Riley Winters

The Magnificent Constructions of King Nebuchadnezzar II

Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II remains known as the leader of one of the most powerful ancient empires to have preceded that of the Athenians in Greek's Classical period. However, aside from...

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