Mesopotamian Civilizations

Land Between the Two Rivers:Tigris and Euphrates

Sumerians

Jordan River

Located in Southern Mesopotamia-Ur, one of the earliest cities, 30,000 people

Cuneiform

Cuneiform wedge-shaped writing

Sumerian Wheel

Sumerian Lyre (liar) from the royal tombs of Ur

Game board from the royal tombs at Ur

Gilgamesh epic hero

Ziggurat at Ur

• Ziggurat means – “House of the Mountain” and “Bond between Heaven and Earth”

• Built for the priests & priestesses who served their gods & goddesses

Ziggurat examples

Amorites settle in Babylon

Babylonian relief sculpture

Statue of Hammurabi

Hammurabi’s Code:The Stele

Phoenician ship

Murex – snails used to produce a purple dye

Walls of Nineveh

Assurbanipal the mightiest of the Assyrian Kings

Flood tablet found in Assurbanipal’s library

Winged Assyrian Bull

Assyrian god Assur

Assyrian chariots

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

2nd of the 7 wonders of the world.Destroyed by earthquakes

Ruins of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon

Parts of Babylon had been rebuilt by Saddam Hussein

Rebuilt by Saddam Hussein

Mosul on the Tigris River

Iraq

Ishtar Gate of Babylon

Ishtar Gate at Babylon

Lion in Nebuchadnezzar's throne room

Nebuchadnezzar

First Historical Horoscope

Cyrus the Great

Cambyses – son of Cyrus who conquers Egypt

Darius - Successor of Cambyses, a member of the Ten Thousand Immortals (the King’s body guard)

Capital of a Column in Darius’ audience chamber

Persepolis - Persian capital built by Darius

Arial view of Persepolis