Mesopotamia: The Cradle of Civilizations
Mesopotamia; “The Cradle of Civilizations” or “The Area between Two Rivers”… This region, where different tribes lived together throughout history, has always hosted different civilizations and different cultures but has never imprisoned itself to a border. Cultures were transferred from generation to generation and shared. Mesopotamia invited everyone to this culture, nurtured ideas and emotions.
Mesopotamia’s history and its unique place have been an inspiration for humans. The concept of time, math, the wheel, sailboats, maps and writing were innovated in Mesopotamia, made this place the “Cradle of Civilization”. In this article, you will be captivated by Mesopotamia’s deep-rooted history and the incredible cultures developed on it.
Where is Mesopotamia Located?
The ancient words “meso,” meaning between, and “potamos,” meaning river forms the word Mesopotamia. Located within the Tigris and Euphrates river system in Western Asia, Mesopotamia was the home for many civilizations and many important inventions that changed the world. The region currently occupies the area of present-day Iraq, Kuwait, and parts of Iran, Syria, and Turkey.
Ancient Mesopotamia: Where the Flame of Civilizations Born
As an ideal place for humans to settle in, Mesopotamia has been the place where many great civilizations were born. It was inspirational for all the civilizations, no matter if they are located on it or not, for coming up with some of the most important developments in human history.
Ancient Mesapotamia Civilizations
Throughout history, humans have chosen Mesopotamia as their home. They have grown crops, built houses, bore children, made inventions, and explored in this place. Although their names changed, all the civilizations born in this area were unique and strong in many aspects. Mesopotamia was home to many important civilizations that are important for humankind including Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians and Babylonians.
Sumerians: The Creators of the Human History
The Sumerian civilization is the earliest known civilization in Mesopotamia. While the Sumerian city of Eridu is considered to be the first city in the world, Uruk, which is the most prominent city of Sumer, is regarded as possibly the largest city in the world at the time.
Being located on the valley between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Sumerians were highly developed in agriculture. The abundance of grains and the crops on the land enabled them to form urban settlements and trading. They have invented a number system, the first wheeled vehicles, sun-dried bricks and most importantly a form of writing as they needed to keep track of the trading activities.
Known as cuneiform, an early form of cursive writing they used enabled them to pass knowledge to the next generation. Thus, civilizations from all over the world could archive the information they had, creating a cumulative development in human history.
Assyrians: The Superpower of Mesopotamia
Getting its name from its first capital city Assur, Assyria, developed an effective and resilient military system to cope with the threats coming from its neighbour states due to its defenceless location. As well as being a warrior society, Assyrians were also intellectuals. They introduced writing to the other civilizations. Moreover, as they gain more and more power from the vast trading area they had, they became a great empire.
They are known for the library they built in their capital city, Nineveh. The library consisted of important pieces such as stories of Gilgamesh, the Code of Hammurabi and more. It was believed to be one of the greatest libraries of the world, which unfortunately was burned down when the empire collapsed.
Akkadians: The Protectors of Their Land
As more and more civilizations wanted Mesopotamia as their homelands, Akkadians invented the first professional army to protect their lands. Their king, Naram-Sin was the first king that established himself to be the God and ruled over for 50 years. The governmental power of Akkadians was very high, making them the first Empire to rule all of Mesopotamia.
Babylonians: The Greatest Lovers
The city of Babylon, which is a significant city in ancient Mesopotamia, began its rise after King Hammurabi’s leadership. Hammurabi’s code, which is the very first laws that are written down, were the guidelines for the people in subjects such as commerce and crimes. Also, when the word Babylonia is heard, the first thing that comes to mind is the hanging gardens.
The king of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar II built these gardens with all kinds of trees, vines, and shrubs for his beloved wife. Regarded as one of the great wonders of the ancient world these hanging gardens are the perfect example of the limits of human imagination.
Mesopotamian Stories: Mythology and Legends
There are various mythologies and legends from Mesopotamia that are known in our contemporary world. All these myths and legends from Mesopotamia are evidence of the cultures of all the civilizations, showing how complex and developed they are.
Triad of Heaven: Possessors of Extraordinary Powers
The gods in Mesopotamia were extremely anthropomorphic. Their statues were the embodiments of the gods themselves, sharing the same atmosphere with their worshippers. The supreme god was known as An, embodied by the sky, being the father of all other deities. Whereas Enlil, being the chief of gods, ruled air, wind, earth, and storms. He was believed to care for the well-being of humankind. The last but not least, Enki is the god of wisdom, magic, arts, and crafts. He is believed to being the help that saved humans from “the great flood”.
Inhabiting Secrets Within: The Mesopotamia Symbols
Symbols are uniquely determined shapes. Some have curves, while others have sharp edges, in all of these details, they embed secret meanings. They have the power of wisdom, courage, solidarity, and the like inside. They have a birthplace, but are universal, waiting to be explored. Mesopotamia symbols have been revealing the secret meanings of the old and wise stories. For more detail please visit our Mesopotamia Symbols and Meanings post.
The Sumerian Letters That Reveal the Secrets in Life
The Sumerian alphabet, which is called cuneiform, was the reason for the development of human history.
As the world's oldest writing system, cuneiform was developed from pictographs and other symbols. The symbols they used evolved in time and turned into a writing system.
To record the In older texts there were about 1,000 symbols yet as time went by the number was decreased to 400.
Having such significance in ancient Mesopotamia, each letter in this alphabet is worth being given importance.
D for Deity
In ancient Mesopotamia, the deities occupied a huge role in constructing society. With their excessive power, they shaped the actions of humans, their art, and their culture.
Having such a powerful meaning, the letter D has been taking on a special meaning, from the ancient Mesopotamians to our contemporary world. Joining the meaningful concepts with the eclectic luxury mindset, Delondra presents you the Letter D Necklace, you will feel the mysterious power of the Sumerian Deities in your soul when carrying the Letter D necklace on you...
E for Eternity
Eternity is a concept that human perception cannot completely capture. Therefore, it has been a concept that occupies the human mind throughout ancient times.
K for Key
Keys are the openers of the doors, revealing the unknown behind the things. Thus, the letter K has great importance for humans.
O for Originality
As having a special location, all the cultures that are developed in Mesopotamia are original. They are the building blocks of all humanity.
S for Serenity
Serenity, considered as one of the wisest states of beings, had been tried to achieve by many people since the oldest times. Bringing a sense of tranquillity and faith to one’s mind impacts the felicity of humans.
The impressive figures of ideas, emotions and thoughts that have grown throughout history in Mesopotamian lands come to the surface with Delondra. Undertaking the mission of being the carrier of Mesopotamian culture, Delondra expands Mesopotamia’s boundaries and shares its comprehensiveness with the world through the ancient symbols it reveals.
