The Mesopotamia Civilization

Urban Planning
 Introduction
• The word Mesopotamia means “ The Land between Rivers “ .
• It was dew to the two Rivers, Euphrates and Tigris, that the West Asian barren land had become very fertile.
• As food crops could be easily grown because of the fertility of the land, the northern hilly tribes and the southern
nomadic tribes of the desert wanted to establish control over this area.
• Also, the most important part of the Mesopotamian civilization was the southern part of the valley between the
Euphrates and Tigris rivers referred to as Babylonia.
• The northern part of Babylonia was called Akkad and the southern part Sumer.
 Introduction
• One important area of attraction of Babylonia was the Beautiful Hanging Gardens which were created on the
banks of the river Euphrates around 7th century BC.

• The northern part of Mesopotamia was known as Assyria.

• Although there were many conflicts amongst the tribes to gain control over the fertile land, it eventually led to the
emergence of a strong race.
 Tribes of Mesopotamia
• The tribes enter the fertile land of Mesopotamia were the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Persians.

• These tribes used the system of

writing called cuneiform for thirty
centuries.
 Ancient Mesopotamia - The Sumerians
Some Important Inventions:

Farming Irrigation through Levees Ploughing Domestication

canals

Invention of Wheel Writing Law Time & Calendar Sail Boat

The Division Of Sumerian Period:

Akkadian Period
(2334-2218)

Gutian Period
(2218-2047)
Early Dynastic
Ubaid Period Uruk Period Period Ur III Period
(5000-4100) (4100-2900) (2900-2334) Sumerian Renaissance
(2047-1750)

5000BCE 4100BCE 2900BCE 2218BCE

2334BCE 2047BCE
 Sumerian City
Why did the cities develop?
• Due to the fertile soil in Mesopotamia, farming was very successful.
• This meant that some people could stop farming and begin doing other things.
• As cities began to develop, people began to worry about others who might come and invade their city.
• They wanted to protect themselves from enemies, so people in Mesopotamia built walls around their cities.
• Sumerian city streets were so narrow that you could hardly get a cart through them.
• Sumerian houses faced away from crowded streets.
• Instead, they faced onto courtyards where families ate and children played.
• As the climate is hot and very dry on hot nights, people slept outdoors on the top of their house’s flat roof.
• CITY CHARACTERISTICS :
• Each city surrounded by walls permanent garrisons of soldiers stationed in towers and at each gate.
• Wide boulevards crossed city, lined by houses of the wealthy.
• Rest of city made up of narrow, twisting alleys surrounded by small, flat-roofed huts which were homes of farmers, and
small craftsmen.
• There were seven great city-states, each with its own king and a building called a ziggurat, a large pyramid-shaped
building with a temple at the top, dedicated to a Sumerian deity.

Ancient Jericho-the first walled city in history The Israelites capture Jericho A typical Sumerian city-state, with the
ziggurat, the tallest building in the city.
 The Akkadian Empire
• The city of Akkad was the center of the world's first empire, the Akkadian Empire.
• The people of Akkad, under the leadership of Sargon the Great, conquered many of the Sumerian city-states and took
control of Mesopotamia.
• The Akkadian language took the place of Sumerian and continued to be the primary language of the region into the
Babylonian and Assyrian Empires.
• 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.
 Thank You
Presented By :

( 17-02 ) Megha Bavisi

( 17-15 ) Bharvi Kale
( 17-31 ) Disha Patel
( 17-42 ) Parthvi Sanghadia
( 17-43 ) Sanjana Shajramani
( 17-46 ) Priya Shah
( 17-51 ) Mukti Soni