Mesopotamia’s Rise

5000 BCE

First cities built 5000

The Sumerians are credited with building the first known cities in Mesopotamia and by extension, the first in the world. Eridu, located in the south east of modern Iraq, is the oldest known city and was first excavated in 1855.

4000

FIRST ZIGGURATS BUILT 4000

Probably the most iconic and eye-catching remnants of the ancient Mesopotamian cultures, the ziggurat is aesthetically