Nepedia
Back to Discover
Independent Reader
🏛️

Mesopotamia

history Maturity 7-9 Vital Level 3 Next article →

Mesopotamia is a land between two rivers.

Fertile Crescent
Fertile Crescent

These rivers are the Tigris and the Euphrates. Most of this land is in Iraq today.

Flag of Iraq
Flag of Iraq

Long ago, people made big changes here. They learned to plant crops. They also made the first wheels. People even made the first way to write. They used a tool on wet clay. This made marks called cuneiform. The word means "wedge-shaped."

Tablet XI or the Flood Tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh, currently housed in the British Museum in London
Tablet XI or the Flood Tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh, currently housed in the British Museum in London

Many groups lived in this land. The Sumerians and Akkadians were very early. Sargon of Akkad built a big empire. Later, the Assyrians ruled the north. The Babylonians ruled the south.

Berlín Ishtar 05
Berlín Ishtar 05

Many leaders ruled these cities. One was Hammurabi. He led the Old Babylonian state. Another was Cyrus the Great. He led the Achaemenid Empire. Later, Alexander the Great took control. Many different empires fought for this land. It was a very important place for history.

142 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (41)
File:N-Mesopotamia and Syria english.svg
N-Mesopotamia and Syria english.svg
File:Metal production in Ancient Middle East.svg
Metal production in Ancient Middle East.svg
File:Flag of Iraq.svg
Flag of Iraq.svg
File:Asia (orthographic projection).svg
Asia (orthographic projection).svg
File:P history.svg
P history.svg
File:Fertile Crescent.svg
Fertile Crescent.svg
File:Creative Commons by small.svg
Creative Commons by small.svg
File:Ashurbanipal in a chariot, wall relief, 7th century BC, from Nineveh, the British Museum.jpg
Ashurbanipal in a chariot, wall relief,...
File:Detail, Nebuchadnezzar II's Building Inscription plaque of the Ishtar Gate, from Babylon, Iraq. 6th century BCE. Pergamon Museum.jpg
Detail, Nebuchadnezzar II's Building...
File:Tablet XI or the Flood Tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh, currently housed in the British Museum in London.jpg
Tablet XI or the Flood Tablet of the Epic...
File:Street in Babylon.jpg
Street in Babylon.jpg
File:اهوار العراق ليلا.jpg
اهوار العراق ليلا.jpg

+ 29 more

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.