THE

MESOPOTAMIAN
CIVILIZATION

SUBMITTED BY: Ar. GARIMA BAJAJ

 Mesopotamia is a Greek word that means between two rivers.
 It is a historical region of West-Asia.
 It is a place surrounded by two rivers Euphrates and the Tigris rivers. This is the
reason why the land of Mesopotamia is so rich in minerals and flourishing and the
whole region between the two rivers is called Fertile crescent.
 In present times Mesopotamia comes under the Republics of Iraq.
 Northern Mesopotamia made up of hills and plains.
 Southern Mesopotamia made up of marshy flat barren land.
 Sumerian were the first who started the civilization in the region of
Mesopotamia. This is believed that it was the first civilization around
3500 BC and is flourished for 1500 years. After the Sumerians, this
civilization is absorbed by Babylonians. After the Babylonians, then the
Assyrians that came in. This was the flow of civilization growth in that
region.
 Thus ,the significant civilizations that survived over Mesopotamia are
Sumerian, Assyrian, Akkadians, and Babylonian.

 It was seen numerous civilizations

that existed in this region. That’s why
this region is also known as Cradle of
Civilization.
 The major centers develops along
these two rivers. Some of the
important centre are Ur, Babylon,
Mari, Sippar, Uruk that develops
across the Euphrates river and Nuzi,
Nineweh and assur and Lagas along
the Tigris river.
Salient features of the Mesopotamian Civilization
 The king's rule was there in Mesopotamia. They used to rule in the
name of god. The king was the owner of the property of the state.
 Priests used to influence administrative affairs. Governors were
appointed to run the provincial government.
 Hammurabi was king of Babylonia between 2123 to 2081 B.C. . He
fortified Babylonia and built temples and palaces in it. He was a good
administrator

Code of Law
The “code of law” introduced by Hammurabi is the oldest and most
diverse and contains 282 laws in it. This code of law was inscribed on
the black stone.
This code of law aims to provide equality to all and it was based on
the idea of tit for tat.
The most Salient feature of it was that it gave women the right to
inherit ancestral property.
Another important feature was that it gave harsh punishment to the
rich people, who committed crimes.
Town Planning of Mesopotamian City
The cities of Mesopotamia were well-planned and organized,
showcasing the advanced town planning techniques of the time.
1. Grid Layout:
Mesopotamian cities were laid out in a grid-like pattern, with
streets and buildings aligned in straight lines.
The city was divided into square or rectangular blocks, creating a
system of city blocks similar to modern urban planning.
2. Defensive Walls:
Mesopotamian cities were often surrounded by defensive walls
made of mud-brick or stone to protect against invasion and ensure
the safety of the inhabitants.
These walls were thick and sturdy, providing a strong defense
against external threats.
1. Grid Layout:
Mesopotamian cities were laid out in a grid-like pattern, with
streets and buildings aligned in straight lines.
The city was divided into square or rectangular blocks, creating a
system of city blocks similar to modern urban planning.
2. Defensive Walls:
Mesopotamian cities were often surrounded by defensive walls
made of mud-brick or stone to protect against invasion and ensure
the safety of the inhabitants.
These walls were thick and sturdy, providing a strong defense
against external threats.

The city was divided into three parts:

1. The sacred part,
2. The walled city on a mound,
3. The outer town.
 The sacred area consisted of the temple tower or the Ziggurat
dedicated to the patron god of the city. There are also smaller temples
of other gods. This area also had the storehouse as well as the offices.
 People resided in Walled city and the other outer town. Houses were

constructed along the streets, and each house had a central courtyard
with rooms attached around it.
3. Ziggurats:
 Ziggurat, pyramidal stepped temple tower that is an architectural
and religious structure characteristic of the major cities
of Mesopotamia (now mainly in Iraq) from approximately 2200
until 500 BCE.
 These monumental structures were often located at the center of
the cities, acting as a focal point and symbolizing the city's
connection with the divine.

 The ziggurat was always built with a

core of mud brick and an exterior
covered with baked brick. It had no
internal chambers and was usually
square or rectangular, averaging
either 170 feet (50 meters) square
or 125 × 170 feet (40 × 50 meters)
at the base.
 Approximately 25 ziggurats are
known, being equally divided
among Sumer, Babylonia,
and Assyria.
  No ziggurat is
preserved to its
original height. Ascent
was by an exterior
triple stairway or by a
spiral ramp, but for
almost half of the
known ziggurats, no
means of ascent has
been discovered.

 The best-preserved ziggurat is

at Ur (modern Tall al-Muqayyar,
Iraq).
 The largest, at Chogha
Zanbīl in Elam (now in southwestern
Iran), is 335 feet (102 metres)
square and 80 feet (24 metres) high
and stands at less than half its
estimated original height.
The sloping sides and terraces of Zirruyat
were often landscaped with trees and
shrubs (hence the Hanging Gardens of
Babylon).
An artist's re-creation of the Hanging
Gardens of Babylon. One of the Seven
Wonders of the ancient world, the
Hanging Gardens consisted of roof
gardens laid out on a series of ziggurat
terraces.
4. Main Streets and Canals:
 Mesopotamian cities had main streets that ran longitudinally and
latitudinally, intersecting at right angles.
 Along these streets, there were shops, houses, and public
buildings, creating a bustling urban environment.
 Canals were also an integral part of city planning, providing the
necessary irrigation for agriculture and facilitating transportation
and trade.
4. Residential Areas: - The cities were divided into various residential
areas, with different sections designated for different social
classes. - Wealthier individuals lived closer to the city center, while
lower-class citizens resided in the outskirts. - Houses were typically
made of mud-brick and had flat roofs, featuring inner courtyards
for privacy.
5. Public Buildings: - Mesopotamian cities had several public
buildings, such as palaces, administrative centers, and assembly
halls. - These structures were often grand in scale, reflecting the
power and wealth of the ruling elites. - Public squares and
marketplaces were also common, serving as centers of commerce
and social interaction.
6. Sanitation Systems: - Mesopotamian cities had advanced
sanitation systems for their time, with well-designed drainage and
sewage systems. - Canals and drains were used to carry
wastewater away from residential areas, preventing the spread of
diseases.
These elements contributed to the development of thriving urban
centers that formed the backbone of the Mesopotamian
civilization.
ARCHITECTURE
The people of Mesopotamia were also great architects. Most of their buildings were
built with mud and bricks.
The temple towers and hanging gardens are a few significant examples of their great
architecture.
Arches, columns, domes, and vaults are the different forms of architecture introduced
by the people of Mesopotamia.
They practiced cuneiform writing which is writing on unbaked bricks with flat surfaces.
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
The four sections of the society were the royals, priests, rich
landlords, and slaves.

The royals and priests were the people of high status followed by
landlords and traders.

The slaves were of the lowest status. It was legal to buy and sell
them.

They practiced nature worshiping and believed that man should

give all his to worshiping god and that will bring positivity to life.

The temples were also used as a place for teaching.

ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Most of them practiced agriculture, cattle rearing, and dairy. The
most salient feature was that they developed artificial irrigation
(shadoof). They used the two rivers Euphrates and the Tigris very
smartly.

Agricultural products were grown in abundance and exported in

exchange for wood, copper, tin, silver, shell, and gold.

They were the first ones to introduce that wheat can be grown as
a crop. They also grow crops like barley, pulses, etc.

They were also the ones who discovered the ox-drawn plow.

They were also good at weaving, pottery, jewelry making, mining,

etc.
SCIENCE AND MATHS
They had a lot of information related to science and maths.

 They were the first to use bills and receipts during business
transactions. They used to keep all these records on clay tablets.

They were aware of different planets like Mercury, Jupiter, Venus,

Mars, etc.

They had their calendar called the lunar calendar. They too had 12
months and 365 days according to their calendar.

 The 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour that we use in our daily

life to measure time, have been received from Mesopotamia.

 They were also aware of the 360-degree angle and the circle consists
of 360 degrees. This discovery also helped them to come up with the
idea of the wheel.

 They also had enough knowledge about medicine and this can be seen
in the book called Materia Medica.
End of Mesopotamia Civilization
 Mesopotamia was one of the oldest civilizations but due to some
reasons, it approached its end.

 One of the most important reasons was that one of its two rivers, the
Euphrates river, changed its original route.

 So, the Tigris river was the only source of water left with them. This
hampered their production of agriculture, which was their main
economic activity.
 The region which was served by the Euphrates river was already a
desert and the shift in its route made this reason drier. Which
worsened the lives of people.

 Other than this the incapable rulers were also the reason for the
decline of civilization. As they were not able to keep on hold on the
administration.

 The Persian invasion was another reason for the end of the
Mesopotamia civilization. After the invasion (538 BCE), it became part
of the Persian empire.
CONCLUSION
Mesopotamia is a place that lies between two rivers Euphrates and
the Tigris. Both these rivers were the reason for the sustainable life in
this place.

People of this region practiced agriculture. However, the people of

southern Mesopotamia also practiced trading.

This trading system survived due to the water transportation system.

Most of its trade was made to get the wood, copper, tin, silver, gold,
shell, and various stones from Turkey and Iran, or across the Gulf in
exchange for its textiles and agricultural produce.

 They were also great architects and mathematicians.

 We still use many things that were initially introduced by them.

This civilization came to its end when the Persians invaded it.
THANKYOU

SUBMITTED BY: Ar. GARIMA BAJAJ