History of Iraq

From the first cities of Sumer to modern Iraq: 5,000 years of history in the land between the two rivers.

Iraq is ancient Mesopotamia, “the land between the rivers” Tigris and Euphrates. Writing, the first cities, written law and some of the earliest empires began here, and every era has left monuments you can still visit.

1
c. 3500–2000 BC · Sumer: the first citiesUruk, Ur and Eridu grow into the world’s first cities. Writing (cuneiform), the wheel and monumental ziggurats appear in southern Mesopotamia. Visit Nasiriyah & Ur →
2
c. 2334–2154 BC · The Akkadian EmpireSargon of Akkad unites the city-states of Mesopotamia into one of the first empires.
3
c. 1792–1750 BC · Hammurabi’s BabylonKing Hammurabi makes Babylon a great power and issues his famous law code. Visit Babylon →
4
c. 1400 BC · The KassitesKassite kings rule Babylonia and build Dur-Kurigalzu, whose ziggurat still stands at Aqarquf. Visit Baghdad →
5
911–609 BC · The Neo-Assyrian EmpireFrom Ashur, Nimrud and Nineveh, Assyrian kings rule an empire from Egypt to Iran. The library of Ashurbanipal preserves Gilgamesh. Visit Mosul →
6
626–539 BC · Neo-Babylonian EmpireNebuchadnezzar II rebuilds Babylon with the Ishtar Gate and the great ziggurat. Visit Babylon →
7
539 BC – AD 637 · Persians, Greeks & ParthiansAchaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanian rule. Hatra flourishes as a desert caravan city and Ctesiphon becomes an imperial capital. Visit Mosul →
8
637–750 · The arrival of IslamArab Muslim armies take Mesopotamia. Kufa and Basra are founded, Najaf grows around the tomb of Imam Ali, and Karbala becomes a place of pilgrimage after 680. Visit Najaf →
9
750–1258 · The Abbasid Golden AgeBaghdad is founded in 762 and becomes a world centre of science, translation and literature. Samarra serves as capital in the 9th century. Visit Samarra →
10
1258–1534 · Mongols & successor statesThe Mongols sack Baghdad in 1258. Ilkhanid, Jalayirid and Turkmen dynasties follow.
11
1534–1918 · Ottoman IraqBaghdad, Mosul and Basra are Ottoman provinces for nearly four centuries.
12
1921 – today · Modern IraqThe Kingdom of Iraq is founded in 1921 and becomes a republic in 1958. After decades of conflict, Iraq is welcoming more international travellers to its heritage sites.

See tours to these sites →