Uruk emerged 5,000+ years ago as what many consider the world's first true city, pioneering writing, monumental architecture, and urban planning. The White Temple gleamed atop a massive platform coated in white gypsum plaster. Tradition credits King Gilgamesh with building its walls stretching nearly 6 miles.
Uruk: world's first city, White Temple, and Gilgamesh
IraqGeneral
Key facts
- Uruk emerged more than 5,000 years ago and is widely regarded as the world's first true city, home to tens of thousands of people
- Many key innovations first appeared at Uruk, including writing, monumental architecture, organized government, and large-scale urban planning
- The White Temple was built atop a massive mudbrick platform and covered in brilliant white gypsum plaster
- The city was surrounded by defensive walls stretching nearly 6 miles in length
- According to tradition, the walls were built by King Gilgamesh, who likely governed Uruk around 4,700 years ago
- The Epic of Gilgamesh was compiled by a Babylonian scribe around 3,800 years ago
- The Epic of Gilgamesh contains a flood narrative predating the biblical account of Noah by more than a thousand years
Site mentioned
Sources
Eridu - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Eridu is traditionally considered the earliest city in southern Mesopotamia based on the Sumerian King List. First City in Sumerian Mythology",
Uruk: The first mega-city of humanity - Fabrizio Musacchiofabriziomusacchio.com
Uruk, a city located in the fertile plains of southern Mesopotamia, stands as a monumental milestone in human history.
Uruk: The First Great City - World History Encyclopediaworldhistory.org
Uruk was founded c. 5000/4500 BCE. · Uruk is most famous as the city of the king Gilgamesh, but also for a number of cultural developments, ...
A Brief Architectural History of Uruk and the Emergence of the First Citiesrostarchitects.com
The Sumerians are believed to have come from the northeast and arrived in Mesopotamia around 5000 BCE. The earliest cities began to emerge on ...
Uruk - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Uruk, the archeological site known today as Warka, was an ancient city in the Near East or West Asia, of the Euphrates River, peak around 3100 BC, up to 50,000 ...
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