Ancient city: Uruk

Uruk was one of the most important and earliest cities of ancient Mesopotamia, located in what is today southern Iraq, near the modern town of Al-Samawah, along the Euphrates River. It was part of the Sumerian civilization, and its development marks a turning point in human history—Uruk is widely regarded as the first true city and one of the cradles of urban life.

Uruk was founded around 4500 BCE and reached its peak around 2900 BCE, during what is now called the Uruk period. At its height, the city may have had a population of 40,000 to 80,000, making it possibly the largest city in the world at the time. It covered an area of over 5 square kilometers, surrounded by large city walls traditionally said to have been built by King Gilgamesh, the semi-mythical hero of the Epic of Gilgamesh.

The city was a major center for trade, religion, administration, and technological innovation. It housed massive temple complexes dedicated to its patron deities, especially Inanna (goddess of love and war) and Anu (sky god). The famous White Temple, built atop a ziggurat, was one of its central religious structures.

Uruk is also historically significant because it is where the earliest known form of writing—cuneiform script—was developed around 3200 BCE. Clay tablets found in Uruk show the transition from simple pictographs to more abstract symbols used for record-keeping, administration, and eventually literature.

The city's influence spread widely across Mesopotamia. It established colonies and trading outposts and influenced the architecture, governance, and culture of later Mesopotamian cities such as Ur, Lagash, and Babylon.

Uruk began to decline around 2000 BCE, possibly due to changing trade routes, political upheaval, and environmental factors. By the time of Alexander the Great (4th century BCE), Uruk was still inhabited but greatly diminished in importance. Its ruins, now called Warka, have been excavated by archaeologists and continue to offer insights into early urban civilization.