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Hasankeyf, Turkey The Tigris and Euphrates The Land Between the Rivers You won’t be surprised to learn that the world’s first civilization grew up on the banks of a river. In fact, two rivers, the Tigris (TIE-gris) and Euphrates (yoo-FRAY-teez), formed the cradle of world civilization in today’s Iraq. The region between the rivers is also part of the Fertile Crescent. The area was so desirable that wandering tribes settled there, beginning about 7,000 years ago. The region came to be called Mesopotamia, Greek for “the land between the rivers.” © Learning A–Z All rights reserved. www.readinga-z.com Connecting Passage Both rivers start in the mountains of Turkey, and both flow roughly southeast. The Tigris, the western river, is deeper and easier to navigate, while the Euphrates, shallower and slow-moving, passes through the large city of Baghdad. It’s difficult to imagine life without many of the things that make up a civilization. The Sumerians, the first people to settle between the Tigris and Euphrates, invented many of these things. Historians believe they were the first to build permanent homes and cities and the first to use writing. Sumerian They also invented a mathematical writing tablet system and used it to follow the stars. Being near these rivers gave the Sumerians many advantages. They could travel more easily Credits: top left: Drew Rose/Wilkinson Studios Inc.; top right: © Witr/Dreamstime.com; bottom right: © Image Asset Management Ltd./Alamy 1 possible by the two rivers. They used the water from the rivers to grow and store crops. This meant they did not have to wander around, living a nomadic life and looking for food. Being able to settle in one place allowed the people of Mesopotamia to develop permanent social structures. Can you imagine civilization without these? on the rivers than across deserts. They had a reliable water source, which allowed them to start industries like brick making, metalworking, leather crafts, and pottery. The river allowed them to transport their goods and trade with other people. Another Sumerian invention did not help them navigate the rivers, but it was still quite useful: the wheel. After about a thousand years, people called the Babylonians conquered southern Mesopotamia. Using Sumerian ideas, the great Babylonian king Hammurabi wrote the first code of laws. His capital, Babylon, was a gigantic and beautiful city with many merchants, priests, soldiers, and other people who had specific roles in the society. Even poor people lived in permanent, comfortable homes. In northern Mesopotamia, the warlike Assyrians replaced the Sumerians as rulers. Although they fought most of the time, they also created great works of art. Eventually, the Assyrians conquered Babylon and destroyed the famous city. This high level of early civilization was made © Learning A–Z All rights reserved. www.readinga-z.com Today, the Tigris and Euphrates are in grave danger. Their water is much desired in the dry Middle East. Wars, revolutions, terrorism, and other obstacles make it difficult for the different countries to agree about how to share the water. Like other rivers that shaped civilizations, the Tigris and Euphrates can both harm and benefit people. When the rivers flood, crops are ruined and homes destroyed. Iraqi and DID YOU KNOW? other Middle Eastern governments have built People in Mesopotamia built large temples called dams, spillways, and ziggurats. earth dikes to control, conserve, and channel the water. Lack of peace in the region has made the task more difficult. Connecting Passage Credits: © Ocean/Corbis 2