Erech: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	Tall al-Warkāʾ • Orchoë • Uruk

Photos

Map of the Middle East highlighting the location of the ancient city of Uruk in present-day Iraq, with surrounding countries including Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey labeled, and major bodies of water such as the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and Mediterranean Sea shown. An inset globe in the lower left indicates the regional context within the world.

decorated columns by the Sumerians

See All Images →

Topics

Archaeology Ziggurat Babylon Ur Nineveh Ctesiphon Calah Eridu Kūfah Ashur Nippur Hatra

Iraq

country, Asia

Historical map showing ancient Mesopotamia with labeled locations of major archaeological and historical sites. Symbols and color codes indicate sites from the prehistoric era, Sumerian-Akkadian culture, Babylonian and Neo-Babylonian eras, Assyrian civilization, Hurrian era, late Persian, Greek, and Parthian eras, as well as marshland areas. The map covers the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, including present-day Iraq and surrounding areas.

history of Mesopotamia

historical region, Asia

Sumerian cuneiform tablet

Sumer

ancient region, Iraq

Key People

default image

Enmerkar

Mesopotamian hero

Tomb of Mohammed Bin Ali, Salalah, Oman.

A View of the Middle East

The caves of Qumran on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, in the West Bank. The site of the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered in 1947.

More Archaeological Discoveries Quiz

Temple ruins of columns and statures at Karnak, Egypt (Egyptian architecture; Egyptian archaelogy; Egyptian history)

History Buff Quiz