Geographical Conditions
The rise of the Sumerian-Mesopotamian civilization was made possible by the warm, dry climate of southern Mesopotamia, which encouraged agriculture, supported by year-round irrigation from the Euphrates River.
Mesopotamia (from Greek mesos = middle, potamos = river) means "land between the rivers", i.e. the region between the Euphrates and Tigris.
The historical region of Mesopotamia extended across the land between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, including their lower and middle courses.
- In the north, sufficient rainfall allowed dry-field farming.
- In the south, irrigation was essential for agriculture due to the arid climate.
Both rivers flow into the plains near Baghdad, forming the alluvial lands of ancient Babylonia and Sumer. Each spring, snowmelt from the mountains in Anatolia and Iran caused the rivers to flood for several weeks, requiring the construction of levees and dikes for flood protection. Afterward, long dry periods followed, making artificial irrigation crucial.
The Euphrates, with its calm and steady course, was ideal for irrigation, whereas the Tigris, with its faster flow, was more challenging to control.
The presence of numerous side channels and canals enabled complex irrigation systems, forming the basis for agriculture and the first cities.
Natural Conditions
- North Mesopotamia: cold winters, hot summers, 300–400 mm rainfall per year → limited agriculture possible.
- South Mesopotamia: hot summers, mild winters, <200 mm rainfall → dependent on irrigation.
Thus, the first irrigation-based civilizations arose in southern Mesopotamia, where human engineering could transform the environment into fertile farmland, which lies the foundation of the world's first high culture.