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The first archaeological evidence of Sumerians in Mesopotamiaj
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Advanced farming methods, including irrigation projects, first appear in Mesopotamia
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The first Sumerian towns appear, and primitive writing is developed
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Uruk becomes the first large Sumerian city, with a population of around 50,000
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Early cuneiform writing begins to replace pictographs
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The ox-drawn plow, invented in the Near East, changes the landscape as farmers clear forests to make bigger fields
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Independent Sumerian city-states flourish in southern Mesopotamia (Iraq)
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In Sumer, the first ziggurats, stepped temple-towers are built
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Gilgamesh becomes ruler of Uruk. Hel will later be immortalized as a semi-divine king in the world's first literary epic, the Epic of Gilgamesh
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Rulers of the southern city-state of Ur are buried in tombs together with their attendants
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Sumerian writing spreads abroad as trade routes are opened
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The Sumerian city-states are overrun by Sargon of Akkad, a ruler whose power base lies farther north within Mesopotamia. Sargon establishes the first empire known in history.
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From Ur, King Ur-Nammu reasserts Sumerian power, founds schools for scribes, introduces calendar reforms, and promotes international trade
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Ur is sacked by the Elamites from southwestern Iran, bringing the great age of Sumerian civilization to an end
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The Amorites establish a dynasty of kings in the town of Babylon
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The patriarch Abraham, father and founder of the Jewish religion, lived in Ur around this time
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Hammurabi I comes to the throne of Babylon. By his death in about 1750 BCE the city is the center of an empire stretching to Assyria and Iran
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The earliest literary classic, the Epic of Gilgamesh, is written down
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The Assyrian Empire becomes dominant in the Tigris Valley region
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Assyria conquers Damascus. Over the next 17 years the Assyrians also overcome Babylon and make Israel and Judah vassel (subject) states
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Babylonian astrologers correctly predict a solar eclipse
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The Assyrian Empire falls to the Babylonians
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After a long siege, Jerusalem falls to Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon. He destroys the city including the Temple, and takes many Jews captive to Babylon
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Babylon falls to Cyrus the Great, ruler of the Persian Empire. This brings Mesopotamia under Persian rule. Jewish exiles are permitted to return to their homeland of Judah
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Alexander defeats a Persian army winning control of Mesopotamia
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Seleucus, one of Alexander's former generals, establishes the Seleucid Kingdom in Mesopotamia and Persia
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Persia's Sasanian Empire is founded when the Parthian realm is overthrown.
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King Khusrow II is captured and executed by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, heralding the decline of Persia's Sasanian Dynasty
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Byzantium is seriously weakened by the Arab conquest of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Egypt.
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Muslim armies of the Rashidun Caliphate defeat the Sasanian Empire at the Battle of Nahavand, known as the "Victory of Victories."
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As-Saffah mounts a successful revolt against the Umayyad Caliphate.
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Mongol forces extend their rule into Mesopotamia with the siege and sack of Baghdad. This marks the end of the Islamic Golden Age.
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A warlord of Mongol descent, Timur the Lame, invaded Iraq. After the capture of Baghdad, 20,000 of its citizens were massacred. Timur ordered that every soldier should return with at least two severed human heads to show him (many warriors were so scared they killed prisoners captured earlier in the campaign just to ensure they had heads to present to Timur).
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Iraq fell into the hands of the Iranian Safavids. Owing to the century long Turco-Iranian rivalry between the Safavids and the neighbouring Ottoman Turks, Iraq would be contested between the two for more than a hundred years during the frequent Ottoman-Persian Wars.
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With the Treaty of Zuhab in 1639, most of the territory of present-day Iraq eventually came under the control of Ottoman Empire as a result of wars with the neighbouring rival, Safavid Iran. Throughout most of the period of Ottoman rule (1533–1918), the territory of present-day Iraq was a battle zone between the rival regional empires and tribal alliances.