Sumerian Waterways
Facts about southern Iraq and Ancient Sumer
by James W. Bell © 2002-3
The Euphrates River
Sumeria’s primary waterway
The Euphrates River flowed southeast from the Tarsus Mountains past the cities of Is and Sippar, then branched into three rivers to reunite just above Nippur from whence it flowed on past Kisurra, Shuruppak, Uruk and Enegi, before branching again at the delta to the Lower Sea (Persian/Arabian Gulf). Larak, Ur and Kuara (sometimes known as Kisiga) were located on the eastern branch.
Cumulative
City and Quay Distance Distance
Nippur, municipal quay 0 miles 0 miles
Kisurra, municipal quay 33 miles 33 miles
Shuruppak, municipal quay 10 miles 43 miles
Uruk, Kullab Quay 28 miles 71 miles
Enegi, South Quay 2 miles 73 miles
Ur, municipal quay 40 miles 113 miles
Kuara, municipal quay 19 miles 132 miles
The Gibil Canal
flowed southwest from the Tigris River
The Gibil Canal flowed southwest from the Tigris River to a point south of the frontier city of Kesh, past a branch which went north to that city. The Gibil continued on to Apisala where it intersected with the Ninagina Canal which flowed southeast from Zabalam. From Apisala, the Gibil went on to Umma, where it joined the Iturungal Canal.
Cumulative
City and Quay Distance Distance
Entrance from the Tigris 0 miles 0 miles
Entrance - canal to Kesh 38 miles 38 miles
Apisala, municipal quay 14 miles 52 miles
Umma, municipal quay 10 miles 62 miles
The Isinnitum Canal
The Issinnitum Canal left the right bank of the Euprates above Nippur to run by the city of Isin, and thence to rejoin the Euphrates at Kisurra.
Cumulative
City and Quay Distance Distance
Nippur, municipal quay 0 miles 0 miles
Isin, municipal quay 21 miles 21 miles
Rejoins the Euphrates 24 miles 45 miles
The Iturungal Canal
Sumeria’s secondary waterway
The Iturungal Canal left the Euphrates below Nippur to go southeast past the craft cities of Adab, Dabrum, Zabalam, Umma, Nagsu, Bad-tibira and Larsa before it flowed between the twin cities of Uruk and Enegi to rejoin the Euphrates.
Cumulative
City and Quay Distance Distance
Nippur, municipal quay 0 miles 0 miles
Adab, municipal quay 30 miles 30 miles
Dabrum, municipal quay 5 miles 35 miles
KI.AN, landing 7 miles 42 miles
Zabalam, municipal quay 4 miles 46 miles
Umma, municipal quay 13 miles 59 miles
Nagsu, municipal quay 19 miles 78 miles
Bad-tibira, municipal quay 12 miles 90 miles
Larsa, municipal quay 16 miles 106 miles
Enegi, North Quay 14 miles 120 miles
Uruk, Eanna Quay 1 mile 121 miles
Uruk, Kullab Quay 3 miles 124 miles
The Lower Sea
(also called 'The Bitter Sea'
and 'Sea of the Rising Sun')
The Lower Sea is today known in Iran as 'The Persian Gulf' and in Arab countries as 'The Arabian Gulf.' In the 27th century BCE, the coastline of the Lower Sea was approx. 19 miles south of Ur.
The Nanagugal Canal
from the Iturungal to the Lower Sea
The Nanagugal Canal, which departed from the left bank of the Iturungal Canal 7 miles downwater from Bad-tibira, marked the eastern boundary of Ur and the western boundary of Lagash.
Cumulative
City and Quay Distance Distance
Iturungal Canal, left bank 0 miles 0 miles
Kutallu, plantation quay 7 miles 7 miles
Lower Sea, coast 27 miles 34 miles
The Ninagina Canal
Sumeria’s tertiary waterway
and the Sealand's primary waterway
The Ninagina Canal left the Iturungal at Zabalam and intersected with the Gibil Canal at Apisala to flow southeast through the Sealands, passing by the cities of Girsu, Lagash and Nina (sometimes called Sirara) on the coast of the Lower Sea. As the Ninagina’s route was through marshlands, it was the canal most often used for smuggling.
Cumulative
City and Quay Distance Distance
Zabalam, municipal quay 0 miles 0 miles
Apisala, municipal quay 16 miles 16 miles
Girsu, municipal quay 32 miles 48 miles
Lagash, municipal quay 5 miles 53 miles
Nina, municipal quay 14 miles 67 miles
The Susuka Canal
The way to the city of Eridu
The Susuka Canal was a wide, eleven-mile long canal flowing southeast from the city of Ur to the city of Eridu on a bay on the coast of the Lower Sea (Persian/Arabian Gulf).
The Tigris River
A natural barrier to mountain peoples
The Tigris River flowed southeast from the Tarsus Mountains, parallel to the Euphrates. The only Sumerian city serviced by the Tigris was Eshnunna which was actually on the Diyala River, but near its junction with the Tigris. The most important feature of the Tigris was that it served as a natural barrier to less civilized tribes and bandits living in the Hursag, the Zagros mountainlands of western Iran.
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