Lands and City-States
in Sumerian Times
Facts about southern Iraq and Ancient Sumer
by James W. Bell © 2002-3
Sumer
The western land was located along a 132-mile stretch of the Euphrates River south of Nippur (approximately the latitude of the present-day city of An Najaf) to the junction with the Iturungal Canal (near the present-day city of An Nasiriyah). It included the following cities (from north to south):
Nippur (left bank, the Holy City of Sumer)
Kisurra (right bank, at the Isinnitum Canal juntion))
Shuruppak (right bank, where Atra-hasis lived when the Flood was unleashed)
Uruk (left bank, capital city, built on a peninsula at the river's junction with the Iturungal Canal)
To the east, Sumer also included the land along the 124-mile Iturungal Canal. It included the following cities (from north to south):
Adab (left bank)
Dabrum (left bank)
KI.AN (right bank, site of ancient walled ruins)
Zabalam (left bank, at Ninagina Canal juntion)
Umma (left bank, at junction with the Gibil Canal)
Nagsu (left bank)
Bad-tibira (left bank, city of smelteries)
Larsa (left bank)
Also the land along the 62-mile long Gibil Canal. Includes the cities of (from west to east):
Umma (right bank, at Iturungal Canal junction)
Apisala (right bank, at Ninagina Canal junction)
Kesh (an inland city, north from right bank)
Also two distant northern cities:
Sippar (on the left bank of the upper Euphrates)
Eshnunna (on the left bank of the Diyala River near its junction with the Tigris)
Also one distant western city:
Isin (on the Isinnitum Canal, off the right bank of the Euphrates River just above Nippur, to rejoin the Euphrates at Kisurra)
Also one southern city:
Eridu (the oldest city in Sumer, on the Susuka Canal off the right bank of the Euphrates River and on the coast of the Lower Sea (Persian or Arabian Gulf)
Also one city in the mountainlands (HUR.SAG in Sumerian):
Der (a citadel in a mountain pass)
Eden (ED.IN in Sumerian: plain, grazing land) The Eden was the mostly empty land between the Euphrates River and the Iturungal Canal. Largely desert, it contained the Arali Desert in the southern quarter, where Dumuzi was caught. Contains the following cities (from north to south):
KI.AN ('Heaven on Earth' in Sumerian) Walled ruins on the right bank of the Iturungal Canal.
Uruk (Sumer’s capital city, located on a peninsula in the southwest corner of Eden at the junction of the Iturungal Canal with the Euphrates River).
Chaldea
The land along the delta reaches of the Euphrates River. Includes the following cities (from north to south):
Enegi (on the left bank at junction with the Iturungal Canal, across the canal from Uruk.)
Kutallu (inland on the left bank of the Nanagugal Canal)
Larak (left bank of the Euphrates, location uncertain, this city was destroyed in the Flood)
Ur (capital city, on the left bank of the Euphrates)
Kuara (sometimes known as Kisiga, on the left bank and on the coast of the Lower Sea <Persian or Arabian Gulf>)
Sealands
The land along the Ninagina Canal south of Apisala Canal (from north to south):
Girsu (left bank)
Lagash (left bank, the capital of the Sealands)
Nina (sometimes called Sirara, on the right bank and on the coast of the Lower Sea, present-day Persian or Arabian Gulf)
Akkad
The land along the branches of the Upper Euphrates River north of Nippur. Includes the following cities:
Babil (capital city, sometimes known as Babylon, on the left bank of the western branch)
Dilbat (on the right bank of the western branch)
Marad (on the right bank of the western branch)
Kish (on the right bank of the middle branch)
Kutha (on the right bank of the eastern branch)
Tidnum
The desert to the southwest of Sumer and Akkad (northeastern modern-day Saudi Arabia). Home of the Amurru (the Biblical Amorites). They were nomads and had no permanent cities.
Elam
The land to the northeast of the Sealands. Contains the flatland province of Susiana, the mountainous province of Anshan and the coastal province of Liyan. Includes the following cities:
Susa (capital of both Susiana and Elam, near present-day Ahvas in southwestern Iran))
Anshan (capital of Anshan province, land to the southeast of Susiana, present-day Fars, ancestrial home of the Persians and site of Persepolis).
Liyan (coastal province near present-day port of Bushire in sothwestern Iran)
Warashi
Mountainland kingdom to the north of Elam
Warum
Also known as Gutium. Mountainland kingdom northeast of Akkad, home of the Guti. Sometimes reputed to include the Sumerian city of Eshnunna.
Dilmun
The modern day isle of Bahrain. In Sumerian mythology, it was a paradise where no one became sick or grew old.
Agarum (a province of Dilman, today's Failaka Island off the coast of Kuwait))
Magan
Modern day Oman. Magan was a source of copper and diorite (black stone used by Sumerian sculptors). Ninsikilla was its patron god.
Meluhha
The ruins of an ancient civilization along the Indus River valley in modern day Pakistan. Meluhha was a source of gold, lapis lazuli, carnelian and ivory.
Ægypt
Modern day Egypt.
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