🇮🇶 Iraq · Ancient city
Nippur
Ubaid to Islamic · Sumerian → Akkadian → Babylonian → Kassite
Holy city of Sumer and Akkad, seat of Enlil (Lord Air) whose Ekur temple gave legitimacy to kingship — 'king without Nippur is no king'.
🇮🇶 Iraq · Ancient city
Assur
Early Dynastic to Neo-Assyrian to Parthian · Assyrian (Akkadian dialect)
First capital and holy city of Assyria (c.2600 BCE–614 BCE, 70 ha on Tigris bend) — temple of god Assur (Ashur) whose city and god name are one.
🇮🇶 Iraq · Ancient city
Lagash
Jemdet Nasr to Ur III / Old Babylonian · Sumerian
Sumerian city-state Lagash (Tell al-Hiba proper) and its religious capital Girsu (Tello, 25 km SE) — often conflated as Lagash-Girsu.
🇮🇶 Iraq · Tell
Tell Songor A (Hamrin)
Ubaid (5000–4000 BCE) · Ubaid
Ubaid (5000–4000 BCE) Ubaid tell at Diyala Governorate, Hamrin Basin – hamrin rescue ubaid houses with hassuna sherds (dims 0.9 ha Ubaid village).
🇮🇶 Iraq · Tell
Tell Madhhur (Hamrin)
Late Chalcolithic Uruk (3800–3100 BCE) · Uruk
Late Chalcolithic Uruk (3800–3100 BCE) Uruk tell at Diyala Governorate, Hamrin – type-site for uruk tripartite house (dims Mound 2 ha, tripartite house 20×8 m).
🇮🇶 Iraq · Pyramid
Tell al-Rimah — High Temple Mound (Qatara)
Old Babylonian to Middle Assyrian, c.2000–1350 BCE · Old Babylonian / Assyrian (Qatara/Karana)
Tell al-Rimah (ancient Qatara/Karana) high temple mound with Old Babylonian temple and casemate ziggurat-mimic platform (c.2000–1600 BCE).