Ashurbanipal The last powerful king of Assyria, who ruled 668–c.627 BC. He is most famous for creating the world’s first library, in the city of Nineveh.

Assyrian civilization A civilization that developed in northern Mesopotamia in about 2300 BC. The Assyrians were traders and warriors with an empire that stretched across much of northern Mesopotamia. In 612 BC, the Assyrian capital, Nineveh, was destroyed by the Babylonians and the Assyrian Empire collapsed.

Babylon The capital city of the Babylonian civilization, founded in about 2500 BC. Babylon was a rich city, surrounded by massive walls with eight gateway entrances. The name Babylon meant “gateway of the gods”.

Babylonian civilization A civilization that emerged around 6000 years ago. The Babylonians were the first people to divide the day into 24 hours of 60 minutes and 60 seconds. Their astronomers believed the Earth was a flat disc suspended in space on a cushion of air. At its height, the Babylonian Empire controlled most of Mesopotamia.

Cuneiform A method of writing using symbols. It replaced an earlier, more complicated form of writing that used picture symbols. Cuneiform was invented by the Sumerians and adopted by the Assyrians, the Babylonians and the Persians. The word cuneiform is Greek for “wedge-shaped”, because of the wedge-shaped tool used to make the symbols.

Gilgamesh An epic poem about the hero-king Gilgamesh. It was found in the library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. It is the earliest known written story, thought to have been written in around 2000 BC.

Hammurabi King of Babylon from 1792 to 1750 BC. Babylon began to dominate Mesopotamia under his rule. Unlike other kings, Hammurabi did not regard himself as a god. He is most famous for the laws he created, which were the first ever to be written down.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon A terraced garden, ordered by King Nebuchadnezzar II. Water was pumped up from the river and ran down through the gardens. They were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. No trace of them remains today.

Hittite civilization A civilization centred on Anatolia, in present-day Turkey. At its peak, in about 1400 BC, the Hittite Empire covered much of northern Mesopotamia.

Ishtar Gate The northern entrance to Babylon, covered in glazed blue bricks with carvings of dragons and bulls. Built to honour the goddess of love and battle, the gateway, through which sacred processions would have passed, was 14 metres (45 feet) high.

Kassites A tribe from the mountains that ruled southern Mesopotamia from 1500 to 1155 BC. The Kassites were the longest ruling dynasty in Mesopotamia’s history.

Marduk The patron god of Babylon, often represented as a dragon. The Babylonians believed Marduk was the king of the gods. Nebuchadnezzar II built a ziggurat to honour him in Babylon.

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia means “between two rivers”, and refers to the stretch of land which lies between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now Iraq. The civilizations that developed there more than 6000 years ago are among the oldest known. The area was dominated by the Assyrian and Babylonian empires for several hundred years until it was later conquered by the Persian Empire.

Nabopolassar King of Babylon from 626 to 605 BC. He overthrew the Assyrians and declared Babylonian independence.

Nebuchadnezzar II King of Babylon from 605 to 562 BC and son of Nabopolassar. Nebuchadnezzar was a warlike king who fought the Egyptians and expanded the Babylonian Empire. He made Babylon more secure by building a new city wall.

Nineveh The ancient capital of Assyria and home to King Ashurbanipal’s famous library. Archaeologists have found nearly 22,000 clay tablets in the library at the palace of Nineveh. The tablets, covered in writing, have provided many details about Assyrian life, laws and history.

Sumerian civilization The first civilization to settle in Mesopotamia and the oldest known civilization in the world. The Sumerians settled across southern Mesopotamia in around 4500 BC, in an area called the Sumer. They invented writing and the wheel among many other things. They flourished until 200 BC, when they were invaded by desert tribes.

Sumuabum The first king of Babylon. He declared Babylonian independence from all other rulers and ruled Babylon from 1894 to 1881 BC.

Tower of Babel The most famous of Babylon’s ziggurats, probably built in the 6th century BC. According to the Bible, it was designed as a stairway leading to heaven.

Ur A Sumerian city in southern Mesopotamia. By 2100 BC, Ur was the most powerful city in the region.

Ziggurat A towering, stepped pyramid with a temple at the top. Ziggurats were first built by the Sumerians but later adopted by the Babylonians and Assyrians. They were believed to be stairways linking heaven and earth. The name ziggurat comes from the Assyrian word for “mountaintop”.

Consultant: Philip Parker