Eridu is known as the “cradle of human civilization,” where the first urban communities arose. It is an ancient city located in Al-Muthanna Governorate, whose construction dates back to five thousand years BC. It’s located in the far south of the Sumerian city cluster, which grew and expanded around the temples. Known as one of the oldest cities in ancient Mesopotamia and one of the oldest settlements in the region. Founded in 5400 BC, near the Arabian Gulf, close to the mouth of the Euphrates River, and due to the accumulation of silt on the coast over thousands of years, the remains of Eridu are now at a distance from the Gulf in “Abu Shahrayn”, south of Mesopotamia in present-day Dhi Qar Governorate. The city is also famous for the Temple of God Anu, which is the oldest known temple in the world. The word (Eridu) in the Sumerian language means a huge place. It was composed of mud-brick buildings built on top of each other. Many arts, sciences and crafts developed there. As the temples grew and the village grew outward, The city construction continued to expand. There is a common belief among archaeologists that Eridu was one of the first Sumerian cities.
