Uruk: The first great city that revolutionized civilization with its advanced knowledge.
Ancient cuneiform tablets discovered in Nineveh reveal remarkable tales of giants, enigmatic creatures, and mysterious flying ships. Among these accounts, the Epic of Gilgamesh stands as humanity’s oldest recorded legend. Gilgamesh, the ruler of Uruk approximately 5000 years ago, is recognized as both a historical figure and a mythical being of uncertain origins. Some inscriptions suggest he possessed vast knowledge and was considered a hybrid of divine and human descent.
Uruk, an early Mesopotamian metropolis on the banks of the Euphrates, became the nucleus of civilization. It flourished into an urban center with an economy and influence unmatched in its time. Archaeological excavations began in 1849 by William Loftus and continued in the early 20th century when German researchers uncovered the Ishtar Temple and the city’s defensive walls, which stood over 15 meters high and extended for more than 9 kilometers.
In the 1950s, Heinrich Lenzen unearthed clay tablets dating back to 3300 BC, confirming Uruk’s role as the first city to implement written communication in daily life. With an estimated population of 80,000, Uruk became not only the world’s earliest major city but also a dominant cultural and economic force. The city featured monumental ziggurats, temples, and palaces, reflecting its grandeur and strategic importance.
Some theorists speculate that Uruk’s extraordinary advancement may have stemmed from extraterrestrial influence. While conventional history attributes its prosperity to fertile lands and trade networks, alternative perspectives suggest a more mysterious force at play.