Geography > Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Background

The Tigris and Euphrates river system is the fundamental basis for the Fertile Crescent in the region of Mesopotamia. The rivers originate in the Taurus Mountains and flow all the way south to the Persian Gulf.

These rivers provided essential life bearing water that was required to start civilizations in the desert. The subsequent civilizations of Sumer, the Akkadian Empire, Assyria and Babylonia all mastered water and centered their culture around building canals and massive irrigation systems. Mastery of water meant larger agricultural yields and thus larger populations. Eventually the small cities and villages of the region grew into full scale cities with trade routes linking the rest of the world.