Akkad

Akkad or the Akkadian Empire (Sumerian: Agade, Bible: Accad) is the oldest empire in history.^[1] It was located in Mesopotamia. The Akkadian empire reached its peak during the rule of Sargon of Akkad in the 24th and 22nd centuries BCE, and it eventually collapsed in 2154 BCE. The ruins have not been found, but it is believed to be on the River Euphrates. The empire comes after a long relationship with Sumer, and before the ethnic Akkadian empires of Babylonia and Assyria.

According to the Sumerian king list, Akkad (Agade) was built by Sargon of Akkad, 23th century BC, and is often called the first empire in history.^[2] Even so, it is known from older cuneiform writings that the city was already there before Sargon, in the time of the kings of Uruk. According to the Bible (Genesis 10:10), it was one of the cities started by Nimrod. Also, in the earliest records, when Mesopotamian kings started calling themselves "lord of the four quarters" around Sumer, these were listed as: Martu, Shubar, Elam, and Uri-ki.

As the capital city of the Akkadian Empire beginning with Sargon, the city ruled from around 2300 to 2215 BC, when it was destroyed by the Gutians who invaded from the mountains.

1. ↑ Johnson, Lauren (2017-12-21). "8 Oldest Empires in the World". Oldest.org. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
2. ↑ Liverani, Mario 1993. Akkad: the first world empire.