Mari, Syria

Mari

تل حريري (Arabic)
Ziggurat at Mari
Shown within Syria
Alternate name	Tell Hariri
Location	Abu Kamal, Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria
Region	Mesopotamia
Coordinates	34°32′58″N 40°53′24″E / 34.54944°N 40.89000°E / 34.54944; 40.89000Coordinates: 34°32′58″N 40°53′24″E / 34.54944°N 40.89000°E / 34.54944; 40.89000
Type	Settlement
Area	60 hectares (150 acres)
History
Founded	c. 2900 BC
Abandoned	3rd century BC
Periods	Bronze Age
Cultures	East-Semitic (Kish civilization), Amorite
Site notes
Archaeologists	André Parrot
Condition	Ruined
Ownership	Public
Public access	Yes

Second Mariote Kingdom
Mari
c. 2500 BC–c. 2290 BC
The second kingdom during the reign of Iblul-Il
Capital		Mari
Languages		Mariote dialect
Religion		Mesopotamian
Government		Monarchy
Historical era		Bronze Age
•	Established	c. 2500 BC
•	Disestablished	c. 2290 BC
Succeeded by Akkadian Empire
Today part of		Syria  Iraq

Third Mariote Kingdom
Mari
c. 2266 BC–c. 1761 BC
The third kingdom during the reign of Zimri-Lim c. 1764 BC
Capital		Mari
Languages		Akkadian, Amorite
Religion		Levantine Religion
Government		Monarchy
Historical era		Bronze Age
•	Established	c. 2266 BC
•	Disestablished	c. 1761 BC
Preceded by Succeeded by Akkadian Empire First Babylonian Dynasty
Today part of		Syria  Iraq

Mari (modern Tell Hariri), was an ancient Semitic city in Syria. Its remains constitute a tell located 11 kilometers north-west of Abu Kamal on the Euphrates river western bank, some 120 kilometers southeast of Deir ez-Zor. It flourished as a trade center and hegemonic state between 2900 BC and 1759 BC. As a purposely built city, the existence of Mari was related to its position in the middle of the Euphrates trade routes; this position made it an intermediary between Sumer in the south and the Levant in the west.

Mari was first abandoned in the middle of the 26th century BC but was rebuilt and became the capital of a hegemonic East-Semitic state before 2500 BC. This second Mari engaged in a long war with its rival Ebla, and is known for its strong affinity with the Sumerian culture. It was destroyed in the 23rd century BC by the Akkadians who allowed the city to be rebuilt and appointed a military governor bearing the title of Shakkanakku (military governor). The governors later became independent with the rapid disintegration of the Akkadian empire and rebuilt the city as a regional center in the middle Euphrates valley. The Shakkanakkus ruled Mari until the second half of the 19th century BC when the dynasty collapsed for unknown reasons. A short time after the Shakkanakku collapse, Mari became the capital of the Amorite Lim dynasty. The Amorite Mari was short lived as it was annexed by Babylonia in c. 1761 BC, but the city survived as a small settlement under the rule of the Babylonians and the Assyrians before being abandoned and forgotten during the Hellenistic period.

The Mariotes worshiped both Semitic and Sumerian deities and established their city as a center of old trade. However, although the pre-Amorite periods were characterized by heavy Sumerian cultural influence, Mari was not a city of Sumerian immigrants but rather a Semitic speaking nation that used a dialect similar to Eblaite. The Amorites were West-Semites who began to settle the area before the 21st century BC; by the Lim dynasty's era (c. 1830 BC), they became the dominant population in the Fertile Crescent.