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The second kingdom of Mari

Mari
تل حريري (in Arabic)
MariZiggurat.jpg
Ziggurat at Mari
Mari lies in the east of Syria, close to the border with Iraq.
Mari lies in the east of Syria, close to the border with Iraq.
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 Empire akkad
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
Empire akkad Akkadian Empire
First Babylonian Dynasty Babylone 1
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.


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