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History of Iraq Timeline
(c. 3500 BCE – Present)The history of Iraq spans thousands of years, beginning with ancient Mesopotamia—often called the cradle of civilization—where Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians built some of humanity's earliest cities and empires. The region later came under Persian, Greek, Arab-Islamic, Ottoman, and British control before gaining independence in 1932. The 20th century saw coups, the rise of Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist regime, devastating wars with Iran and Kuwait, and international sanctions. The 2003 U.S.-led invasion toppled Hussein, leading to occupation, insurgency, sectarian conflict, the rise of ISIS, and ongoing efforts toward political stability. More Less
Ancient Mesopotamia
Sumerian civilization emerges in southern Mesopotamia
Jan 1, 3500 BC
The Sumerians established the world's first known civilization in southern Mesopotamia, building city-states such as Uruk, Ur, and Eridu. They invented cuneiform writing, developed irrigation agriculture, and created early legal and administrative systems, laying the foundations of urban civilization.
Image source: Sumer
Akkadian Empire unites Mesopotamia under Sargon
Jan 1, 2334 BC - Jan 1, 2154 BC
Sargon of Akkad conquered the Sumerian city-states and forged the first multi-ethnic empire in history, centered at Akkad. His dynasty ruled Mesopotamia for roughly two centuries, spreading the Akkadian language and imperial administration across the region.
Image source: Akkadian Empire
Hammurabi issues his famous code of law
Jan 1, 1754 BC
King Hammurabi of Babylon promulgated one of history's earliest and best-preserved written legal codes, inscribed on a stone stele. The code's 282 laws covered commerce, property, family, and criminal justice, famously embodying the principle of retributive justice.
Image source: Code of Hammurabi
Neo-Assyrian Empire reaches its height
Jan 1, 911 BC - Jan 1, 609 BC
From its capital cities of Ashur, Nimrud, and Nineveh, the Neo-Assyrian Empire became the largest empire the world had yet seen, dominating the Near East through a powerful army, advanced siege warfare, and an efficient provincial administration before collapsing in the late seventh century BC.
Image source: Neo-Assyrian Empire
Nebuchadnezzar II builds the Neo-Babylonian Empire
Jan 1, 605 BC - Jan 1, 562 BC
Under Nebuchadnezzar II, Babylon flourished as the greatest city of the ancient world. He defeated Egypt at Carchemish, destroyed Jerusalem, deported the Jews to Babylon, and commissioned monumental construction including the Ishtar Gate and the legendary Hanging Gardens.
Image source: Nebuchadnezzar II
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon
Oct 12, 539 BC
The Persian king Cyrus the Great captured Babylon with little resistance, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire and incorporating Mesopotamia into the Achaemenid Persian Empire. He allowed exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return home, earning a reputation for tolerance.
Image source: Fall of Babylon
Alexander the Great defeats the Persians and takes Babylon
Oct 1, 331 BC
After his decisive victory over Darius III at Gaugamela, Alexander the Great entered Babylon unopposed, bringing Mesopotamia into his vast Hellenistic empire. He died in Babylon in 323 BC, after which the region passed to his general Seleucus and the Seleucid dynasty.
Image source: Battle of Gaugamela
Islamic and Ottoman Era
Arab Muslim conquest of Mesopotamia
Jan 1, 633 - Jan 1, 651
Arab Muslim armies defeated the Sassanid Persians at battles such as Qadisiyyah (636) and Jalula, bringing Mesopotamia under Islamic rule. The region, later called Iraq, was rapidly Arabized and Islamized, becoming a heartland of the new Islamic civilization.
Image source: Muslim conquest of Persia
Baghdad founded as Abbasid capital
Jul 30, 762
Caliph Al-Mansur established Baghdad as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. The round city on the Tigris grew into the world's leading center of science, philosophy, medicine, and literature during the Islamic Golden Age, housing the famed House of Wisdom.
Image source: Baghdad
Mongols sack Baghdad and end the Abbasid Caliphate
Feb 13, 1258
Hulagu Khan's Mongol army stormed Baghdad, killing tens of thousands of inhabitants, destroying libraries and irrigation works, and executing the last Abbasid caliph. The sack devastated Iraq's economy and ended Baghdad's centuries-long role as the Islamic world's intellectual capital.
Image source: Siege of Baghdad (1258)
Key Facts
- Ancient Mesopotamia, located largely within modern Iraq, is widely regarded as the cradle of civilization, home to the Sumerians who invented cuneiform writing around 3200 BCE.
- Babylon, under King Hammurabi (c. 1754 BCE), produced one of history's earliest written legal codes, the Code of Hammurabi.
- Iraq became an independent kingdom in 1932 after British mandate rule following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in World War I.
- Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq from 1979 until 2003, during which Iraq fought a costly war with Iran (1980–1988) and invaded Kuwait in 1990, triggering the Gulf War.
- The 2003 U.S.-led invasion overthrew Saddam Hussein, leading to years of insurgency, sectarian violence, the rise of ISIS in 2014, and continued political challenges.
Source
This History of Iraq timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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