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Mari

Mari was the world's sixth largest city in 2000 BCE1 when it was the capital of a shakkanakhudom2. In 1800 BCE, it was the world's third largest city3, and capital of a lugalate. It was destroyed in 1759 BCE (short chronology) by Hamuurabi but persisted, at least sporadically, into the Seleucid period.4 Its ruins are called Tell Hiriri.

External References

Ruins of Mari

Historical maps

map showing the the city state of Mari, 2000 BCE

map showing part of the Lugalate of Shamsi-Addad, 1800 BCE

map showing perhaps part of the Assur Lugalate, 1600 BCE

map showing part of Mitanni, 1360 BCE

map showing part of the Assur Lugalate, 1200 BCE

map showing part of the Assur Lugalate, 1000 BCE

map showing perhaps part of the Assur Lugalate, 800 BCE

map showing part of the Assur Lugalate, 650 BCE

map showing part of the Persian Malkate, 430 BCE

Footnotes

1. Tables of the World's Largest Cities, "2000 B.C." table, in Tertius Chandler, Four Thousand Years of Urban Growth, 2nd ed. (The Edwin Mellen Press, 1987). The fifth largest city had an estimated population of 25 thousand.
2. Georges Roux, Ancient Iraq (Penguin Books, 3rd ed., 1992). See page 188: the title meant military governor, a relic of its previous subordination to Akkad. Cf. page 170.
3. Chandler, op. cit., "1800 B.C." table. The sixth largest city had an estimated population of 25 thousand.
4. Roux, op. cit., pg. 416. See also pg. 274 (conquest in the 13th century B.C.E.).