The majestic Tigris River is where humanity first developed agriculture, writing, and the wheel. However, this river, once the lifeblood of the ancient world, now faces multiple threats.
The Tigris River: The Cradle of Civilization
The majestic Tigris River is where humanity first developed agriculture, writing, and the wheel. However, this river, once the lifeblood of the ancient world, now faces multiple threats.
Reaching the source of the Tigris River is a challenging journey. The dirt road leads to a narrow path along the rugged shoulder of a mountain. It gradually transforms into a narrow, perilous trail, winding around the hillside until it meets streams that create a rushing body of water flowing into a large tunnel. After about 1.5 kilometers in, another river appears, albeit less fierce.
The ancient Assyrians believed this was the meeting point between the material and spiritual worlds. Three thousand years ago, their armies traveled upstream to perform rituals and offer tributes to the gods. A relief of Tiglath-Pileser, the King of Assyria from 1114 to 1076 BC, still stands at the entrance of the tunnel. Despite the ravages of time, the relief remains imposing and solemn, pointing towards his vast empire.
The Tigris River originates in Turkey, flowing southeast out of the Taurus Mountains. It runs along the northeastern edge of Syria and passes through cities such as Mosul, Tikrit, and Samarra before reaching Iraq’s capital, Baghdad. In southern Iraq, the Tigris joins the Euphrates River near the Mesopotamian marshes and together they flow into the Persian Gulf.
The Tigris River originates in Turkey.
| About 8,000 years ago, humanity’s hunter-gatherer ancestors settled in the floodplain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Here, they began farming and raising livestock; hence, many refer to the area as “the cradle of civilization.” From the first cities like Eridu, Ur, and Uruk, humans made significant inventions such as the wheel and writing, followed by legal systems, sailing ships, beer brewing, love songs, and many other innovations. |
Due to the prolonged conflicts in modern Iraq, the Tigris River’s crucial role in shaping and safeguarding human history is often overlooked.
Diyarbakır is one of the major settlements along the Tigris River and is the largest Kurdish city in Turkey.
About 80 kilometers from the Tigris’s source in Eğil (Turkey) lies an ancient Assyrian castle. Over time, the fortress has been repaired and altered through civilizations such as the Greeks, Armenians, Byzantines, Romans, and Ottomans who settled along the riverbank. Further downstream in the city of Diyarbakır (Turkey) is a fortress that dates back to the Bronze Age. Today, this city serves as an unofficial capital for Kurds in Turkey. In its maze-like alleys, a courtyard of basalt shaded by mulberry trees is used as a resting place; sounds echo against the walls.
There, Feleknaz Aslan sits on a bench, her hand raised to her ear. She is a dengbêj, a storyteller through the songs of the Kurds; their ancestors passed down history and folklore for generations through this medium.
Aslan’s song tells the tragic love story along the banks of the Tigris River. Although women were the original creators of dengbêj, most contemporary singers are men. Dengbêj serves as a way to preserve their identity and culture, with the Tigris River being a common backdrop in their songs. The river plays a central role in the lives of the Kurds in the region, both in the past and present.
To the southeast of Diyarbakır, the Tigris River has carved a deep canyon through the Tur Abdin region of the Taurus Mountains. For centuries, this area has been the most central and important for the ancient Syrian Orthodox Church, originating in the early Christian era. Mor Evgin, a monastery from the 4th century, was built beside a cliff here as if held up by faith alone.
Inside, the plaster walls are adorned with inscriptions from some of the earliest Christians in the world, and complex Syriac writing remains on the walls. This place serves as a reminder of how the fertile lands surrounding the Tigris River played a vital role in the development and spread of the religions that trace their roots back to Abraham (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) throughout the world.
Accessing the Tigris River often presents numerous challenges. In Turkey, river traffic is complicated by a series of controversial dam projects. In Syria, the Tigris River serves as an international border. Only upon reaching Mosul, a city divided by the river, does movement become more comfortable.
Mosul is one of the oldest cities in the world.
During the period when ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) controlled the city of Mosul from 2014 to 2017, regulations prohibiting the use of the Tigris River were imposed. As a result, the ancient city of Mosul, located on the west bank of the river, was considered the last stronghold of ISIS. In the fighting, every bridge in Mosul crossing the river was destroyed, and some ISIS fighters jumped into the Tigris River to escape during the final battle.
Historically, the river has been a unifying and connecting element between the city and its people. However, during the ISIS period, the river became a focal point of conflict, witnessing the changing fates of the city and the challenges it faced.
The Arabic name for Mosul is Al-Mawsiil, meaning “the connecting point.” This may be because the city has served as a vital trade crossroads and a major center along the Tigris River, linking Diyarbakır and Basra.
Mosul was established in the 7th century BC, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. At its peak in the 12th century AD, Mosul held significant power and influence over the region and had a diverse population with various ethnicities and religions. The blend of cultures made Mosul a center of rich and diverse culture. While much of Mosul has been destroyed by ISIS, the resilient spirit of the ancient city remains.
“People think we have lost everything. But after all, there is still so much along the Tigris River that endures. And more than that, Iraqis always rebuild. We will never accept destruction.” Salman Khairalla, co-founder of the Tigris River Guardians Association. |
The grand al-Nouri Mosque, dating back to the 12th century in Mosul, is being rebuilt with substantial funding from UNESCO and the UAE. Alongside this is the ongoing revival of community culture in the city. Opposite the al-Nuri Mosque is Baytna, meaning “our home” in Arabic.
This space has been transformed from an old Ottoman house; young artists from Mosul use it as a multifunctional facility, serving as a museum, café, and event venue. “We don’t want people to forget what happened here. But we want to create job opportunities, and a place to support skilled individuals,” said Sara Salem Al-Dabbagh, one of the founders of the space.
The ancient gate leading to Ashur, the first capital of the Assyrian Empire.
The Tigris River leads to Ashur, the first capital of the Assyrian Empire, home to a 4,000-year-old ziggurat that rises above the river. Across the desert lies Nimrud, the capital of the ancient Assyrian empire, and the over 2,000-year-old city of Hatra. All three were devastated by ISIS, but a group of local archaeologists is striving to protect these sites, even with meager available resources.
Although it is a place known for war and hostility, hospitality remains ever-present here. Even during Ramadan (during this month, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset), hosts prepare tea during the fasting hours. Lavish meals often feature goat meat as the main dish, even in the most challenging villages.
In the village of Kifrij, the mayor shared the story of two young shepherds who risked their lives to help residents escape from ISIS-held areas across the Tigris River at night using only a tractor tire. Despite the recent violence, the kindness of the people remains steadfast, and they are willing to help strangers. Like the twists of the Tigris River, it weaves through these stories—serving as a boundary between life and death but also as a means to express acts of kindness.
The Mandaean people believe the Tigris River is sacred.
Mandaean is one of the smallest and perhaps the oldest religious ethnic groups in Iraq. The Mandaean perform regular baptism rituals as a way to nurture their spiritual connection and cleanse themselves of sin. These baptisms occur in flowing river water, and the Tigris River, one of the two rivers that originally helped their faith to flourish, remains home to many Mandaeans.
In the distance, a priest guides eight women in performing the ritual and reciting prayers in Mandaic, an ancient Aramaic dialect that this community uniquely preserves and still uses. “The water here is like that in the next universe,” the priest’s assistant said, suggesting that the sacred river water is as if it comes from a realm beyond the universe.
| “Iraqis always have hope. No matter what the previous generations did, we can change.” — Khairalla. |
While the Tigris River plays a crucial role for the Mandaean and many other communities, it is currently in danger. However, activists like Khairalla, an archaeologist in Ashur, and artists from Mosul who are reviving their culture remain steadfast in their commitment to protect the river, despite the challenges and threats it faces.
