Akkad facts for kids
Akkad (also called Agade) was a very old city in Mesopotamia. It was the main city of the Akkadian Empire. We haven't found the city's ruins yet. But many people think it was located on the Euphrates River. The Akkadian Empire came after a long time of working with Sumer. It also came before the later empires of Babylonia and Assyria.
Many people believe that Sargon of Akkad built Akkad around 2300 BC. His empire is often called the first empire in history! But some old writings show that Akkad might have been there even before Sargon. It was around during the time of the kings of Uruk. The Bible also mentions Akkad as one of the cities started by Nimrod.
Akkad became the capital city of the Akkadian Empire with Sargon. The city ruled from about 2300 BC to 2215 BC. Then, invaders called the Gutians came from the mountains and destroyed it.
Sargon: The First Great Emperor
Sargon was a powerful ruler who conquered many lands. He built a huge empire that stretched far and wide. It reached all the way to the Mediterranean Sea and Anatolia. His rule also extended to Elam and as far south as Oman. Sargon ruled this vast area for 56 years!
Trade was very important during his time. Goods came from many places. Silver arrived from Anatolia, and lapis lazuli came from Afghanistan. Cedar wood was brought from Lebanon, and copper from Oman. Sargon brought many city-states in Sumer and Akkad together. This showed how strong Mesopotamia was becoming. The empire's main food source was the northern part of Mesopotamia. This area got plenty of rain for farming. Sargon even built a line of forts to protect the empire's wheat farms.
Sargon put up statues of himself along the Mediterranean Sea. These statues celebrated his victories. He also built new cities and palaces at home. He used the treasures taken from the lands he conquered. Sargon also took control of Elam and northern Mesopotamia. He stopped many rebellions in Sumer. We have even found old contract tablets from his campaigns. These tablets mention his fights against Canaan and against Sarlak, the king of Gutium.
The Akkadian Language
The Akkadian language was part of the Semitic languages group. During the Akkadian Empire, it became the official language in both Mesopotamia and Elam. Akkadian stayed an important language for talking between different countries for hundreds of years.
For a long time, the Sumerians and Akkadians lived closely together. They even spoke both languages. Over time, Akkadian slowly replaced Sumerian as the main spoken language in Mesopotamia. This happened around 2000 BC. But Sumerian was still used for religious ceremonies, literature, and science. It was used this way until about 1 AD!
Why the Empire Fell
The Akkadian Empire rose very quickly, and it also fell suddenly. We don't know much about the time after the empire collapsed. This period is called the Gutian period. From the fall of Akkad around 2083 BC until the Sumerian comeback around 2050 BC, many things are still a mystery.
Recently, some experts have suggested a reason for the empire's fall. They think that a big change in the climate might have caused it. The region became much drier, and there was less rainfall. This could have led to problems for farming and caused the empire to weaken. This climate change might have also affected the Old Kingdom in Ancient Egypt.
Images for kids
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Map of the Near East showing the size of the Akkadian Empire and where Akkad was located.
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Agade-ki ("Country of Akkad") on a cylinder seal of Shar-Kali-Sharri.
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The Bassetki Statue, found in Dohuk Governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan. It's from the time of Naram-Sin (around 2254–2218 BC) and mentions building a temple in Akkad.
