Ur-Nanshe facts for kids

This page is about the king of Lagash. For the Mariote singer with the same name, see Ornina.

Quick facts for kids Ur-Nanshe 𒌨𒀭𒀏
King of Lagash
Ur-Nanshe, seated, wearing flounced skirt. The text to the right of his head reads "Ur-Nanshe" (𒌨𒀭𒀏, UR-NAN). The text in front of him reads "Boats from the land of Dilmun carried the wood" (𒈣𒆳𒋫𒄘𒄑𒈬-𒅅, ma₂ dilmun kur-ta gu₂ giš mu-gal₂). Limestone, Early Dynastic III (2550–2500 BC). Found in Telloh (ancient city of Girsu). Louvre Museum.
Reign	c. 2550 BC – 2500 BC
Predecessor	Lugal-sha-engur
Successor	Akurgal
Spouse	Abda? Menbara-abzu
Issue	Akurgal, Lugal-ezem, Anekura, Mukur...ta, Anunpa, Menusu, Adatur
Dynasty	1st Dynasty of Lagash
Father	Gunidu

Ur-Nanshe (also called Ur-Nina) was the very first king of the First Dynasty of Lagash. This was an ancient city-state in Sumer, a region in ancient Mesopotamia. He ruled around 2500 BCE, which was a long, long time ago!

Ur-Nanshe is famous for many things. He ordered the building of many important structures, like canals and temples, in his kingdom of Lagash. He also worked hard to protect Lagash from its rival city, Umma. Even though he was a powerful king, he probably wasn't born into a royal family. His father, Gunidu, didn't have a royal title. Ur-Nanshe's son, Akurgal, became king after him. His grandson, Eanatum, continued his work. Eanatum even made Lagash bigger by defeating Umma, as shown on the famous Stele of the Vultures.

Building Projects and Temples
Inscriptions and Artworks
See also

Building Projects and Temples

Ur-Nanshe was a great builder. He built many temples for the gods and goddesses of Sumer. These included temples for Ningirsu in Girsu, and for Nanshe in Nina. He also built a temple called Apsubanda.

One important temple he built was the Ibgal of Inanna. This temple was later fixed up by his grandson Eanatum. The Ibgal of Inanna was located in the ancient city of Lagash, which is now called al-Hiba. It was surrounded by an oval wall and made of mud bricks. It's interesting because this temple was built on the edge of the city, not in the center like most temples in ancient Sumer.

Inscriptions and Artworks

Ur-Nanshe left behind many inscriptions and stone carvings. These artworks show him, his family, and people from his royal court. They help us learn about his life and what he did.

The Perforated Relief

This stone carving shows King Ur-Nanshe of Lagash with his sons and important people. It's made of limestone and is from around 2550–2500 BC. It was found in Telloh (ancient Girsu) and is now in the Louvre Museum.

Lagash

Location in Near East

One famous artwork is the Perforated Relief of King Ur-Nanshe. You can see it at the Louvre Museum in Paris. This relief shows the king as a builder of temples and canals. This means he was seen as someone who kept order and peace, given to him by the gods.

The relief is a flat piece of limestone with holes in it. It was probably part of a wall decoration. It has writing in Sumerian that says:

“Ur-Nanshe, king of Lagash, son of Gunidu, son of Gurmu, built the temple of Ningirsu, built Apsubanda, built the temple of Nanshe.”

The carving has two parts, one above the other. Both show Ur-Nanshe as king. In the top part, he wears a special wool skirt called a kaunakes. He carries a basket of bricks on his head, showing he is building. Around him are his wife and seven of his sons. Names are written on their clothes to identify them.

In the bottom part, Ur-Nanshe is at a big party. This party celebrates the building of the temple. He sits on a throne, wearing the same outfit. Other court members are around him. In both parts, Ur-Nanshe is shown much larger than everyone else. This is a way of showing how important he was.

A part of the writing on the relief says: “Boats from the (distant) land of Dilmun carried the wood (for him)”. This is the oldest known record of Dilmun. It also shows that goods were brought into Mesopotamia from far away lands.

The relief when it was first found.
Ur-Nanshe on the relief. He is shown carrying a basket for building a temple.
Writing in front of Ur-Nanshe: "The ships of Dilmun, from the foreign lands, brought him wood as a tribute."
Ur-Nanshe's son Akurgal on the relief.
Another similar relief of Ur-Nanshe at the Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul, Turkey.

Door Socket Inscription

This door socket has an inscription that says: "Ur-Nanshe, King of Lagash, son of Gunidu, the son of Gurmu..." and lists the temples he built. It's in the Louvre Museum.

Another important item is an inscribed door socket from Ur-Nanshe. It is also in the Louvre Museum. A door socket is a stone that a door pivot would rest in, allowing it to swing open and closed. The writing on it tells us more about his building projects:

"Ur-Nanshe, the king of Lagash, the son of Gunidu, the son of Gurmu, built the house of Ningirsu; built the house of Nanshe; built the house of Gatumdug; built the harem; built the house of Ninmar. The ships of Dilmun brought him wood as a tribute from foreign lands. He built the Ibgal; built the Kinir; built the scepter (?)-house."

The door socket of Ur-Nanshe when it was found.
This inscription on the door socket also mentions: "The ships of Dilmun, from the foreign lands, brought him (Ur-Nanshe) wood as a tribute."

The Plaque of Ur-Nanshe

This plaque shows Ur-Nanshe, King of Lagash, with his sons and a cup bearer. It is in the Louvre Museum.

The Plaque of Ur-Nanshe is another limestone carving at the Louvre Museum. It honors Ur-Nanshe. The figures on it, including the king and his court, stand stiffly with wide eyes. They are showing respect to the goddess Nanshe. They wear kaunakes and hold their hands together over their chests. Just like the Perforated Relief, the king is shown larger than others. The names of the people are written on them using cuneiform writing.

The inscription on this plaque says:

“Ur-Nanshe, king of Lagash, son of Gunidu, built the temple of Ningirsu”

The Plaque of Ur-Nanshe when it was discovered.
A close-up of Ur-Nanshe himself on the plaque.
Akurgal as a child on the limestone relief of Ur-Nanshe.

Other Inscriptions

Ur-Nanshe inscription

"Ur-Nanshe"
𒌨𒀭𒀏

King of
𒈗

"Lagash"
𒉢𒁓𒆷

A broken stone tablet with the writing "Ur-Nanshe/ King of/ Lagash/ son of Gunidu/ to Ningirsu..." (Louvre)

Many other inscriptions have been found that mention Ur-Nanshe. Some of these are lists of rulers of Lagash. Others are hymns, which are like songs or poems praising a god or goddess.

For example, a list of rulers says: “Ur-Nanše, the son of ......, who built the E-Sirara, her temple of happiness and Niĝin, her beloved city, acted for 1080 years. Ane-tum, the son of Ur-Nanše”

And a hymn to the goddess Nanshe says: “There is perfection in the presence of the lady. Lagaš thrives in abundance in the presence of Nanše. She chose the šennu in her holy heart and seated Ur-Nanše, the beloved lord of Lagaš, on the throne. She gave the lofty scepter to the shepherd.”

This tablet of Ur-Nanshe says: "Ur-Nanshe, King of Lagash, son of Gunidu, the son of Gurmu, built the house of Nanshe, fashioned (the statue of) Nanshe (...) Boats from the land of Dilmun carried the wood".
This tablet also mentions: "The ships of Dilmun, from the foreign lands, brought him (Ur-Nanshe) wood as a tribute."
A broken inscription from Ur-Nanshe. It's a special prayer to a reed and to Enki, before the building of the Girsu temple for the god Ningirsu.
A foundation peg with the goddess Shul-utul. It says: "Ur-Nanshe, King of Lagash, son of Gunidu, built the shrine Girsu."
"Akurgal king of Lagash, son of Ur-Nanshe" written on the Stele of the Vultures.
A stone carving from Ur-Nanshe showing the bird-god Anzû (or Im-dugud) as a lion-headed eagle.
A small statue used as a temple foundation. It says: "Ur-Nanshe, King of Lagash, has built the shrine of Girsu." It's in the British Museum.
A tall stone monument (stele) of Ur-Nanshe with the goddess Nisaba. It's from Lagash and is in the Iraq Museum.