Timeline: The History of Iraq

"You may not know it yet," states Iraqi author Joseph Braude, addressing a global audience, "But an essential Iraq, with its roots stretching back to the dawn of human civilization, has indelibly shaped your social reality. It bequeathed the bridges you drive on and the tunnels you drive through, the principles of law you adhere to, and many of the religious values and traditions that underlie your beliefs about God."

Middle East Fellowship has prepared a timeline of Iraq, tracing its ancient roots and tracking major developments up until the second Gulf war.Middle East Fellowship has prepared a timeline of Iraq, tracing its ancient roots and tracking major developments up until the second Gulf war.

"You may not know it yet," states Iraqi author Joseph Braude, addressing a global audience, "But an essential Iraq, with its roots stretching back to the dawn of human civilization, has indelibly shaped your social reality. It bequeathed the bridges you drive on and the tunnels you drive through, the principles of law you adhere to, and many of the religious values and traditions that underlie your beliefs about God."

The land of Iraq-or Mesopotamia-is the birthplace of many important societal developments, religious ideas, inventions and mathematical discoveries. It is the land where Abraham and Noah were born, men spoken of in both the Bible and the Qu''ran. It has also been speculated that Iraq, the "land between two rivers," is the historical location of the Garden of Eden. Though modern Iraqis have a complicated relationship with the history of their region, many look to the developments of past empires as a narrative of glory and achievement-part of the legacy of Iraq.