20 Facts About Mari Syria

Mari Syria was first abandoned in the middle of the 26th century BC but was rebuilt and became the capital of a hegemonic East Semitic state before 2500 BC.

The Amorite Mari lasted only a short time before it was destroyed by Babylonia in c 1761 BC, but it survived as a small settlement under the rule of the Babylonians and the Assyrians before being abandoned and forgotten during the Hellenistic period.

Mari Syria had a central mound, but no temple or palace has been unearthed there.

King Igrish-Halam of Ebla had to pay tribute to Iblul-Il of Mari Syria, who is mentioned in the letter, conquering many of Ebla's cities and campaigning in the Burman region.

Mari Syria defeated Ebla's ally Nagar in year seven of the Eblaite vizier Ibrium's term, causing the blockage of trade routes between Ebla and southern Mesopotamia via upper Mesopotamia.

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Ishqi-Mari Syria was probably the last king of Mari Syria before the conquests by the Akkadian Empire.

Mari Syria gave to him (Sargon) the Upper Land: Mari, Iarmuti, and Ebla, as far as the Cedar Forest and the Silver Mountains".

Mari Syria was deserted for two generations before being restored by the Akkadian king Manishtushu.

Third Mari Syria followed the second city in terms of general structure, phase P0 of the old royal palace was replaced by a new palace for the Shakkanakku.

Akkad disintegrated during Shar-Kali-Sharri's reign, and Mari Syria gained its independence, but the use of the Shakkanakku title continued during the following Third Dynasty of Ur period.

Yaggid-Lim was the ruler of Suprum before establishing himself in Mari Syria, he entered an alliance with Ila-kabkabu of Ekallatum, but the relations between the two monarchs changed to an open war.

Mari Syria then expanded west and claimed to have reached the Mediterranean, however he later had to face a rebellion by the Banu-Yamina nomads who were centered at Tuttul, and the rebels were supported by Yamhad's king Sumu-Epuh, whose interests were threatened by the recently established alliance between Yahdun-Lim and Eshnunna.

However, by an act of mercy Hammurabi allowed Mari Syria to survive as a small village under Babylonian administration.

However, by that time, Mari Syria was known to be located in the so-called Land of Laqe, making it unlikely that the Usur family actually controlled it, and suggesting that the title was employed out of historical reasons.

Gelb relates Mari Syria's foundation with the Kish civilization, which was a cultural entity of East Semitic speaking populations, that stretched from the center of Mesopotamia to Ebla in the western Levant.

The pastoral Amorites in Mari Syria were called the Haneans, a term that indicate nomads in general, those Haneans were split into the Banu-Yamina and Banu-Simaal (sons of the left), with the ruling house belonging to the Banu-Simaal branch.

Mari Syria was an absolute monarchy, with the king controlling every aspect of the administration, helped by the scribes who played the role of administrators.

Ebla was an important trading partner and rival, Mari Syria's position made it an important trading center astride the road linking the Levant and Mesopotamia.

Amorite Mari Syria maintained the older aspects of the economy, still largely based on irrigated agriculture along the Euphrates valley.

Mari Syria was classified by the archaeologists as the "most westerly outpost of Sumerian culture".