Irridu (Irrite) was a city in northwestern Mesopotamia, likely located between
Harran
Harran is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey. Its area is 904 km2, and its population is 96,072 (2022). It is approximately southeast of Urfa and from the Syrian border crossing at Akçakale.
...
and
Carchemish. It flourished in the middle and late
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
before being destroyed by
Assyria
Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , ''māt Aššur'') was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization that existed as a city-state from the 21st century BC to the 14th century BC and eventually expanded into an empire from the 14th century BC t ...
.
History
Middle Bronze IIA
Yamhad Period
The city was first mentioned in a letter from the king of Carchemish to
Zimri-Lim
__NOTOC__
Zimri-Lim was in the Middle Bronze Age the king of Mari, Syria, Mari (c. 1767–1752 BCE; low chronology).
Background Family
Zimri-Lim (Akkadian language, Akkadian: ''Zi-im-ri Li-im'') was the son or grandson of king Yahdun-Lim of Ma ...
of
Mari. The letter suggested that Irridu had been a subject of Carchemish, and subsequently it came under the rule of
Yamhad.
In the late 18th century BC, Zitraddu, the governor of the city, rebelled against its overlord
Yarim-Lim. Consequently, Yarim-Lim's brother, the Great King
Abba-El I of Yamhad (c. 1750-1720 BC) quashed the rebels violently to the extent of destroying the city and he compensated his brother by giving him
Alalakh.
Late Bronze
Mitanni Empire
After the fall of
Aleppo
Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...
, the capital of Yamhad, to the Hittite king
Mursili I (c. 1590 BC), Irridu came under the control of
Mittani.
Hittite Empire
During the reign of
Šuppiluliuma I of Hatti (c. 1350 BC), under prince
Piyassili, occupied Irridu in their advance upon the Mittanian capital
Washukanni and after the Hittites retreated, it became a regional center for Mittani until it was conquered by
Adad-nirari I, king of Assyria.
Assyrian Empire
King
Wasashatta of Mittani rebelled against the Assyrians and sought the help of the Hittites, but received none.
Adad-nirari I attacked Mittani and conquered most of its cities. The royal family of Mittani escaped to Irridu but the Assyrians found them and deported them to Assyria.
Irridu and many cities in its area were set on fire, destroyed, and
sowed with salty plants.
See also
*
Hurrians
*
Yamhad
*
History of the Hittites
The Hittites () were an Anatolian Indo-European people who formed one of the first major civilizations of the Bronze Age in West Asia. Possibly originating from beyond the Black Sea, they settled in modern-day Turkey in the early 2nd millen ...
*
Mitanni
Mitanni (–1260 BC), earlier called Ḫabigalbat in old Babylonian texts, ; Hanigalbat or Hani-Rabbat in Assyrian records, or in Ancient Egypt, Egyptian texts, was a Hurrian language, Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria (region), Syria an ...
References
Citations
{{Syria topics
Populated places disestablished in the 2nd millennium BC
Ancient Syria
Hurrian cities
Lost ancient cities and towns
Razed cities