Tura-Dagan (, ''Tu-ra-
Dda-gan''; died 2050 BC) was a ruler of the city of
Mari, northern
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...
during the Ur III period. He was son of
Apil-Kin
Apil-kin ( ''a-pil-gin6''; died 2091 BC), was a ruler of the city of Mari, Syria, Mari, northern Mesopotamia, after the fall of Akkadian Empire, Akkad c. 2127-2091 BCE. He was a son of Ishgum-Addu, and ruled 35 years, according to the ''Shakkanak ...
, and brother of
Ili-Ishar.
He held the title of
Shakkanakku (military governor), which was borne by all the princes of a dynasty who reigned at
Mari in the late third millennium and early second millennium BC. These kings were the descendants of the military governors appointed by the kings of
Akkad. He was contemporary of the
Third Dynasty of Ur
The Third Dynasty of Ur or Ur III was a Sumerian dynasty based in the city of Ur in the 22nd and 21st centuries BC ( middle chronology). For a short period they were the preeminent power in Mesopotamia and their realm is sometimes referred to by ...
, and probably their vassal.
Family
He was the son of
Iddi-Ilum, and younger brother of
Ili-Ishar. His sister Tatum-Urum had married
Shulgi
Shulgi ( dšul-gi,(died c. 2046 BC) formerly read as Dungi) of Ur was the second king of the Third Dynasty of Ur. He reigned for 48 years, from (Middle Chronology). His accomplishments include the completion of construction of the Great ...
of Ur III.
He had a son, who succeeded him, named
Puzur-Ishtar.
Attestations
Inscriptions
The
Museum of the Ancient Orient has a statue of Tura-Dagan, but it is headless and the inscription is heavily damaged. Tura-Dagan is also known from various seals and dynastic lists.
A statue of Puzur-Ishtar is known from the
Royal Palace of Mari, now in the
Museum of the Ancient Orient in
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
, with an inscription on the hem of the statue’s skirt mentioning his father Tura-Dagan.
[Gates, Henriette-Marie. "The Palace of Zimri-Lim at Mari." ''The Biblical Archaeologist'' 47 (June.,1984): 70-87.][Gates, "The Palace of Zimri-Lim at Mari," 70-87.]
The inscription on the hem of the statue reads:
File:Puzur-Ishtar statue cuneiform inscription.jpg, Puzur-Ishtar statue inscription (hem)[For transcript and translation: ]
File:Tura-Dagan Shakkanakku Mari-ki.jpg,
References
{{Istanbul Archaeology Museums
21st-century BC monarchs
Kings of Mari
3rd-millennium BC births
21st-century BC deaths