Akkad (city)
Akkad (/ˈækæd/; also spelt Accad, Akkade, a-ka₃-de₂ki or Agade, Akkadian: 𒀀𒂵𒉈𒆠 akkadê, also 𒌵𒆠 URIKI in Sumerian during the Ur III period) was the capital of the Akkadian Empire, which was the dominant political force in Mesopotamia during a period of about 150 years in the last third of the 3rd millennium BC.
[8][9] A number of fragments of royal statues of Manishtushu (c. 2270–2255 BC), second Akkadian ruler, all bear portions of a "standard inscription".
It mentions Agade[10]in this excerpt: "Man-istusu, king of the world: when he conquered Ansan and Sirihum, had ... ships cross the Lower Sea.
[11] The location "Dur(BAD₃)-DA-ga-de₃" (Fortress of Agade) was frequently mentioned in texts of the Ur III period, noting the indication of deification.
[13] It is known from textual sources that the late 19th century BC rulers of Eshnunna performed cultic activities at Akkad.
[14] Based on texts found at Mari, the Amorite king Shamshi-Adad (1808–1776 BC), in the final years of his reign, went to the cities of "Rapiqum and Akkad" (they having been captured earlier by his son Yasmah-Adad) as part of one of his military campaigns, in this case against Eshnunna.
[15][16] The prologue of the Laws of Hammurabi (circa 1750 BC) includes the phrase "the one who installs Ištar in the temple Eulmaš inside Akkade city".
[17][18] Centuries later, an old Babylonian text (purportedly a copy of an original Sargon of Akkad (2334–2279 BC) statue inscription) refers to ships being docked at the quay of Agade, i.e. "Sargon moo[red] the ships of Meluhha Magan, and Tilmun] a[t the quay of] Ag[ade].".
[21][22] Another Nabonidus period copy indicates Kurigalzu (unclear if first or second of that name) left an inscription at Akkade recording his fruitless search for the E.ul.mas (temple of Istar-Annunitum).
[26][27][28] In another letter he states: "Concerning the lunar éclipsé about which the king, my lord, wrote to me, it was observed in the cities of Akkad, Borsippa and Nippur.
[30][31] A slave sale document from the 13th year of the Neo-Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II (605–562 BC) it states: "Ibna son of Šum-ukin, of his own free will, sold Šahana and her three-year-old daughter Ša-Nana-bani to Šamaš-dannu son of Mušezib-Marduk descendant of the priest of the city of Akkad for one-half mina five shekels of silver, the price agreed upon.
..."[32]Cyrus the Great (c. 600–530 BC), after conquering Mesopotamia, wrote "... all of them (kings from the entire world) brought their heavy tribute and kissed my feet in Babylon.
[45] Based on an Old Babylonian period itinerary from Mari which places Akkade between the cities of Sippar (Sippar and Sippar-Amnanum) and Khafajah (Tutub) on a route to Eshnunna, Akkad would be on the Tigris just downstream of the current city of Baghdad, near the crossing of the Tigris and its tributary Diyala River.
[46] During the reign of Rîm-Anum, ruler of Uruk (c. 1800 BC) prisoners of war from Akkad were grouped with those of Eshnunna and Nērebtum.
[47] An Old Babylonian prisoner record from the time of Rīm-Anum of Uruk in the 18th century BC implies that Akkad is in the area of Eshnunna, in the Diyala Valley north-west of Sumer proper.
"[51][52] Tell Muhammad (possibly Diniktum) in the south-eastern suburbs of Baghdad near the confluence of the Diyala River with the Tigris, has been proposed as a candidate for the location of Akkad.
The site in question has been partially eroded away by the Tigris and is located between Samarra and the confluence of the Tigiris and ʿAdhaim rivers.
[59] Màr-Issâr (Mar-Istar), agent of the Neo-Assyrian ruler Esarhaddon in the city of Akkad, was having trouble getting reports to the king.
