Ur is famous from its mention in the Bible as the home of the patriarch Abraham before he migrated to Canaan. It was famous prior to the biblical narratives as a great trade and cultural center. It is also famous in the modern era for the 1922 discovery of the Great Death Pit and the artifacts the graves contained.

The ruins of Ur, including its famous Great Ziggurat, are located in Tell el-Muqayyar, Iraq.

When and why was Ur abandoned?

Ur was abandoned in 450 BCE due to climate change, the silting of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and overuse of natural resources.

Ur Timeline

Definition

Ur was a city in the region of Sumer, southern Mesopotamia, and its ruins lie in what is modern-day Tell el-Muqayyar, Iraq. According to biblical tradition, the city is named after the man who founded the first settlement there, Ur, though this has been challenged. The city is famous for its biblical associations and as an ancient trade center.

More about: Ur

Timeline

c. 5000 BCE
Sumer inhabited by Ubaid people.
c. 4000 BCE
First settlement of Ur.
c. 2600 BCE - c. 2000 BCE
The Royal Graves of Ur used in Sumer.
c. 2330 BCE
Sargon of Akkad sacks Ur.
2100 BCE
Ziggurats in use in Sumerian cities of Eridu, Uruk, Ur, Nippur and elsewhere
c. 2100 BCE - c. 2050 BCE
The Code of Ur-Nammu (the oldest extant code of laws) is written.
c. 2055 BCE - 2047 BCE
Utu Hegal's reign over Sumerian and Akkadian cities.
2047 BCE - 1750 BCE
The Ur III Period in Sumer, known as the Sumerian Renaissance.
2047 BCE - 1750 BCE
Third dynasty of Ur.
2047 BCE - 2030 BCE
Ur-Nammu's reign over Sumer.
c. 2038 BCE
King Shulgi of Ur builds his great wall in Sumer.
2030 BCE - 1980 BCE
Ur was reputed to be the largest city in the world.
c. 1750 BCE
Elam conquers Ur.
1000 BCE
Chaldeans occupy Ur.
450 BCE
Ur is no longer inhabited, possibly due to drought or changing river patterns.