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Euphrates (river)
The Euphrates ( ; see below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (). Originating in Turkey, the Euphrates flows through Syria and Iraq to join the Tigris in the Shatt al-Arab, which empties into the Persian Gulf. The Euphrates is the fifteenth-longest river in Asia and the longest in Western Asia, at about , and has a drainage area of that covers six countries. Etymology The term ''Euphrates'' derives from the Greek ''Euphrátēs'' (), adapted from peo, 𐎢𐎳𐎼𐎠𐎬𐎢, translit=Ufrātu, itself from elx, 𒌑𒅁𒊏𒌅𒅖, translit=ú-ip-ra-tu-iš. The Elamite name is ultimately derived from a name spelt in cuneiform 𒌓𒄒𒉣 , which read as Sumerian is ''Buranuna'' and read as Akkadian is ''Purattu''; many cuneiform signs have a Sumerian pronunciation and an Akkadian pronunciation, taken from a Sumerian word and an Akkadi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birecik
Birecik; ku, Bêrecûk is a town and district of Şanlıurfa Province of Turkey, on the Euphrates. Built on a limestone cliff 400 ft. high on the left/east bank of the Euphrates, "at the upper part of a reach of that river, which runs nearly north-south, and just below a sharp bend in the stream, where it follows that course after coming from a long reach flowing more from the west". Etymology The historical name of the town, ''al-Bīra'' in Arabic and ''Bīreh'' in Syriac, derives from the Aramaic ''Bīrthā'', meaning fortress. It later evolved to ''Birecik'' with the addition of the Turkish diminutive suffix, ''cik''. It is called ''Belejik'' amongst the local population. Archaeology Birecik Dam Cemetery is an Early Bronze Age cemetery near Birecik. It was used extensively for about 500 years at the beginning of the third millennium BC. More than 300 graves were excavated here in 1997 and 1998. The site was discovered during the building of the Birecik Dam as part of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
