In Sumerian mythology, Dilmun is the paradise-like land associated with Enki and Ninhursag.
The myth Enki and Ninhursag presents Dilmun as a pure and initially unspoiled place. It is described as free from ordinary pollution, disease and predatory animals, although it lacks fresh water at first. Enki arranges for the waters needed to make the land fertile.
The story then follows Enki’s relationships with Ninhursag and several female deities, producing a complex sequence of births and divine conflicts. Ninhursag eventually curses Enki after he consumes plants connected with her creation.
Dilmun was not only a mythological paradise. Historically, Dilmun was also the name of a trading civilization centered in the Persian Gulf, especially Bahrain and nearby regions. Its real commercial importance likely helped give the name a prominent place in Mesopotamian imagination.