What was the ancient Mesopotamian city of Eridu traditionally regarded as?

Eridu was traditionally regarded in Mesopotamian tradition as the first city.

Eridu was an ancient settlement in southern Mesopotamia, near the former shoreline of the Persian Gulf. Sumerian king-list tradition places it first among the cities of kingship, giving the city exceptional symbolic status. Archaeology also shows that Eridu was occupied very early, although the phrase “first city” depends on how urban settlement is defined.

The city’s chief temple was dedicated to Enki, the god associated with fresh water, wisdom, and crafts. Successive temple levels were built at the site, revealing a long religious history that began in the fifth millennium BCE.

Eridu is not necessarily the world’s first urban settlement in a modern archaeological sense. Nearby sites and changing definitions make absolute claims difficult. Its importance lies in the combination of early occupation, temple traditions, and its prominent place in Sumerian origin stories.