The Tigris River flows through Baghdad before joining the Euphrates in Iraq.
The Tigris rises in the Taurus Mountains of eastern Turkey and flows generally southeast through Iraq. Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, stands on its banks. Near Al-Qurnah in southern Iraq, the Tigris and Euphrates meet to form the Shatt al-Arab waterway, which continues toward the Persian Gulf.
Together, the Tigris and Euphrates define much of Mesopotamia, a region whose name means “between rivers.” Ancient civilizations including Sumer, Akkad, Babylon and Assyria depended on these rivers for irrigation, transport and settlement. Their floodplains helped support some of the earliest cities and writing systems.
The Tigris is shorter and generally faster-flowing than the Euphrates. Modern dams, irrigation, pollution and climate pressures affect both river systems. A common mix-up is placing Baghdad on the Euphrates alone; the city is specifically associated with the Tigris, while many historic sites lie along either river.