The Euphrates River

West Asia · ancient history · rivers

A river with history. The Euphrates is the longest river in West Asia and flows through Turkey, Syria, and Iraq before emptying into the Persian Gulf. This river has been home to some of the world's earliest and greatest civilizations for thousands of years.

Mesopotamia's lifeline. Together with the Tigris River, the Euphrates forms Mesopotamia, the ancient region between two rivers where people invented writing, built great cities, and created the earliest known civilizations like Sumer and Babylon.

The river's journey. The Euphrates starts high in the mountains of Turkey and travels about 1,740 miles through the Middle East, finally joining the Tigris River to form the Shatt al-Arab waterway that flows into the Persian Gulf.

Water for millions. The Euphrates River has provided water for drinking, farming, and transportation for people living along its banks for over 10,000 years, making it one of the most important rivers in human history.