The Hurrians are an ancient and mysterious people who lived on the territory of Mesopotamia about five thousand years ago. Until now, there is very little information about this civilization.
For her study, scientists had only one opportunity - to compare their language with the languages of other peoples and find something similar. As a result of the analysis of the language, it was determined that they belong to the linguistic group of the North Caucasian peoples.
This civilization had several kingdoms and the most ancient of them is the Mitanni. It was located at a strategically important point - a kind of junction of routes from southern Mesopotamia to the cities of Phenicia. The territory of this state reached the Mediterranean Sea.
Archaeologists believe the Mitanni warriors had excellent knowledge of the art of chariot fighting. Also, chariot warriors had a very high social status and belonged to the upper class of society.
It is quite possible that it was because of the chariots that the Hurrians managed to subjugate vast territories, from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea to the territory of modern Iran.
The researchers note that the inhabitants of Mittani were strong not only in military affairs, but also in everyday life - they had developed agriculture and cattle breeding. It was an ode to the first civilizations that began to use metals, which were abundant in the mountainous regions of Mesopotamia.
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The capital of this state was located near the Khabur River, in the city of Vashhukanni. Archaeologists still do not know the exact location of this ancient city, but there is an opinion that the city of Serekani (Syria) is currently located in its place.
Where did this people get this name - "Hurrians"? If translated into Russian, you get "people of the sun". It is far from the fact that they called themselves that, but the scientists had to designate them somehow.
And all because the sun was central to their culture. Some researchers suggest that it could be found on the arms of this country. As for the political life of Mitanni, almost nothing is known about it.
It can be assumed that this state conducted an aggressive foreign policy, seizing more and more new territories and taxing them. As a result, by about the 17th century BC, the Hurrians had firmly established themselves throughout the territory of modern Syria.
Unfortunately, they did not leave behind any historical documents - researchers had to study information from neighboring peoples in order to at least find out the names of the Hurrian rulers.
The most powerful king among them was Sausattar. The heyday of the state of Mitanni fell on the 15-14th century BC. At that moment, this state exerted a strong influence on its neighbors, including the Hittites.
Now archaeologists find ruins of their ancient buildings in these territories, but they are very poorly studied. But what archaeologists can say for sure is that this culture in architecture was characterized by massiveness and stockiness.
This can be observed in many of their buildings - palaces, fortresses, religious buildings. One of the largest architectural monuments of that culture is the palace in Tel Khalaf. It is believed that it was built at the beginning of the first millennium BC.
Where has this powerful state gone? Some researchers believe that it was destroyed as a result of a military conflict with the neighboring Hittite civilization, which eventually occupied all of its territories.
Perhaps the Assyrian neighbors also had a hand in this. All this led to the fact that the once powerful state disintegrated into many small parts.