ABSTRACT
The ancient civilisations of Mesopotamia, Persia and Assyria were located in what we now know as the Middle East. Mesopotamia, referred to as the “cradle of civilisation”, had a complex and turbulent history. The period lasted from about 4500 bc and key historical events include the invasion of Egypt by the Assyrians in 672 bc and the destruction of Ninevah in 609 bc. Babylon was conquered by the Persians in 539 bc and the Persian Empire witnessed a period of palace building, the most important being at Susa and Persepolis. The country remained under the rule of Persia until 333 bc when Alexander the Great took it as a possession of Hellenic Greece (Fletcher, 1928).
