Girsu
The Sumerian city of the warrior god Ningirsu, where French excavators found the Gudea statues and tens of thousands of tablets.
- Location
- Between the Tigris and Euphrates, Dhi Qar, southeastern Iraq
- Modern name
- Telloh
- State
- Capital of the city-state of Lagash
- God
- Ningirsu, later identified with Ninurta; temple Eninnu
- Excavated by
- French expeditions 1877–1933; British Museum project since 2016
- Finds
- About 50,000 cuneiform texts; Stele of the Vultures; statues of Gudea
What is Girsu known for?
Girsu, today the mound of Telloh in southeastern Iraq, was a leading city of the Sumerian state of Lagash. Its god was Ningirsu, 'lord of Girsu', a warrior and farming god whose temple was called the Eninnu. Ningirsu was closely linked and eventually identified with Ninurta, the son of Enlil.
French excavations from 1877 were among the first to reveal Sumerian civilization itself. They produced about 50,000 tablets, the Stele of the Vultures of King Eannatum and many diorite statues of Gudea, the ruler who rebuilt the Eninnu around 2100 BCE after a dream. The British Museum has run new excavations there since 2016.
For this site, Girsu matters because the Ninurta myths, including the weapon Sharur, grew from the cult of Ningirsu in this city.
The city of Ningirsu, the god later merged with Ninurta, owner of the talking weapon Sharur.
Mentioned on these pages
- Rabbit holeNinurta
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, 'Lagash'Reference
- British Museum, 'The Girsu Project'Reference
- Wikipedia, 'Girsu'Reference
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