"Mesopotamia, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in modern day Iraq, is often referred to as the cradle of civilization because it is the first place where complex urban centers grew. The history of Mesopotamia, however, is inextricably tied to the greater region, which is comprised of the modern nations of Iran, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, the Gulf states and Turkey: the Near or Middle East. "
"Mesopotamia, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in modern day Iraq, is often referred to as the cradle of civilization because it is the first place where complex urban centers grew. The history of Mesopotamia, however, is inextricably tied to the greater region, which is comprised of the modern nations of Iran, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, the Gulf states and Turkey: the Near or Middle East. "