The River Flows Westward

This episode traces the origins of civilization from prehistoric Anatolia and Mesopotamia to the rise of the first cities and empires. Beginning at Göbeklitepe and Çatalhöyük, it explores how early humans moved from hunter-gatherer life to settled communities, agriculture, and organized society. The journey then follows the growth of Mesopotamian civilization through the Sumerians, Mari, and the Hittites, revealing how trade, religion, technology, writing, and political power shaped the foundations of the modern world. Framed as a story of ideas flowing from East to West, the episode presents the Middle East as the cradle of civilization and a crucial source of humanity’s shared cultural heritage.