THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN THE FORMATION AND DEFINITION OF SUMERIAN IDENTITY

Abstract

Religion was a foundational pillar in constructing the identity of the Mesopotamian peoples, particularly the Sumerians, who were among the earliest nations to develop a complex religious system. This system continues to exert a significant influence on various aspects of life, including political, social, cultural, and artistic domains. Religion was an essential component of the Sumerian people's identity; they believed in a multitude of gods associated with natural phenomena and the cosmic order. Temples were established in the Sumerian city-states, serving not merely as centers of worship but as administrative, economic, educational, and cultural institutions. This structural dimension endowed religion with a formative role in shaping society. The Sumerians believed that the gods created humans to serve them, which led to the emergence of a rigorous system of worship, involving both kings and priests. Religious festivals, rituals, language, writing, and sacred myths and epics became important parts of the Sumerian religious and cultural identity. The king was regarded as a divine representative or as commissioned by the gods, which conferred religious legitimacy upon political authority and imparted a sacred character to the Sumerian identity. The temples (Ziggurat) were considered sacred places where worship and sacrifices were performed for their gods, deeply connecting these practices to their daily lives. The objective of this research is to present the crucial role of religion in the emergence and development of the Sumerian identity, which acquired an enduring characteristic in unifying the classes of society and legitimizing the authority of kings, who presented themselves as representatives of the god on earth. This strengthened the identity of the ancient Sumerian people of that era. Religious beliefs and temples were significant centers for social, economic, political, commercial, and cultural activities, forming an inseparable part of the cultural and political identity of the Sumerians. The primary question of this research is: How and in what ways is the Sumerian religion considered the main factor in the formation of the national and social identity of the Sumerian people?