The last King of Sumerian: Lugalzagesi (reigned c. 2375–50 BC)

Lugalzagesi ruled many Sumerian city-states, and he took the royal title "king of the land (lugal kalam-ma)."

Lugalzagesi, prince of Umma who became king of Uruk, was the last independent Sumerian ruler before Sargon of Akkad conquered Sumer around the turn of the twenty‐fourth century BCE. Lugalzagesi was the first king to describe the territory or region, as opposed to separate cities, over which he could claim sovereignty in his royal inscription.

He first conquered the major cities of Lagash (c. 2375 BC) and Kish, then overcame the Sumerian cities of Ur and Uruk (he alone represents the 3rd dynasty of Uruk). After uniting all of Sumer, he extended his dominion to the Mediterranean coast.

The last king of the Early Dynastic Period prior to the rise of the Akkadian polity under Sargon (c. mid-24th century BC), Lugalzagesi was able to carve out his own place in history as a king who united Mesopotamia for approximately twenty-five years prior to the rise of Akkad. He hailed from the eternally embattled town of Umma and eventually established control of Sumer and Akkad for a short period of time, basing himself at Uruk.

He was defeated by Sargon of Agade. Sargon was praised by ancient scribes as one of the great kings and an epoch-maker in Mesopotamian history, namely, "the first king of World Empire". Sargon defeats Lugalzagesi and marches him to Nippur, Enlil’s city- This is an ultimate humiliation as Lugalzagesi’s patron god is Enlil.
The last King of Sumerian: Lugalzagesi (reigned c. 2375–50 BC)

Akkadian Empire

Between 2300 and 2200 BC, Akkadian culture spread as far as Anatolia and the Mediterranean Sea and east to Elam in present-day Iran and the Akkadian language becomes the lingua franca of the Middle East. 

Akkad (2334 -2190 BC) is the first world-empire in history. It unified the Mesopotamian city states under a single rule, with the combination of bow and infantry.

The area of the Fertile Crescent needed a storing ruler, and Sargon established the empire – Akkadian Empire.

The first emperor Sargon of Akkad remained the essential hero and a criterion of success for the upcoming emperors. Sargon, the founder of the Akkadian Empire, epitomized the successful king, beloved of the gods, becoming the role model for later dynasts.

Sargon of Akkad

Sargon created the largest empire the world had yet known, stretching from Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean and encompassing most of modern Iraq and Syria and over twice the size in population and land of contemporary Egypt.

Akkadian emperors Naram-Sin the grandson of Sargon used the title ‘king of the four quarters of the world’.

During the Akkadian period craftsmen advanced their skills in architecture and sculpture. The Akkadian kings standardized weights and measures and the script, made Akkadian the official language and probably introduced the practice of keeping a calendar by naming each year after a particular event.

Elegant Akkadian palaces stood as powerful fortress and featured large halls, bathing chambers, kitchens and private bedroom.

The Akkadians either rebuilt or expanded temples throughout their temples. The dominant feature of a temple complex was the ziggurat; a pyramid shaped stepped building with a flat top.
Akkadian Empire