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By the 16th century, Baghdad had become part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, which ruled the region until its defeat in World War I. Iraq then passed to British control under a League of Nations mandate. In 1932, Iraq was granted independence under the leadership of the Hashemites (a ruling family from present-day Saudi Arabia) and became a constitutional monarchy.Modern Iraq occupies much of the same territory as the ancient region of Mesopotamia (Greek for “between the rivers”). Located in the Fertile Crescent, Mesopotamia gave rise to a succession of influential civilizations, including the Sumerians (who established the area's first cities around 3000 BC), the Babylonians, and the Assyrians.

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