Similarities between Sumerian and Turkic mythology

Abstract

The influence of Ancient Eastern civilization on world culture is indisputable. The historical Mesopotamian civilization, as an exemplary part of Ancient Eastern culture, is recognized as one of the earliest centers of civilization.
The ancient Mesopotamian culture emerged based on the achievements of the early agrarian and pastoral tribes of Southern Mesopotamia, particularly the Sumerians. This advanced civilization significantly influenced the cultures of many Near Eastern peoples, including the Akkadians, Assyrians, Hittites, Hurrians, Urartians, Elamites, Phoenicians, Arameans, Chaldeans, Jews, and others.
The Sumerians' achievements in architecture, art, literature, writing, and science not only shaped the Ancient East but also influenced the cultural life of Western countries, leaving a lasting legacy that has persisted to this day.
Investigating the influence of Sumerian literature on the ancient Turkic literary tradition, including Azerbaijani literature, and exploring their mutual relationships holds significant scholarly importance. Indeed, numerous literary works, educational texts, characters, and plotlines belonging to this ancient civilization were either partially assimilated or transformed by Semitic-speaking peoples such as the Akkadians, Arameans, Chaldeans, and ancient Jews. For instance, Sumerian myths—particularly those concerning the Great Flood, the concept of paradise, the afterlife, death, and resurrection—profoundly impacted the religious beliefs of Near Eastern peoples and contributed to the formation of Biblical mythology.
The influence of Sumerian literature also appears in ancient Greek literature. Later, with the spread of Christianity and Islam, Sumerian mythological motifs, plots, and characters (e.g., Utnapishtim from the Epic of Gilgamesh, Atrahasis among the Babylonians, Noah in the Bible, and Nuh in Azerbaijani folklore) became widely disseminated among world cultures. In other words, world literature owes much to Sumerian literature, which is regarded as the oldest known literary tradition and the source of many foundational cultural narratives.