In this first program in the Ancient Civilizations series, architecture professor Sheba Akhtar will talk about how Mesopotamia became known as the “Cradle of Civilization” through its religion, writing, cities, art, and architecture. Guests will learn about the emergence of agriculture in the “fertile crescent.” Discover how Ancient Persia was shaped by events such as the Babylonians’ destruction of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, the Persian Emperor Cyrus’s conquest of Babylon and reconstruction of the Jewish temple, and Alexander’s defeat of Persia and the burning of the Persian capital, Persepolis.