Frequently cited as the "cradle of civilization," this region in Mesopotamia is "where it all began" for organized agriculture, written language, and urban living roughly 10,000 years ago.

The ancient site of Uruk (Warka) in southern Mesopotamia is recognized as the starting point of urbanism, housing up to 80,000 people by the fourth millennium BC.

The phrase is a popular title for albums and retrospective works that honor an artist's roots: