Euphrates Euphrates The Euphrates (; Sumerian: "Buranuna"; "Purattu"; "al-Furāt"; "Pǝrāt"; : "Yeprat"; "Perat"; ; ) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (the "Land between the Rivers"). Originating in eastern Turkey, the Euphrates flows through Syria and Iraq to join the Tigris in the Shatt al-Arab, which empties into the Persian Gulf. The Ancient Greek form "Euphrátēs" (, as if from Greek εὖ "good" and ϕράζω "I announce or declare") was adapted from Old Persian 𐎢𐎳𐎼𐎠𐎬𐎢 "Ufrātu", itself from Elamite
Khabur (Euphrates) it the "Aborrhas" (Ἀβόρρας), and Isidore of Charax called it the "Aburas" (Ἀβούρας). It was described as a large river of Mesopotamia which rose in Mons Masius, about from Nisibis, and flowed into the Euphrates at Circesium (Kerkesiah). Procopius speaks of it as a river of importance, and Ammianus states that Julian the Apostate crossed it “per navalem Aborae pontem.” Strabo describes it as near the town of Anthemusia. The river is fed by several smaller streams, the names of which are mentioned in the later classical writers. These are, the Scirtus (Procop. "de Aedif." 2.7), the Cordes (Procop. "de