Istanbul 2461

Istanbul #2461
"The Oldest Love Poem" (L.2461) on display at the Istanbul Museum of the Ancient Orient
Materialterracotta
Size10.7 x 6 x 3.1 cm[1]
WritingSumerian language in cuneiform script[1]
Created2037–2029 BC (long chronology)
1972–1964 BC (short chronology)
Discoveredlate 1880s
Nippur
Present locationIstanbul Museum of the Ancient Orient

Istanbul #2461 (also Ni 2461,[1] L.2461) is an ancient Sumerian cuneiform tablet. Some have labelled it the world's oldest love poem.[2][3] It is on display at the Istanbul Museum of the Ancient Orient (Mesopotamia Hall).[3]

It is an erotic poem addressed to king Shu-Sin (reigned 20th or 21st century BC) by an unnamed female speaker. It is thought that the poem may be connected to a "sacred marriage" between the king and a priestess of Inanna.

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference lost was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Oldest love poem – Guinness World Records.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference nyt06 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).