The Akkadian Empire, the first known ancient empire of Mesopotamia, which succeeded the long-lived civilization of Sumer and united all the indigenous Akkadian speaking Semites and Sumerian speakers under one rule, was developed around the city of Akkad, which is believed to be located in the southernmost part of Mesopotamia, along the western bank of the Euphrates River, and possibly between the ancient cities of Sippar and Kish.

The ancient empire, founded or rejuvenated by the Semitic conqueror Sargon the Great in 2334 BC, and stretched from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea, was the first multi-national political entity in the world, setting the standard for the future forms of government in Mesopotamia. The northern limit of the empire was extended beyond the line of the modern cities of Al-Fallūjah and Baghdad, the early inhabitants of which were mostly the Akkadian language speaking Semitics, while the south of the region was stretched up to Sumer, the southeastern division of ancient Babylonia, which was inhabited by a non-Semitic people known as Sumerians. Originally, the Akkadians were people of Semitic heritage and the Akkadian language was already in vogue when Sargon supposedly founded Akkad, which in turn indicates that in all probability, Akkad was originally a Sumerian city and Sargon the Great actually rejuvenated the city instead of founding it.

However, the Akkadian Empire stabilised the region of Mesopotamia and apart from the development of art, literature, science, religion and agricultural advances, also developed the first postal system, delivering clay tablet messages in clay envelopes, which could not be opened except by the addressee, since the only way to open the clay cover was to break it.

Legend says, Sargon was the son of a humble gardener named La’ibum or Itti-Bel and a Hierodule, a slave woman living in a temple and dedicated to the service of Ishtar or Inanna, the ancient Mesopotamian goddess of war, love, sexuality, and thus, fertility, although later it was also claimed that his mother was an Entu, or the highest-ranking priestess. Nevertheless, Sargon started his career as a cup-bearer, an attender serving the drinks to king Ur-Zababa of Kish, and later displaced him to become the king, invaded Syria and Canaan on four different campaigns, conquering what he called the four corners of the universe to unite them with Mesopotamia into a single empire, secured access to all the major trade routes, by sea and by land, and maintained order in his empire through repeated military campaigns.

The stability of the empire led to the construction of roads, improved irrigation system, construction of a chain of fortresses to control the imperial wheat production, a wider sphere of influence in trade, as well as the developments in arts and sciences. During his rule, trade extended from the lapis lazuli mines in modern Afghanistan to the silver mines of Anatolia, the copper of Magan, in modern day Oman and UAE to cedars of Lebanon.

All through his long life, Sargon showed special deference to the Sumerian deities, particularly Inanna or Ishtar , his patroness, and Zababa, the warrior god of Kish. However, to keep a vigil eye throughout his empire, Sargon intelligently posted his best and most trusted men as the governors and administrators in more than 65 different cities, who were later termed as the Citizens of Akkad in a later Babylonian text. In addition to that, he engaged his daughter, Enheduanna, as the High Priestess of the goddess Inanna in the city of Ur, to control and manipulate the religious, as well as cultural affairs, through her. Interestingly, apart from seemingly proved to be a very accomplished and powerful priestess, Enheduanna is recognized today as the world's first poet who created impressive hymns to Inanna, and named an author of either gender.

Although Sargon had crushed opposition even in his old age, revolts broke out during the nine-year reign of his son, Rimush, who successfully fought to retain the empire, introduced mass slaughter and large scale destruction of the Sumerian city-states, until he was assassinated by some of his own courtiers. Rimush was succeeded by his brother Manishtusu, who crushed the widespread revolts across the empire, increased trade, undertook land reform, and also undertook great construction projects throughout the empire, which include the Ishtar Temple in Nineveh, considered a very impressive piece of architecture. Unfortunately, Manishtusu was also assassinated in a palace conspiracy, like his brother, and was succeeded by his son Naram-Sin, also known as Naram-Suen, who extended the boundaries of the empire, as well as trade. Like his grandfather, he claimed himself as the king of the four quarters of the universe, and for the first time in Sumerian culture, addressed himself as the god of Agade or Akkad, on equal footing with any in the Mesopotamian pantheon, in contrary to the common traditional and religious belief that kings were only representatives of the people towards the gods.

Naram-Sin was succeeded by his son, Shar-Kali-Sharri, who reigned from 2223-2198 BC, but seemed to lack the ability to maintain order and was unable to prevent further attacks on the empire. Although the invasion of the Gulians, the ancient nomadic people of the Zagros Mountains, on the border of modern Iran and Iraq, has been most commonly attributed to the collapse of the Akkadian Empire, it is also maintained that widespread famine due to climate change, and disruption in trade, weakened the empire so much that it became vulnerable against any type of invasion and rebellion. Following the death of Shar-Kali-Sharri, the last two kings of Akkad, Dudu and his son Shu-Turul, ruled 21 years and 15 years respectively, but they are rarely mentioned in connection with the Akkadian Empire, and ruled only the area around the city of Akkad. Ultimately, the Akkadian Empire collapsed around 2154 BC, leading to a Dark Age, which continued till the Third Dynasty of UR, created by a king called Ur-Namma. However, after the fall of the Akkadian Empire, the Akkadian people split into two major Akkadian speaking nations, Assyria in the north, and Babylonia in the south, while the first empire in the world, along with the city of Akkad, passed on into a memorable history and legend.