description Nanna Overview
Nanna (also called Suen and later Sin in Akkadian tradition) was the Mesopotamian moon god, worshipped from at least the third millennium BCE through the first millennium BCE. He was the son of Enlil, the chief god of the Sumerian pantheon, and father of the sun god Utu and the love goddess Inanna. His primary cult center was the city of Ur, where the massive ziggurat Ekišnugal, reconstructed in part during the Third Dynasty of Ur, served as his principal sanctuary. Nanna's iconography commonly featured the crescent moon, and he was associated with cattle and fertility.
help Nanna FAQ
Why does the Mesopotamian moon god have the names Nanna, Suen, and Sin?
Nanna is the best-known Sumerian name, while Suen was another early form that developed into Akkadian Sin. The names refer to the same major lunar deity across changing languages and periods of Mesopotamian history.
What was Nanna's relationship to Inanna and Utu?
In Sumerian tradition, Nanna and his consort Ningal were the parents of the sun god Utu and the goddess Inanna. This made the moon, sun, and Venus-associated deity part of one prominent divine family.
Why was the city of Ur so important to Nanna's worship?
Ur was Nanna's principal cult center, and its great ziggurat supported the temple complex known as E-gishnugal. The Ziggurat of Ur was built under the Third Dynasty of Ur, especially King Ur-Nammu and his successor Shulgi.
How was Nanna represented in Mesopotamian art?
His most recognizable symbol was the crescent moon, sometimes shown resting on a standard or associated with a horned divine crown. The bull was another important image because its horns resemble a lunar crescent.
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