ancient Kangals

The Babylonian clay plaque in the main photo is about 4000 years old. It was found in Sippar, Mesopotamia (modern day Babel Governance, IRAQ). The dog is massive, has a curly tail, hanging ears, loose skin around the neck and and a shortish and deep muzzle that looks powerful. And looks exactly like our Kangal dogs.

Today there are dogs that still look like this in Iraq . They are Kurdish PISHDAR dogs. What farmers say about their Pishdar dogs’ behaviour holds true for our Kangals’. 

Turkey borders Iraq, and it is said that tribes who moved there in ancient times from further down brought their dogs with them and that they were the Kangal dogs.

So it is likely that the Kangal and Pishdar dogs are basically the same dogs, and that they were the same dogs 4000 years ago.

Look at other ancient Mesopotamian art below and see what you think.