Anu

The Mesopotamian sky god, whose seat was at Uruk. Anu was part of the ruling triad with Bel (Enlil) and Ea (Enki). In the city of Uruk there was a series of seven superimposed temples dedicated to Anu. Anu was the god of kings and the yearly calendar, but he had only a small role in Mesopotamian mythology.

The Sumerian sky god, originally standing at the head of the pantheon, although he was later overtaken by Enlil and Marduk. He was particularly associated with the city of Uruk, where a series of seven superimposed temples were found in a sanctuary dedicated to Anu, but he was eventually overshadowed there by the city’s rival deity Inanna, goddess of love, whose Semitic name was Ishtar. Anu’s main attribute was royalty, and from him the institution of kingship descended to man.