Mannaea (/məˈniːə/, sometimes written as Mannea; Akkadian: Mannai, Biblical Hebrew: Minni (מנּי)) was an ancient kingdom that flourished in northwestern Iran, primarily south and southeast of Lake Urmia, during the early first millennium BCE, roughly from the 10th to the 7th century BCE. It developed into a prominent regional power along the northeastern frontier of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, situated between major neighbors like Urartu and a constellation of smaller buffer states, such as Zikirta and Musasir. The capital of Mannaea was likely at Izirtu, near modern-day Saqqez.
Mannaea played a key role in the shifting alliances between the Assyrian and Urartian empires, acting alternately as ally and adversary. Archaeological and textual evidence points to a complex society with fortified cities, regional governors, and a tributary economy. Although its exact ethno-linguistic identity remains uncertain, Assyrian sources suggest the Mannaeans spoke an unidentified language. Some scholars link it to the Hurro-Urartian family, while others, based on recent genetic evidence from Hasanlu Tepe, propose ties to Armenian or a distinct non-Indo-Iranian language.
