The Euphrates (; Sumerian: : Buranuna, : Purattu, : al-Furāt, : Pǝrāt, : Yeprat, : Perat, , ) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia. Originating in eastern Turkey, the Euphrates flows through Syria and Iraq to join the Tigris in the Shatt al-Arab, which empties into the Persian Gulf.