Epic of Gilgamesh — Tablet XI — Return to Uruk

The festival opened last May with works by the artists JoBeR and Monsieur Poes who, inspired by Mesopotamian mythology, have been spreading murals depicting The Epic of Gilgamesh around the world.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest known literary works, first passed down orally and later inscribed in cuneiform on twelve clay tablets 5,000 years ago. It recounts the adventures of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, and his companion Enkidu, who brave dangers and defy the gods in a futile quest for immortality.

The story explores universal themes of friendship, death, and the human condition in the face of mortality’s limits. Symbolically, Gilgamesh represents civilized humanity, while Enkidu embodies the wild forces of nature; their meeting marks the alliance between culture and nature. This Mesopotamian epic teaches us that true immortality lies in the deeds we accomplish and the bonds we forge with others, beyond civilizations and borders.

Here, in Tablet XI, Gilgamesh returns alone to Uruk, transformed by loss and hardship. He gazes upon the city walls, finally recognizing that human greatness resides not in immortality, but in the works we leave behind and the memory that endures after us.

-International School Vauban-