The Akkadian Empire was the first ancient Semitic empire of Mesopotamia, centered in the city of Akkad  and its surrounding region, also called Akkad in ancient Mesopotamia. The empire united all the indigenous Akkadian-speaking Semites and the Sumerian speakers for the first time under one rule. The Akkadian Empire controlled Mesopotamia, the Levant, and parts of Iran, sending military expeditions as far south as Oman.