What were the chief features of harappan civilization, and in what ways was it similar to the civilizations that arose in egypt and mesopotamia?

The Harapan civilization was said to have similar features in the cultural system of Mesopotamia and Egypt. These civilizations all started as villages beside the river valleys, which later grew as cities. It means that all of their civilization were geographically rooted.  

This was based on World History written by William J. Duiker andJackson J. Spielvogel