Unit 3- Mesopotamia f i n a L-1

8/10/2019 Unit 3- Mesopotamia f i n a L-1

1/66

1

Ar. Febina D

measi


2/66


3/66

3GEOGRAPHY

The Fertile Crescentis the region in theMiddle East which curves, like a quarter-moon

shape, from the Persian Gulf, through modern-

day southern Iraq, Syria, Lebanon,

Jordan, Israeland northern Egypt

FERTILE CRESENT

NORTHEAST- ZARGOS MOUNTAINS

SOUTH-semi-circle, with the open side toward

the

WEST END AT THE SOUTH -east corner ofthe Mediterranean,

CENTRE-directly north of Arabia

EAST-north end of the Persian Gulf.


4/66

4

THE WEST ASIATIC CIVILIZATION IS LOCATED IN THE FERTILE LANDS OF 2 RIVERSTIGRIS

EUPHRATES

MESO-BETWEEN POTAMIS- RIVERS

MESOPOTAMIA CONSIST OF 2 PARTS:

AKKAD

SUMER

CLIMATIC FACTORS:EXTREME HOT SUMMERS AND COLD WINTERSLESS OF RAINFALL EXCEPT IN NORTHERS DISTRICTS

REFLECTED IN ARCHITECTURE TO PROTECT FROM HEAT IN THE FORM OF

COLUMNED HALLS AND PORTICOES

HIGH PLATFORM, DADOES (LOWER PART IS DECORATED WITH A DIFFERENT MATERIAL FROM THE UPPER PART)

PROVIDED IN ALL BUILDINGS TO PROTECT FROM FLOODS IN THE TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES DUE TO THE MELTING OF SNOW

IN THE ARMENIAN MOUNTAINS IN SUMMER

HARNESSED RIVERS IN THEIR COURSES WITH USE OF CANALS

BUILDINGS OF ALL TYPES:

ARRANGED AROUND LARGE AND SMALL COURTNARROW ROOMS

THICK WALLS.

CLIMATIC FACTORS


5/66

5GEOGRAPHY

MESOPOTMIA MEANS - THE LAND BETWEEN 2 RIVERS


6/66

6What did egyptians Mesopotamian society have incommon?

They both have large riversystems,Nile river runs

through Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea is in the north

part of Egypt, the Euphrates and Tigris rivers run

through Mesopotamia. They also have flooding and hot,sunny climate. They have their own alphabet, Egyptians

used Hieroglyphics and the Mesopotamian s used

Cuneiform.


7/66

7URBANIZATION OF THE FERTILE CRESENT

Known as the Cradle/birthplace of Civilization, humans settle in these regions and domesticate plants and animals.

domesticationfarming and grazinglure increasingly greater human and animal

migrationto these spaces.

rise to the social and political economic formations that characterize the ancient urban

spaces and states of Mesopotamia.

These elements are tied to the growth of commerce and broader cultural interaction.

The structures of these civilizationsthese empires, states, citiesdid not stop the

interaction and the flow of goods, people, and ideas.

IT resulted in the earliest formations of what has been called theAfro-Eurasian Old

World the interaction between the Indus, Mesopotamian, and Nile river systems.

agriculture, urbanization, writing, trade, science, history and organized religion


8/66

8

first populated c.10,000 BCE

9,000 BCE the cultivation of wild grains and cereals was wide-spread

5000 BCE, irrigationof agricultural crops was fully developed

4500 BCE the cultivation of wool-bearing sheep was practiced widely

The first cities -Eridu, followed by Uruk

From 3400 BC - the priests were responsible for the distribution of food and the

careful monitoring of surplus for trade.

2300 BCE, soapwas produced from tallow and ashand was in wide use as personal

hygiene .

human beings created as help-mates to the gods and so should make themselves

presentable in the performance of their duties

Sargon of Akkad(Sargon the Great) ruled over the first multi-

cultural empire in Mesopotamia, allowing for the growth of great building projects, art

works and religious literature

2000 BCE,Babylon controlled the Fertile Crescent and the region saw advances in law

literature ,religion ,science and math.

URBANIZATION OF THE FERTILE CRESENT


9/66


1900-1400 BCE trade with Europe, Egypt, Phoeniciaand the Indian sub-continent ,resulting in the spread of literacy, culture and religion to these regions.

600 BCE the Assyrians controlled the Fertile Crescent

580, the Neo-Babylonian Chaldean Empire under Nebuchadnezzar IIruled the

region.

Alexander the Greatinvaded the area in 334 BCE, it was ruled by the Parthians,

Romein 116 CE After the short-lived Romanannexation and occupation, the region was conquered

by the Sassanid Persians

finally, by the Arabian Muslims in the 7th century CE.


10/66


grew up beside the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers had long been disseminated throughout the ancient world but the cities themselves

were mostly in ruins through the destruction caused by the many military conquests

in the region as well as natural causes such as earthquakes and fire.

Rampant urbanization and the over-use of the land also resulted in the decline and

eventual abandonment of the cities of the Fertile Crescent.

The city of Eridu, considered to be the first city on earth, built and inhabited by the gods, had been abandoned since 600 BCE, Uruk.


11/66

11Evolution of city states

Ancient Mesopotamia - Contributions to Technology

One of the most important contributions to technology achieved by the sumerians was the ability

to control the tigris and euphrates rivers.

The sumerians learned to build levees.

They were no longer dependent on the yearly floods and had a stable year-round food supply.

This resulted in the first civilization because people didn't have to be nomadic.

It also resulted the first basic forms of government called city-states. Each city-state consisted of a temple and public buildingsat its center.

There were social classes such as merchants, farmers, politicians, and priests. Each city-state

governed itself.

wars between neighboring city-states was common.


12/66


With the development of a city-state and government came the firstmajor architectural structure called aziggurat.

One of the other most important technological contributions made by

the sumerians was the first system of writing.

These city-stateswere independent of one another and were fully

self-reliant centers,

each surrounding a templethat was dedicated to god or goddessspecific to that city-state.

Each city-state was governed by a priest king

Sumerian language as a form of communication,

battlES for control over water supplies and the fertile land.

A typical Sumerian city was well fortified with thick tall walls, which

the king was responsible for maintaining.

ZIGGURAT

CUNIFORM


13/66


14/66


Farmers, Artisans, and traders begangathering in specific areas in the villages in

order to buy and sell their products.

The farming villages turned into small

centers of trade and later grew into Cities,

as more people began settling there.

In Mesopotamia, each town and city was

believed to be protected by its own, uniquedeity or god.

The temple, as the center of worship, was

also the center of every city.

The Mesopotamians believed that these

pyramid temples connected heaven and

earth.

THEY ALSO BELIEVE THAT everything

that occurs is preplanned by the gods


15/66


Sumerian CULTURE. the most important aspect of Sumerian culture was the innovation of the

Sumerian system of writing.

The Sumerians writing system is called Cuneiform, or, "wedge shaped"

writing.

The roots of Sumerian writing come from financial transactions.

To keep track of financial transactions, the ancient Sumerians used little

clay figurines, representing a certain amount of a commodity, such as sheep

or corn. They would group say, five sheep tokens with three corn tokens in a

ball of clay to represent a transaction.

On the outside of the ball of clay they would impress the tokens in the clay

to make an imprint, making the contents of the ball (transaction) known.


16/66

16civilization

First civilization were the sumerians.Lived in political units called CITY STATES.

The sumerians were polytheistic, they

believed in many God and Goddesses.

Gods and Goddesses were closely tied to

nature.

Zigguratslarge pyramid like temples in

which people could climb steps to reach a

shrine at the top

Keeping Gods happy was important to the

city states.


17/66

17Government and social structure

Each city state had a ruler who held political power and was chief servant to the Gods.

SOCIETY IN ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA WAS PATRIARCHAL-MALE DOMINATION.BASIC STRUCTURE OF MESOPOTAMIA-

FREE PEOPLE

SLAVES

PRIEST AND KINGS WERE THE HIGHEST RANK PEOPLE IN MESOPOTAMIAN SOCIETY.

MIDDLE CLASS-WARRIORS AND TRADESMEN, EDUCATED BUREAUCRATS.

LOW CLASS- PEASANTS, FARMERS , ETC.,

SOCIAL STRUCTURE:

1. RULING FAMILY

2. GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, PRIESTS

3. MERCHANTS, ARTISANS

4. PEASANTS


18/66

18CONTRIBUTION

BUILT THE FIRST WHEELED VEHICLES

DEVELOPED IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND CANALS

EXPLORED MATHEMATICS, ESPECIALLY ALGEBRA AND

GEOMETRY

Invented the system of writing.


19/66

19ECONOMY

ECONOMY WAS BASED ONAGRICULTURE AND FARMING AGRICULTURAL PROSPERITY ENABLED THEM TO DEVELOP CRAFTSWORK AND

TRADE.

THEY TRADED NATURAL RESOURCES LIKE JEWEL AND PRECIOUS STONES, AND ALOS

POTTERY, SLAVES, ARTWORK

TRADE LED TO THE INVENTION OF MONEY.

money

trade

craftwork

Irrigated agriculture

Stock farming


20/66

20religion

RELIGION DOMINATED LIFE

SUMER

GODS OF TRIADS

SHAMASH-SUN GOD

NANNA-MOON GOS ASOCIATED WITH HURICANES

ISHTAR- GODDESS OF PASSION

ALSO WORSHIPPED HEROES AND DEMONS

HORNED DRAGONS- SYMBOL OF WARRIOR GOD MARDUK

BULLS- SYMBOL OF ADAD- GOD OF THUNDEREAGLE- ANZUBIRD- FAVOURITE GENIE OF UR

GODS THOUGHT TO RESIDE IN THE HOLY MOUNTAINS OR ZIGGURATS

HENCE TEMPLES WERE BUILT FOR THEM ON ELEVATED PLATFORMS KNOWN AS ZIGGURATS

(HOLY MOUNTAINS)

THE SHRINE WAS AT THE TOP WITH A HUGE FLIGHT OF APPROACH STEPS

EACH CITY HAD ATLEAST ONE ZIGGURAT (TOTALLY 30 ZIGGURATS WERE PRESENT)

ASSYRIAN GODS:ANU- SKY GOD

ANLIL- EARTH GOD

EANNA- WATER GOD

ASHUR- NATIONAL DEITY

BABYLONIAN Gods:

Marduk- warrior earth god


21/66

21religion

Mesopotamian religious practices varied through time anddistance, it was basically characterized by polytheism.

Gods represented places and powers in ancient

mesopotamia.

Priests were an important part of the mesopotamian social

structure. Temples could be found anywhere in the city.

There were hundreds of thousands of deities.

Each god had priests, temples and followers.

The primary god of mesopotamians who was the

god of heavens. Mesopotamian religion was not

only polytheistic, but also henotheistic, where

certain gods are viewed superior to others.

Later period that the mesopotamians began

ranking the deities in order of importance. They saw gods as high masters who were to be

obeyed and feared.


22/66

22ziggurats

A ziggurat was a temple standing ona base, similar to the early Egyptian

pyramids. Ziggurats were constructed

of bricks made from dried mud.

Priests were the only ones allowed

inside the holy ziggurats.

This made the priests an uppermember in social standing.


23/66

23LITREATURE AND WRITING

The earliest language written in Mesopotamiawas Sumerian

Akkadiancame to be the dominant language

during the Akkadian Empire and the Assyrian

empires

cuneiform script was invented for the Sumerian

language. Cuneiform literally means "wedge-

shaped", FORMED BY PRESSING A PEN LIKEINSTRUMENT CALLEDSTYLUS, WITH TRIANGULARTIP INTO SOFT CLAY TABLETS.

The standardized form of each cuneiform sign

appears to have been developed from

pictograms.

Writing was developed because the city-states needed a way to keep records, DOCUMENTS AND LITRARYWORKS. The sumerians developed a writing system called cuneiform writing. Cuneiform means wedge

shaped. It was called this because cuneiform writing was made up of many pie shapes that represented

individual words. Clay tablets were used and then left to dry in the sun to become permanent records


24/66

24LITREATURE AND WRITING

CUNIFORM SCRIPT..1ST- PICTOGRAPHIC: each symbol was a picture that represented a word which was

quiet similar to it.

2nd- IDEOLOGY: the symbols and their combination represented concepts. Eg: man +

crown = king.

3rd- phonetics: each symbol corresponded to a sound or syllable.


25/66

25law

The first code of laws that we have any records of are those of a Sumerian king of Ur known

as Ur-nammawho ruled from 2112 BCE to 2095 BCE. (By the way, historians no longer useBC and AD to denote years. The usage is now BCE for Before the Current Era andCE for Current Era.) Ur-Namma forthrightly declared the reason for his laws:

In other words, the purpose of the laws was to protect the weak from the powerful.

Here are some of the laws in his code: 1. If a man commits a homicide, they shall kill that man.

2. If a man acts lawlessly, they shall kill him.3, If a man detains another, that man shall be imprisoned and he shall weigh and deliver 15 shekels of

silver.6. If a man violates the rights of another and deflowers the virgin wife of a young man, they shall kill thatmale.7. There is also a group of laws that impose fines for the following crimes of violence:cutting off the foot: 60 shekelsshatters a bone: 60 shekelscuts off the nose: 40 shekelsknocks out a tooth: 2 shekels8. If a slave woman curses someone acting with the authority of her mistress, they shall scour her mouthwith one sila of salt.

If a man rent a boat to a sailor, and the sailor is careless, and the boat is wrecked or goes aground, the sailor shall give theowner of the boat a new boat as compensation.

If a builder build a house for someone and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built fall in and kill itsowner, then that builder shall be put to death


26/66

26Architectural achievements

Materials used: adobe bricksInvented- the arch , the dome(cupola)

important buildings:

Palaces

Ziggurats: temples in the shape of a terraced pyramid with successively smaller

levels, the last one was a sanctuary


27/66

27BUILDING MATERIALS

MAIN BUILDIBNG MATERIALS:

CLAY BRICKS-BRICKS MADE OF CLAY

SUN DRIED FOR ORDINARY WORK

KILN DRIED FOR SUPERIOR WORK

BRICKS WERE LAID IN LIME MORTAR, BITUMIN, STONE AND TIMBER SCARCE

COLOURED GLAZED TILES WERE USED FOR DECORATIVE PURPOSES.

ALABASTERA WHITE TRANSPARENT FORM OF MINERAL GYPSUM OFTEN CARVED

INTO ORNAMENTAL WORKS

WOOD AND SILVER FROM ANATOLIA ND LEVANT

GOLD AND INCENSE FORM ARABIA

WOOL USED BY WOMEN

LINEN WOVEN AND USED BY THE RICH

TIN AND LAPIS LAZULI(A BRIGHT BLUE ROCK FROM THE HILLS OF IRAN ANDCAUCASUS)


28/66

28Mesopotamian architecture-sumerian culture

City of UR- SUMERIAN CULTURE

FOUND ON THE EUPHRATES RIVER

THE FAMOUS MESOPOTAMIAN KING UR NAMU HAS ERECTED THE HOLY ZIGGURAT- HOLY MOUNTAIN

COSTUMES: IT WAS SIMPLE

KINGS WORE SHEEPSKIN, BARE WAIST UP

ROYAL WOMEN WORE ELABORATE HAIR DRESSES.

TEMPLE COMPLEX:

CONTAINS STORE HOUSES AND WORKSHOP

A NO. OF MUD BRICK VAULTS TO POCCESS VALUABLES LIKE GOLD AND SILVER.

ROYAL TOMBS THROW LIGHT ON MASS SACRIFICE WAS CARRIED OUT.

ENTIRE CITY WAS SURROUNDED BY CANAL WHICH ACTS AS MOAT.CHARACTERISTIC FEATURE:

STREETS WERE NARROW

HOUSES SINGLE STORIED

CENTRAL COURTYARD

RICH HOUSES WERE DOUBLE STORIED

UPPER CLASS OF SCRIBES FORMED THE TOP ADMINISTRATIORS HEADED BY THE KING

CITY OF UR HAD TRADE LINKS WITH ARABIA, INDUS VALLEY

IMPORTANT WAREHOUSING CENTRE

UNDER 3RDDYNASTY UR NAMMU ACHIEVED HIGhEST GLORY.DECLINE:

THE EUPHRATES SUDDENLY CHANGED ITS COURSE AND STARTED RUNNING 14KM EAST OF THE CIY.

CANALS DRIED

LOST SHIPPING TRADE

LOST ITS VALUE


29/66

29dressing


30/66


31/66

31Evolution of ziggurats

The question of the origins and function of the ziggurat is still a matter of controversy among the

specialists. the raised structure served the practical aim of protection against floods, or whether the platforms

served primarily as a place for the deities with a shrine,

a place to house the god or goddess,

located on the top and, therefore, it served as a way of contact and communication with

the celestial gods.

What seems to be certain is that its form, after a more or less extended period of development,

was consolidated in Ur, and disseminated afterwards in the Mesopotamian area across time andacross cultures.

The idea that the form of the ziggurat evolved from the ritual destruction and reconstruction of

existing structures which served as foundations for new constructions that were, in this

manner, systematically and progressively raised higher and higher, has been proposed (based

also on examples from Neolithic practices, Meso-American cultures and also Egypt. As well as

different interpretations of its symbolic meaning.


32/66

32

The ziggurat is a kind of artificial mountain emerging in the Mesopotamian flatlands.It was part of an architectural complex that may have included also,

among other structures, temples and other public buildings, different civic and commercial spaces,

etc.

Access to the ziggurat was probably restricted and controlled as a space for the performance of

specific rituals under the direction of priests.

In its architectural form, size, technological aspects, labor force organization and employment,the ziggurat embodied and expressed the unified and unifying power of new social-historical

structures.

It expressed the profound identity of worldly and sacred powers,

the unity of religion and politics which characterized the ideology proper to the initial forms of the

State that emerged as functional specialization,

and related social stratification processes and structures developed and were consolidated in the city-

states of Mesopotamia: from more or less humble beginnings to its culmination and diffusion inthe pioneer civilization of the Sumerians.

Evolution of ziggurats


33/66

33

The Sumerians, as we know, established the early cultural matrix, including writing and literature,

architecture and the arts, religion, political forms and ideologies, etc pointing the way to many of

the essential future developments in the region. The ziggurat and White Temple at Uruk (ca. 3200-

3000 BCE) and the partially reconstructed large ziggurat of Ur ( ca 2100 BCE) are two examples of

the accomplishments of the Sumerians in architecture.

A famous ziggurat in the Ancient World was the monumentalEtemenanki ("temple of the foundation

of heaven and earth") dedicated to the god Marduk in Babylon in the 6th century BCE, the period ofthe Neo-Babylonian dynasty. It is associated with the biblical narrative of the Tower of Babel



34/66

34

Ziggurat of Ur (ca 2100 BCE), Tell Muqqayar,

Iraq

Reconstruction of Ur-Nammu's ziggurat

Ruins of White Temple at Uruk, Iraq

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Yg3lYRZvzTo/TTyQMChoc7I/AAAAAAAAA_4/057P13n21HQ/s1600/zigguratUr.jpghttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Yg3lYRZvzTo/TTzvorHUiXI/AAAAAAAABAA/_lvczRlGe3g/s1600/Etemenanki_drawing.gifhttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Yg3lYRZvzTo/TTyWK3fS8JI/AAAAAAAAA_8/e6N_CN-j87Q/s1600/uruk_whitetempleW.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Yg3lYRZvzTo/TTzy-cuvS2I/AAAAAAAABAE/ZcOQQB2G0f4/s1600/Ziggurat_of_ur.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Yg3lYRZvzTo/TTyQMChoc7I/AAAAAAAAA_4/057P13n21HQ/s1600/zigguratUr.jpg


35/66


36/66

36ZIGGURATS OF URNAMU

DETAILS:

62m x 43m at the base21m high

The Temple was at the summit

Oriented to the cardinal points

Had a solid core of Mud Brick

Covered with a skin of burnt brickwork 2.4m thk.

Laid in bitumen

With layers of matting at intervals toimprove cohesion

COURT OFNANNAR

PRECINCT


37/66

37ZIGGURATS OF URNAMU

DETAILS

Sides were convex

Giving an added effect of mass

Broad shallow corner Buttresses

Approached by 3 flights of steps leading to the

Entrance Gateway for the 1stplatform,

2 flights of steps to the 2ndplatform

1 flight of steps to the 3rdplatform with the Temples

Weeper holes through the brickwork allowed for

Drainage and slow drying out of the interiors

Trees were planted on stages of Ziggurat as the

sacred mountain & required watering


38/66

38MESOPOTAMIAN ARCHITECTURE

At the top stood the Temple of Nanna where

sacred ceremonies took place annually

There was a huge courtyard around the base surrounded by

Shrines for Cult worship

Temple had courtyards surrounded by a no. of rooms for

Animal sacrifice

Cooking

Workshop

Storeroom for grain, Oil, fruits, cattle

MAUSOLEUM OF KINGS OF POWERFUL III DYNASTY OF UR

Close to the Ziggurat Precinct at Ur

Rooms were

Corbel vaulted in kiln fired bricks

Approached by long flight of steps

The floors were raised to avoid flood water

No proof the kings were buried in the city


39/66

p

39Private houseur sumer

Atrium type

Living quarters grouped around an open court

Over hanging II floor balcony supported on palm logs

Walls up to 2ndfloorkiln fired

Abovemud bricks

Faade plain & not decorated

The lower floor had

Kitchen, servants quarters, guest rooms

Water privy under stairway

The higher floor

Duplicated layout belowOccupied by owners


40/66

40ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTURE (1859539 BC)

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

2ndmillennium, Old Assyrian, Middle Assyrian Periods

Polychrome ornamental bricks

High plinths , dadoes

Stone slabs used on edge

Carved with low relief work

Introduced in the reign of ASHURNASIRPAL II( 883-859BC)TEMPLES with and without Ziggurats

Late Assyrian Period(911-612 BC)

Palaces were numerous and important

Emphasis on the central role of monarchy

Brick barrel vaulting revealed from excavations


41/66

41CITY OF KHORSABAD (722705BC)

Built by SARGON II and abandoned

At his death

Square planned

Defensive perimeter

Covered nearly 1 sq. mile but not

Totally occupied by buildings

There were 2 gateways in eachSerrated wall

Except in the NW wall housing the

Citadel enclosure

Comprised of

Palace for the kings brother

Temple to NABUOfficial buildings

Palace of Sargon


42/66

42Palace of khorsabad

COMPLEX OF:Large & small courts

Corridors

Rooms

Totally covering 23 acres

Each building raised on a Terrace

The Palace Terrace reached the

level of the town walls

Approached by broad rampsMain entrance to the Palace Grand Court

Flanked by great towers

Guarded by winged bulls3.8m high

Supporting a semi circular arch decorated with

brilliantly coloured glazed bricks

Had 3 main parts each abutting

the ground courtLeftgroup of 3 large & 3 small Temples

Rightservice quarters & administrative offices

OppositePrivate, Residential apartment with State Chambers behind


43/66



44/66



45/66



46/66

46

State Chambers

Had own court as large as the first one

Around this were dado slabs over

2.1m high

Bearing relief of the

king and his courtiers

Throne roomLofty 49m x 10.7m

Outermost of the suite that was planned around its own internal court

Had a flat timber ceilingalthough timber was expensive

Plastered walls bore a painted decoration of triple band of friezes

Framed in running ornamentation about 5.5m high overall, around the room

Above a stone dado or reliefs

Grand & Temple Court

Decoration by sunken vertical paneling on the whitewashed walls

Towers finished in stepped battlements above ,

Stone plinth belowplain or carved

Palace of khorsabad


47/66

47

DrainageWithin the mud brick platforms of the palace

Jointed terracotta drains to carry away rain water

Joining of larger drains of burnt brick covered with

vaults which were slightly pointed

The brick course was laid obliquely to avoid wood centering

Temples

At the foot of the faade of the 3 chief temples wereHigh plinths projecting from the wall

Plinths faced with polychrome bricks portraying sacred motifs

Served as pedestals for high cedar masts

The wall behind paneled with a series of half columnsimitation of palm

logs

Palace of khorsabad


48/66

48

ZigguratOnly zig. Of the city is associated with the palace temples as at Nimrud

Not with the large Nabu temple nearby

Square base 45m

7 tiered

Rose to a ht. Of 45m including the shrine at the top

Ascended by a winding ramp 1.8m wide

Successive tiers were paneled and battlements on top were painted

In different colours on plastered surfaces

Structural

Peculiarmud bricks not left to dry in the sun

Laid in a pliable state with mortar rarely used

Indicates sense of urgency

Kiln fired bricks used lavishly for facings and pavements

Stone blocks upto 23 tons 2.7m long used for the palace platformCedar, cypress, juniper, maple- palace roofs and painted beams

Perimeter wall of city 20m thick using dressed stone

Footing of 1.1m and mud brick superstructure

Palace of khorsabad


49/66

49CITY OF ASHUR ( 1250-1210 BC)

ANCIENT RELIGIOUS AND NATIONAL CENTER

Administrative capital

Built on a high rocky crop above the Tigris

Strong defensive wall

An outer wall added in the 9thc. BC

Built along the Tigris river for 3km.

The first shrine in the city dedicated to Ishtar (early dynastic period)

The Ziggurat temple of Ashur restored by Tukulti-NinurtaI (1250-1210BC)

Double temple of Anu & Adad had twin Ziggurats

2 temples without Ziggurats2 palaces

One for administrative purposes

OTHER EGS.

CITY OF NIMRUDASHURNASIRPAL II (833-859BC)

CITY OF NINEVAHSENNACHERIB (SARGONS SON 705-681BC)


50/66

50CITY OF ASHUR ( 1250-1210 BC)


51/66

51

Persia was the mountainous plateau to the east of the lower Tigris-Euphrates Valley.The Persian empire was larger than the Babylonian and Assyrian empires, extending eastward to

India and reaching westward to Greece.

Its capitals were Persepolis and Susa.As a world empire it lasted 200 years

PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE ( 538-331 BC )


52/66

52

The Persian Kings were:

Cyrus (538-529 B.C.)Conquered Babylon andallowed the Jews to return.

Cambyses (529-522 B.C.) Stopped work on the

Temple.

Darius I (521-485 B.C.) Authorized completion of the

Temple.

Xerxes (Ahasuerus) (485-465 B.C.) Esther was his

Queen.

Artaxerxes I(465-425 B.C.) Authorized Nehemiah torebuild Jerusalem.

Xerxes II (424 B.C.)

Darius II(423-405 B.C.)

Artaxerxes II (405-358 B.C.)

Artaxerxes III(358-338 B.C.)

Arses (338-335)

Darius III(335-331 B.C.) He was defeated by

Alexander the Great (331 B.C.) at the famous battle of

Arbela, near Nineveh. This was the fall of Persia and

the rise of Greece.

PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE ( 538-331 BC )


53/66

53

Started by king Darius I

Mostly executed by XerxesI

Finished by ArtaXerxes I

Various buildings stood on a

Platform

Partly built up

Partly excavated

Faced in well laid local stone

Bound with iron clamps

460m x 275m in extentRising 15m above the plain

At the base of the rocky spur

Approach:

On the NW

A magnificent flightof steps 6.1m wide

shallow enough for horses to ascend

Palace of persepolis


54/66

54Palace of persepolis

The original main entrance, with a large double

staircase leading to the terrace, seen from the

south

GATEHOUSE

Built by XerxesHad mud brickwalls

Faced with polychrome bricks

Front and rear portals guarded by

stone bulls

The southern faade of the palace


55/66

55Palace of persepolis

APADANA

Led by a doorway on the southGrand audience hall

76.2m square

Had 36 columns

Walls 200 thick

Stood on its own terrace 100 high

Began by Darius

Completed by 2 of his successors

Had 3 porticoesDouble colonnades

stairways on N & NE

minor rooms in S

towers in 4 angles

Arranged in 3 tiers of

Relief sep. by a band of

RossettesNobles, courtiers,

Guardsmen in a procession

As relief work

Deep jambs


56/66

56

PALACE OF DARIUS

Small in comparisonLay immediately south of the Apadana

Near the west terrace wall



57/66

57

TRIPYLON

Terraced

Lay centrally among buildings

Acted as a reception chamber

And a guard room

For the more private quarters

Of the Palace grounds



58/66

58

THE TREASURY

Built by DariusSE angle of site

Double walled

Administrative and store house

building

Had collumned halls of different sizes

Only a single doorway

BUILDING OF DARIUS

Arranged in the loose fashion of earlier times

Xerxes added his building in between



59/66

59

PALACE OF XERXES

Built near SW cornerConnected with the Harem

An L shaped womens quarter

Court formed by L shaped harem & Tripylon

Court enclosed south of Tripylon

Xerxes' Palace, almost twice as large as that of

Darius, shows very similar decorative features on its

stone doorframes and windows, except for two large

Xerxes inscriptionson the eastern and western

doorways.Instead of showing the king's combat with

monsters, these doorways depict servants with

ibexes.Unfortunately, all the reliefs in this palace are far less

well preserved than those of the Palace of Darius.

http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/PA/IRAN/PAAI/IMAGES/PER/PX/3F7_72dpi.html


60/66

60

HALL OF HUNDRED COLUMNS / THRONE HALL

Commenced by Xerxes

Finished by Artaxerxes

68.6m square(2250)

Columns 11.3m high

supporting a flat cedar roof

Walls were double except on the N

N-a portico

faced a forecourt

had its own gatehouseseparated from the Apadana

by a wall

Had 2 doorways

7 windows on the entrance wall

Matched on the other 3 sides except that

niches replaced windows

All framed in stone surrounds in 3.4m thick

brick wall



61/66

61

RELIEF AT JAMB

HALL OF 100 COLUMNS RUINS

http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/PA/IRAN/PAAI/IMAGES/PER/TH/2E4_72dpi.htmlhttp://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/PA/IRAN/PAAI/IMAGES/PER/TH/2F6_72dpi.htmlhttp://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/PA/IRAN/PAAI/IMAGES/PER/TH/2E8_4.htmlhttp://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/PA/IRAN/PAAI/IMAGES/PER/TH/2E4_72dpi.html


62/66

62

HALL OF HUNDRED COLUMNS / THRONE HALL



63/66

63



64/66

64

http://ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/login?url=http://arthistory.doit.wisc.edu/arth/Start?page=jsp/displayLargeImage*objId^4020{accNo^111278http://ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/login?url=http://arthistory.doit.wisc.edu/arth/Start?page=jsp/displayLargeImage*objId^7854{accNo^267894http://ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/login?url=http://arthistory.doit.wisc.edu/arth/Start?page=jsp/displayLargeImage*objId^7851{accNo^ndc0009http://ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/login?url=http://arthistory.doit.wisc.edu/arth/Start?page=jsp/displayLargeImage*objId^4021{accNo^111279http://ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/login?url=http://arthistory.doit.wisc.edu/arth/Start?page=jsp/displayLargeImage*objId^4020{accNo^111278


65/66

65

TOMB OF ARTAXERXES



66/66

artefacts

Unit 3- Mesopotamia f i n a L-1

Documents

Transcript of Unit 3- Mesopotamia f i n a L-1