unit 3- mesopotamia f i n a l-1
TRANSCRIPT
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1
Ar. Febina D
measi
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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.
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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
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5GEOGRAPHY
MESOPOTMIA MEANS - THE LAND BETWEEN 2 RIVERS
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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.
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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
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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
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9URBANIZATION OF THE FERTILE CRESENT
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.
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10URBANIZATION OF THE FERTILE CRESENT
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.
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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.
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12Evolution of city states
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
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14Evolution of city states
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
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15Evolution of city states
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.
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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.
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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
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18CONTRIBUTION
BUILT THE FIRST WHEELED VEHICLES
DEVELOPED IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND CANALS
EXPLORED MATHEMATICS, ESPECIALLY ALGEBRA AND
GEOMETRY
Invented the system of writing.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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)
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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
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29dressing
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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.
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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
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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
Evolution of ziggurats
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Ziggurat of Ur (ca 2100 BCE), Tell Muqqayar,
Iraq
Reconstruction of Ur-Nammu's ziggurat
Ruins of White Temple at Uruk, Iraq
Evolution of ziggurats
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 -
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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43Palace of khorsabad
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44Palace of khorsabad
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45Palace of khorsabad
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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
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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
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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
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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)
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50CITY OF ASHUR ( 1250-1210 BC)
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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 )
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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 )
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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
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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
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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
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PALACE OF DARIUS
Small in comparisonLay immediately south of the Apadana
Near the west terrace wall
Palace of persepolis
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TRIPYLON
Terraced
Lay centrally among buildings
Acted as a reception chamber
And a guard room
For the more private quarters
Of the Palace grounds
Palace of persepolis
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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
Palace of persepolis
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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.
Palace of persepolis
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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
Palace of persepolis
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RELIEF AT JAMB
HALL OF 100 COLUMNS RUINS
Palace of persepolis
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 -
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HALL OF HUNDRED COLUMNS / THRONE HALL
Palace of persepolis
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Palace of persepolis
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Palace of persepolis
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TOMB OF ARTAXERXES
Palace of persepolis
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artefacts