Architectural Marvels of Ancient Mesopotamia

8/19/2019 Architectural Marvels of Ancient Mesopotamia

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Architectural Marvels of

Ancient Mesopotamia

The land between the rivers

Some of the cities of the Fertile Crescent

Sites of Ancient Mesopotamia

I - THE ANCIENT PEI!" #$%&&& - '$( )C*

+ S,ME AN" AA"

Early Dynastic Period (3000 - 2340 BC) at Warka (,ru. )

The white temple

Akkadian Period (2340 - 2180 BC) at ,r

The royal tombs

Neo-Sumerian Period (212 - 202 BC) at ,r

The ziggurat

/ 0IST )A)12!NIAN EMPIE (202 1!4 BC)

"sin #arsa Period$ %el Harmal

Early )ab3lonian Period ( Hammurabi )

$ ASSITE "1NAST1 (1&00 1100 BC)

A4ar4uf (D'r-'ri-al*')

5 ASS1IAN PEI!" (130 - &12 BC)

Assur - Nimroud - Nineveh - horsabad ' 2ATE )A)12!NIAN PEI!" (&2 - 38 BC)

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)ab3lon and t+e Hanging Gardens

II - PESIAN 6 7EC!-!MAN PEI!"

#'$( )C - 8$9 A"*

+ HE22ENISTIC PEI!" #$$+ - +5+ )C *)ab3lon and t+e reek %+eatre

/ PATHIAN PEI!" #+5+ )C - //5 A"*

Hatra

$ SASSANIAN PEI!" #//5 A" - 8$9 A"*

Ctesiphon

III IS2AMIC PEI!" #8$9 A" - +/'( A"*

+ EA21 IS2AMIC PEI!" #8$9 A" - 88+ A"*

ufa and its ,ao's .os/'e

/ ,MMA1A" PEI!" # 88+ A" - 9'& A"*:asit (.os/'e and Dar-al-"ara)

$ A))ASI"E PEI!" #9'& A" - +/'( A"*

Early Aaside Period ()a4hdad I$ ,.haidir)

.iddle Aaside Perlod Samarra

"ate Aaside Period ()a4hdad II)

;esuit interest in 2ater Mesopotamia

"n 183 t+ree es'its ent on a ission to .esootaia to resol5e t+e Nestorian sc+is (and

ossily ot+er sc+iss) 6oe5er$ t+ey ere not s'ccess,'l Aro'nd 1870 to ore es'its

ent to Ba+dad$ ,ro 9t ose+ :ni5ersity in Beir't$ to see i, t+e tie as rie to start a

ission in "ra/ %+ey ere roed on t+eir ay o5er across t+e 9yrian desert and also ere

roed on t+eie ay ack to Beir't %+ey reorted t+at;


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Mesopotamia - the cradle of civili


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"n t+e iddle o, "ra/ lie t+e r'ins o, Ne'c+adne**ars 6anin ardens o, Baylon (Bael)

close to t+e lace +ere 9+adrac+$ .es+ac+ and Aedneo san t+eir +yn o, raise in t+e

idst o, t+e ,iery ,'rnace 6ere Daniel read t+e ysterio's Araaic +andritin on t+e all


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con5enient since it as di5isile y any saller n'ers$ so t+ey di5ided eac+ day into 3&0

es+$ +ic+ ere later c+aned y t+e Baylonians to 24 +o'rs it+ to le5els o,

s'di5isions Present day 'se o, in'te and second is traced to t+e #atin translations o, t+e

Baylonian desinations ,or t+ese s'di5isions; sall its (in'ta -F in'tes) and secondary

sall its (sec'nda in'ta -F seconds) Aro'nd 2400 BC t+e 9'erians de5eloed an

inenio's seaesial syste to reresent all inteers ,ro 1 to ! 'sin ! di,,erent atterns o, edes (c'nei c'nei,or) +ic+ ere 's'ally irinted in so,t clay and later

+ardened "nteers ,ro &0 to 3&00 ere t+en reresented y a di,,erent syol ,or &0 +ic+

as coined it+ t+e ot+er ! atterns #ike o'r decial syste it as ositional so t+at

t+e s'ccessi5e syols ere ass'ed to e 'ltilied y decreasin oers o, &0 >or

instance$ t+e n'er 3& in t+e decial syste o'ld$ in t+e seaesial syste$ e ritten

& (G & ties &0 H ties 1)$ @'st as & in o'r decial syste o, ase ten eans & ties 10

l's ties 1

An ad5ent'resoe$ deterined and c'rio's reader it+ a calc'lator can 5eri,y t+at t+e

Baylonian n'er 4 23 3& (e/'als I4 ties &0 ties &0J H I23 ties &0J H I3& ties 1J)

reresents 1$81& in o'r decial syste "n t+eir ras o, t+e orkins o, arit+etic t+eBaylonians ere ,ar s'erior to t+e reeks o, later cent'ries %+e latter 'sed letters ,or

n'ers (so 888 o'ld e ωπη) and t+ey o'ld +a5e tro'le 'ltilyin a sile role

like 12 ties 28 +ic+ o'ld e ιβ ties κη %+e 'ltilication r'les ,or letters ere eyond

t+e reac+ o, an ordinary erson

raer 'ses as +is ain so'rce t+e content o, tens o, t+o'sands o, 9'erian talets$

'nco5ered in t+is cent'ry ,ro 1!02 on$ +ic+ date ack to 2$400 BC and re5eal a ric+

literat're lon e,ore reek ci5ili*ation %+ese rearkale talets a5e 's t+e ,irst >arers

Alanac ,illed it+ astronoical and at+eatical data$ ro5in t+at 9'erian sc+ooloys

ere learnin t+e Pyt+aorean t+eore 1$800 years e,ore Pyt+aoras (circa 8-00 BC)as orn "n t+is ainstrea o, o'r on c'lt'ral ackro'nd$ t+e .esootaian ci5ili*ation$

a ,ort'ito's e5ent in t+e e5ol'tion o, arit+etic syols occ'rred t+ro'+ t+e adotion o,

9'erian


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a arked rot+ o, t+e ec'enical sirit

%+ree a@or seinaries ere ,o'nded in "ra/ d'rin t+is cent'ry ne is at Dora @'st so't+ o,

Ba+dad and to are in .os'l$ 9t Peters ,or t+e C+aldeans cond'cted y C+aldean riests

and 9t o+ns 9yrian 9einary cond'cted y >renc+ Doinicans +o also r'n a +i+ sc+ool

in .os'l %+e C+aldean 9isters are t+e Da'+ters o, t+e "ac'late Concetion +o +ad an'er o, sc+ools ,or irls "n t+e ,irst art o, t+is cent'ry nati5e Doinican 9isters ran 10

sc+ools it+ 2$00 st'dents C+aldean Antonian onks in t+e onastery o, 9t 6ori* near

Al/os+ and t+e Carelite >at+ers do aroc+ial ork

"n t+e early days o, t+e 9ociety o, es's +ile 9t "nati's as still ali5e$ es'its assed

t+ro'+ Ba+dad on t+eir ay to t+e C+ina ission =ecorded in t+e .on'enta 6istorica

9ocietatis es' are t+e tra5els o, es'its asar Bar*Me and =ayond Pereira soetie

eteen 14! and 1&7 and later Nicolas %ria'lt eteen 1&12 and 1&14 D'rin t+e 17t+

cent'ry se5eral do*en es'its ade s'c+ a @o'rney incl'din one o, t+e reatest es'it

issionaries$ Aleander de =+odes$ +o laored in "ndoc+ina and +o e5ent'ally as 'ried

in "sa+an$ "ran es'it Brot+ers Bernard 9ales and eore Bert+e died in Ba+dad in 1&&1and 1&&4 D'rin t+is cent'ry t+e tie +ad coe ,or t+e es'its to ret'rn to Ba+dad

Islamic civili


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e5ent'ally took in oardin st'dents ,ro E'roe and all o5er t+e knon orld Bait Al-

6ika ,lo'ris+ed lon e,ore Paris$ 9alaanca$ Bolona$ Pra'e$ or ,ord

)rief descriptions and pictures of some ma=or Mesopotamian centers

Sumer (4000 - 2000 BC) so't+ern reion o, ancient .esootaia$ and later so't+ern art o,

Baylon$ no so't+ central "ra/ An aric'lt'ral ci5ili*ation ,lo'ris+ed +ere d'rin t+e 3rd

and 4t+ illennia BC %+e 9'erians 'ilt canals estalis+ed an irriation syste$ and ere

skilled "n t+e 'se o, etals (sil5er$ old$ coer) to ake ottery @eelry and eaons %+ey

in5ented t+e c'nei,or syste o, ritin Lario's kins ,o'nded dynasties at is+$ Erec+

and :r in 9aron o, Aade ro'+t t+e reion 'nder t+e 9eites (c 2&00 BC) +o

lended t+eir c'lt're it+ t+e 9'erians %+e ,inal 9'erian ci5ili*ation at :r ,ell to Ela$

and +en 9eitic Bayloa 'nder 6a'rai (c 2000 BC) controlled t+e land t+e 9'erian

nation 5anis+ed

,r (3000 - 20 BC) ancient Baylonian city and irt+lace o, Ara+a 9ettled in t+e 4t+

illenni' BC it rosered d'rin its >irst Dynasty (3000-2&00 BC)$ and d'rin its %+ird

Dynasty$ it ecae t+e ric+est City "n .esootaia A cent'ry later it as destroyed y t+e

Elaites only to e re'ilt and destroyed aain y t+e Baylonians A,ter Baylonia cae

'nder t+e control o, Persia t+e city as aandoned (3rd cent BC)

Pictures of the art and architecture of ancient Mesopotamia found in the boo.s listed

below

%+e Painted Temple at 9'er

%o 9'erian talets; (c 2000 BC)

%+e ,irst rescrition and t+e Great Physician

,o'nd in raers HISTO! BEGI"S #T

S$%E


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%+e olden +ead o, a 'll on t+e ,ront o, a lyre

,o'nd at :r (c 2&8 BC)

%+e ra and t+e sc+r' ,ro t+e =oyal

Ceetery at :r

:r at eace; one side ot t+e Standard of $r

,o'nd in t+e =oyal Ceetery at :r

:r at ar; t+e ot+er side o, t+e Standard of

$r

(c 2&8 BC)

.odel o, t+e *i'rat at :r it+ t+e ascents artly %+e *i'rat at :r (c 220 BC)


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restored

Drain o, t+e *i'rat at :r; t+e oon-od Nanna

%+e *i'rat at :r +ic+ as restored ys'ccessi5e r'lers

%+e &hite Temple at :r'k .odel o, t+e %ele at Warka (:r'k)


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Parthia (200 BC - 22& AD)$ ancient co'ntry in W Asia; oriinally a ro5ince in t+e

Assyrian and Persian eires "t as t+e .acedonian eire o, Aleander t+e reat and t+e

9yrian eire #ed y Arsaces$ its ,irst kin$ it ,reed itsel, ,ro t+e r'le o, t+e 9ele'cids (c

200 BC) and re,ined t+e +ei+t o, its oer 'nder .it+ridates (,irst cent'ry BC) %+e eire

as o5ert+ron c AD22& y Ardas+ir$ t+e ,irst 9assanid r'ler o, Persia

)ab3lon (2000 - 323 BC)$ an ancient city o, .esootaia located on t+e E'+rates =i5er

ao't i (8!k) so't+ o, resent day Ba+dad 9ettled since re+istoric ties it as

ade t+e caital o, Baylonia y 6a'rai (17!2 170 BC) in t+e 18t+ cent'ry BC %+e

city as coletely destroyed in &8! BC y t+e Assyrians 'nder 9ennac+eri A,ter

restoration it ,lo'ris+ed and ecae noted ,or its +anin ardens$ one o, t+e se5en onders

o, t+e orld "n 27 BC t+e city as aandoned +en t+e 9ele'cid dynasty 'ilt a ne

caital at 9ele'cia

Ass3ria (130 - &12 BC) reac+ed its reatest etent in t+e 7t+ cent'ry BC d'rin

As+'ranials rein 6e s'@ected its eole to erciless reression in,licted y +is ary in

+ose r't+lessness +e loried and r'led t+ro'+ an e,,icient adinistrati5e syste s'er5ised y t+e central o5ernent Assyrian r'le collased and as ,olloed y a rie, res'rence o,

Baylonian r'le

%+e to o, t+e 6a'rai stele s+os t+e kin

ors+iin e,ore a seated od

Detail o, art o, t+e inscrition

on t+e stele o, 6a'rais code

6aral (c 1800 BC) %el 6aral; tele$ alace and sc+ool


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%ele toer o, #gar Guf in t+e assite city o,

D'r 'rial*'; %races o, t+e staircase +a5e een ,o'nd

An alaaster relie, o, an Ara - Assyrian

attle,o'nd near Nine5a+ (c &&0 BC)

Plan o, As+'r (138 - 104 BC).odel o, As+'r; t+e do'le tele o, An'

and Adad

Plan o, +orsaad 'nder 9aron (721 - 70 +orsaad alace in t+e iddle o, t+e ict're


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BC)

%+e ined B'll o, +orsaad=elie, on alace o, in As+'rnasiral ""

(883 - 8! BC) it+ t+e ined od at

Nir'd

=elie, o, lion hunting ,o'nd at Nir'd 'ion (illing a sla)e ,o'nd at Nir'd

.odel o, t+e city o, Baylon ='ins o, Baylon today


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Plan o, t+e 6anin ardens o, BaylonWall o, 6anin ardens o, Baylon still

standin

"s+tar ate o, Baylon 'ilt y Ne'c+adne**ar

""

(&04 - &2 BC) no in t+e Berlin .'se'

Plan o, t+e alace at Baylon centerin at t+e

"s+tar ate


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Sassanids$ or 9assanians$ last nati5e dynasty o, Persian kins,o'nded y Ardas+iric AD22&

%+ere ere aroiately 2 9assanid r'lers t+e ost iortant a,ter Ardas+ir ein 9+a'r

"" (30!-7!); +osra' " (31-7!)$ +o in5aded 9yria; and +osra' 11 (!0-&28) +ose

con/'est o, Eyt arks t+e +ei+t o, t+e dynastys oer %+e line ended +en Persia ,ell tot+e Aras in &41 AD

)a4hdad (7&2 - AD)$ caital city o, "ra/$ on t+e %iris =i5er Estalis+ed in 7&2 as caital o,

Aaside cali+ate "t re to e a c'lt'ral and ,inancial center +' o, cara5an trade eteen

"ndia$ Persia$ and t+e West Destroyed y t+e .onols in 128; in t+e early 20t+ cent'ry "ra/

ained indeendence ,ro %'rks and Ba+dad ecae t+e caital (1!21)$ and no is t+e

odern adinistrati5e transortation and ed'cational center

.odel o, to Part+ian s+rines at 6atra

(141 - 224 AD)

6atra as an ally o, =oe +ic+ led to its

destr'ction at t+e +ands o, t+e 9assanians

in 22& AD

Part o, t+e arc+ o, Ctesi+on still stands;

t+e reatest arc+ o, t+e ancient orld (30

eters +i+) "t as 'ilt in t+e ,o'rt+

cent'ry$ t+e iddle o, t+e 9assanian eriod

(224 - &37 AD)

Plan o, t+e circ'lar city o, Ba+dad (c 7&&

AD) y Cali+ Al-.ansoor; t+e innerost

circle +ad a diaeter o, 2000 yards %+e

,o'r ates led to +orasan (NE)$ Basra(9E)$

',a (9W) and 9yria (NW)

Drain o, t+e city o, Ba+dad it+ t+e

%iris in t+e ackro'nd; done ,ro

eory y a 5isitor in 1&38


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%+e Aaside cali+s lan o, 9aarra (83&

AD); t+e city as 34 k lon it+ a reateslanade 7 k lon

.odel o, t+e Aaside alace o, :k+aider

(8t+ cent AD)"t as located 9W o, erala

)iblio4raph3

A 96=% 6"9%= o, A=C6"%EC%:=E "N "=A (3$000 BC 128 AD)

9a'el . =onaya$ #ect'rer$ Al-6ika :ni5ersity$ Ba+dad

000 EA=9 > %6E A=% > .E9P%A."A$

B ELA 9%=..ENE=$ P6%=AP69 B .A 6"=.E=$ AB=A.9$ NEW

=; 1!&4

ANC"EN% "=A$ y E=E9 =:$ #NDN; A##EN O :NW"N; 1!&4

%W"N ="LE=9 By 9E%N ##D >=D :N"LE=9"% P=E99; B.BA 1!47


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6"9%= BE"N9 A% 9 : . E =$ y 9a'el Noa+ raer

Do'leday Anc+or Books; arden City$ Ne ork; 1!!

EA=# .E9P%A."A AND "=AN y . E # .alloan

.c=AW-6"## NEW = 1!&!

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Architectural Marvels of Ancient Mesopotamia