THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION

AKANKSHA BHARDWAJ
TAHREEN FATIMA
SNEHA
It was the first civilization in the history which developed around 3500 B.C.
The word ‘Mesopotamia' has a Greek origin meaning land between the rivers.
Those river were Tigris and Euphrates.
 CLIMATIC CONDITIONS :
Hot and dry climate with little rainfall
Windstorms leaving muddy river valleys
in winter.
Catastrophic flooding of the rivers in
spring.
Arid soil containing little minerals
PRIESTS

.
SCRIBES ECONOMICAL CONDITION :

The Mesopotamians believed their kings

and queens were descended from the city
CRAFTMEN AND gods .
PEASANTS

SLAVES
 NEW PERSIAN
SUMERIAN AKKADIAN BABYLONIAN ASSYRIAN
BABYLONIAN QUEST

Over the centuries many

different people lived in this
area creating a collection of
independent states divided into
5 periods:
Sumer- southern part
(3500-2000 bce)
Akkad- northern part
(2340 – 2180 bce)
Babylonia- two unified
regions
(1830-1500 bce and 650-500 bce)
Assyria- (1100 -612 bce)
Persian- (750—330 BC)
 SUMER
(3,500-2,350 BC)
Located on the southern
part of the Mesopotamia

The major cities of the

Sumerian civilization
were Kish, Uruk and Ur

The first civilization to

make an attempt of
designing public
buildings.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PERIOD:
Each Sumerian city had different features having it’s own ruler, laws, and social
customs.

The cities were centered around a temple (or a ziggurat) dedicated to a god or
goddess ruled by a priest-king or a king who was the head of the city government
and the temple.

They developed irrigation systems.

Present day in the south of Iraq
Three levels massive rectangular pyramidal structure, oriented to North,
constructed with of terraces.
(Length: 210 ft., Width: 150 ft., Height :between 70 and 100 feet)
Stood as part of a temple complex dedicated to the moon god Nanna
The core made of mud brick covered with baked bricks laid with bitumen.
A built raised platform with four sloping sides with three entrances

Plan of temple: Rectangular, measuring 17.5 x 22.3 meters corners oriented to the
cardinal points
A tri-partite plan: a long rectangular central hall with rooms on either side
AKKADIAN
EMPIRE
(2,330-2,130 BC)
Located on the northern
part of the Mesopotamia.

Palace of Sargon is one

prominent structure in
Akkadian Empire

Akkad was located along

the western bank of
Euphrates River possibly
between the cities of Sippar
and Kish
Approached at ground level through a
walled citadel with buildings arranged
around courtyards.

Within the citadel: The main palace, two

minor palaces and a temple dedicated to
Nabu.

Located on the northern side of the

citadel the main palace on a platform
consisted of rooms with the throne room
being the largest.

The palace was arranged around two

major courtyards about which were
grouped smaller courtyards.
ASSYRIA EMPIRE
(2,330-2,130 BC)

Located on the parts of the

Mesopotamia.

The major cities of the

Assyria civilization were
Nineveh, Dun, Khorsabad,
Nimrud and Assur.

During the Assyrian periods

temples lost their
importance to palaces.
Khorsabad was designed as the
royal capital of Assyria

Illustrates the main characteristics

of Assyrian architecture.

The city was built on a flat land and

enclosed by a double wall with
seven city gates.

The palace was located on the north

west side of the city Govt. buildings
in the palace area were bordered by
a sturby.

Rising near the central axis was a 7

stage ziggurat. 143’ sq. base
BABYLONIAN
(1,800-1,500 BC)
Located on the parts of the
Mesopotamia.

The prominent cities are

Opis (capital), Nippur,
Barsippa, Dur, Kurigalzu

Temples and towers were

also prominent
architectural elements of
Babylon
Land area : 900 ft. By 600 ft.

After the fall of Assyrian civilization, focus

of Mesopotamian civilization shifted to old
Babylon to create a neo-Babylon by the
capital old Babylon was enlarged and
heavily fortified.

Revived old Babylonian culture old

Sumerian cities were rebuilt.

The palace originated a procession street

that cuts through the city raised above the
ground to the tower of babel.

The palace praised for its legendary

hanging garden
The procession street enters the city through
the famous Ishtar gate built across the double
walls of the city fortification.

The gate had a pair of projecting towers on

each wall modelled in relief and glazed in
other colors.

All the facades of gates faced with blue glazed

ornamented with figures of heraldic animals-
ions, bulls, and dragons.

The gates measured more than 38 feet

(11.5 m) high with a vast antechamber on the
southern side
Location in present day Iraq heighted probably 80 ft. (24m)
the roof garden laid out on a series of ziggurat terraces
lushed with green vegetation.
Material: mud brick waterproofed with lead
Irrigation through pumps from Euphrates river

A chain pump is two large wheels, one

above the other, connected by a chain. On
the chain are hung buckets.
Below the bottom wheel is a pool with the
water source.
As the wheel is turned, the buckets dip into
the pool and pick up water.
The chain then lifts them to the upper
wheel, where the buckets are tipped and
dumped into an upper pool.

The chain then carries the empty ones back

down to be refilled
PERSIAN
(750—330 BC)

Located on the parts of

the Mesopotamia.

The city of Persepolis is

the prominent

Temples were also

prominent architectural
elements
 STYLE: Hypostyle
Square in plan with a large platform
1800 ft. by 900 ft. surrounded by a
fortification wall.

Constructed as a new capital of Persian.

Materials included mud-brick from
Babylon, wooden roof beams from
Lebanon, precious material from India
and Egypt, stone columns quarried and
carved by ionic Greeks.

The palace consisted of three parts:

An approach of monumental staircases, gateways
and avenues.
Two great state halls towards the center of the
platform.
the palace of Xeroxes, the harem and other living
quarters at the south end of the site.
 CITY PLANNING PATTERNS
Massive sized settlement

Space devoted to gardens, grazing land etc.

New urban form - citadel with closely-

linked temple palace.

Unit separated from rest of town by height

or walls.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CIVILISATION

Square ground plans with first floor as important
Large homes for upper class : Wide and three stories
high
Materials: Mud formed into brick, sun dried was used to
built into massive walls. These walls to compensate the
weakness of mud.