MESOPOTAMIAN

ARCHITECTURE
MODULE 2
MESOPOTAMIA
FERTILE CRESCENT
IRAQ (PRESENT DAY)

FROM GREEK WORD MESOS

AND POTAMAS, MEANING
“MIDDLE RIVER”

REFERS TO THE FERTILE PLAIN

BETWEEN THE TIGRIS AND
EUPHRATES RIVERS.
C LAS S I F I CAT I O N
● SUMERIAN
● BABYLONIAN
● ASSYRIAN
● PERSIAN
 SUMERIAN
(5000-2000 B.C.)
● DEVELOPED BY
SUMERIANS
● ESTABLISHED IRRIGATION
SYSTEM
● INVENTED CUNEIFORM
SYSTEM OF WRITING
● MAJOR CITIES - KISH,
URUK AND UR
 SUMERIAN
(5000-2000 B.C.)

● CHARACTERIZED BY MONUMENTAL
TEMPLES OF SUN-DRIED BRICK
FACES WITH BURNT OR GLAZED
BRICK, OFTEN BUILT UPON THE
RUINS OF THEIR PREDECESSORS.
 SUMERIAN CITY OF UR

● CITIES WERE ENCLOSED IN WALLS

WITH ZIGGURAT TEMPLES AND
PALACE AS CENTERS OF THE CITY

● FABRIC OF THE CITY IS MADE UP

OF RESIDENCES MIXED WITH
COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL
BUILDINGS.
 SUMERIAN CITY OF UR

● HOUSES ARE DENSELY PACKED

WITH NARROW STREETS BETWEEN
THEM.
● STREETS ARE FRONTED BY
COURTYARD HOUSES OF ONE
STOREY HIGH
● USUALLY PUNCTUATED BY
NARROW OPENINGS AS ENTRANCE
TO HOUSES
 Z I G G U RAT

STEPPED STRUCTURES CONSTRUCTED WITH OUTSIDE

STAIRCASES AND A TEMPLE OR SHRINE AT THE TOP
FOR WORSHIPPING THE GODS OF NATURE.
ZIGGURAT
● BUILT OF MUD BRICKS MADE OF
DIRT MIXED WITH WATER AND
STRAW. THE MUD WAS POURED
INTO WOODEN MOLDS AND
LEFT TO DRY IN THE SUN. (OR
BAKED IN KILNS)
● ITS FOUR CORNERS WERE
ORIENTED TOWARDS THE
CARDINAL POINTS.
● PRIESTS CONDUCT
CEREMONIES AT THE FIRE
ALTAR ON TOP.
GREAT ZIGGURAT
OF UR
TELL EL-MUQAYYAR, IRAQ

TEMPLE DEDICATED TO THE

MOON GOD BUILT BY SUMERIAN
RULER, UR NAMMU, AND HIS
SUCCESSORS AROUND 2125
B.C
WHITE TEMPLE
URUK
MAJOR SUMERIAN CITY (URUK)

TEMPLE PLACED ON A
ZIGGURAT, 12 METERS ABOVE
GROUND, BUILT AROUND 3000
BC

BUILT WITH MUD BRICKS AND

RECTANGULAR IN SHAPE
WHITE TEMPLE
URUK
MAJOR SUMERIAN CITY (URUK)

TEMPLE WALLS WERE THICK

AND SUPPORTED BY
BUTTRESSES

INNER PART HAS A LONG

SANCTUARY- ALTAR AND
OFFERING TABLE
OVAL TEMPLE
KHAFAJE
CONSTRUCTED AROUND 2600BC

OVAL TEMPLE IS AN EXAMPLE OF

2ND TYPE OF SUMERIAN TEMPLES

NAMED OVAL BECAUSE OF ITS

MASSIVE OVAL WALLS
SURROUNDING THE TEMPLE.

LOCATED IN THE CITY, EMPHASIS ON

ITS ORGANIZATION IS ON ENCLOSING
SPACE WITHIN COURTYARDS
BABYLONIAN
(2000-1600 B.C.) ● THE LAST GREAT
MESOPOTAMIAN
CITY-EMPIRE OF THE
ANCIENT AGE.
● CHARACTERIZED BY
MUD-BRICK
CONSTRUCTION, HAD
WALL ARTICULATED BY
PILASTERS AND
RECESSES, SOMETIMES
FACED WITH BURNT
AND GLAZED BRICK
 BABYLONIAN
(2000-1600 B.C.)

● PALACES AND TEMPLES WERE DECORATED WITH

ENAMELED BRICK FRIEZES OF BULLS AND LIONS.
TOWER OF BABEL
LUCAS VAN VALCKENBORCH, 1594

AS DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLE,

THIS STRUCTURE MAY HAVE
BEEN BUILT IN BABYLON
AROUND 600 B.C BY KING
NEBUCHADNEZZAR II TO “RIVAL
HEAVEN”
TOWER OF BABEL
LUCAS VAN VALCKENBORCH, 1594

HERODOTUS RECORDED
THAT THE ZIGGURAT HAD 7
TIERS COVERED IN GLAZED
TILES. THE TOWER MAY
HAVE RISEN TO A HEIGHT OF
300 FT (91.44mts). AND MAY
HAVE BEEN USED AS A
TEMPLE FOR WORSHIPPING
MARDUK, THE GOD OF THE
CITY OF BABYLON.
HANGING GARDENS
ONE OF THE “SEVEN WONDERS OF
THE WORLD”

A ROYAL PALACE
CONSTRUCTED OF
MUD BRICK WALLS
WERE COVERED WITH
GLAZED, COLORED
TILES DECORATED
WITH ANIMAL RELIEFS.
HANGING GARDENS
ONE OF THE “SEVEN WONDERS OF
THE WORLD”

LEGEND SAYS THAT THE

SUMPTUOUS PALACE
WAS TERRACED WITH
LUSH GARDENS THAT
WERE IRRIGATED BY
WATER PUMPED FROM
EUPHRATES.
ISHTAR GATE
RECONSTRUCTED, PERGAMON
MUSEUM, BERLIN

LARGE, FOUR-STOREY
PORTAL DOMINATING THE
PROCESSIONAL AVENUE
THROUGH THE CITY.

COVERED IN GLAZED
BRICKS, COLORFUL
TILES, AND DECORATIVE
FIGURES OF BULLS AND
DRAGONS.
 ASSYRIAN
(900-700 B.C.)
● PALACES TOOK
PRECEDENCE OVER
RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS.
● CHARACTERIZED BY
MUD-BRICK BUILDINGS,
STONE WAS USED FOR
CARVED MONUMENTAL
DECORATIVE
SCULPTURES.
PALACE OF SARGON (COURT)
 ASSYRIAN
(900-700 B.C.)
● EXTERNAL WALLS
WERE PLAINLY
TREATED, BUT
ORNAMENTED WITH
CARVED RELIEF
SCULPTURE OR WITH
POLYCHROME BRICKS.
● INTERIOR COURTS
PALACE OF SARGON WERE ALL LARGE,
FILLED WITH COLUMNS.
DUR-SHARRUKIN
RECONSTRUCTED, PERGAMON
MUSEUM, BERLIN
SQUARISH PARALLELOGRAM
CITY, WITH THE PALACE,
TEMPLES AND THE
GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS
COMPRESSED WITHIN THE
WALLS. PALACE, PUBLIC
RECEPTION ROOMS, INNER
COURT, AND HAREM.

TEMPLE WITH 7-STAGED

ZIGGURAT. STABLES, KITCHEN,
BAKERY AND WINE CELLAR
 PERSIAN
(500-331 B.C.)
● CHARACTERIZED BY A
SYNTHESIS OF
ARCHITECTURAL
ELEMENTS OF
SURROUNDING
COUNTRIES, SUCH AS
ASSYRIA, EGYPT, AND
IONIAN GREECE.
PERSEPOLIS
PERSEPOLIS
FARS PROVINCE, IRAN. DARIUS

DARIUS DESIGNED HIS OWN

CAPITAL CITY, PERSEPOLIS-
“THE CITY OF PERSIANS”.
AS THE GREEK CALLED IT-
LOCATED 10 KM. TO THE
SOUTHWEST AND CLOSE TO
THE FERTILE LANDS ALONG
THE COAST.
HALL OF 100 COLUMNS
THRONE ROOM , PALACE AT
PERSEPOLIS
THE COLUMNS IN THE ROOM
WERE 37 FEET (11.28mts.) HIGH,
WITH A DIAMETER OF ONLY 3
FEET (0.91mts).

SPACED 20 FEET (6 mts.) APART

OR 7 DIAMETER FROM AXIS TO
AXIS

THE SLIM NATURE OF THE

COLUMN CREATED ROOM AND
SPACIOUS FEELING.
 SUMMARY

● SUMERIAN : mud brick; Ziggurat of Ur

● BABYLONIAN : mud brick with glazed tiles; Tower
of Babel, Hanging Gardens
● ASSYRIAN : mud brick with stone monuments;
Palace of Sargon/ Dur Sharrukin
● PERSIAN : hybrid of influences; Persepolis