Dur-Sharrukin, Citadel of Sargon II

Mesopotamia experienced significant historical change and an architectural case study that
evidences such change is the Citadel of Sargon II founded in 713 BCE and named Dur-
Sharrukin. Previously, settlements in the region showed little differentiation between house
and temple. This perhaps reflected the idea that temples were god’s house and that there
was something sacred about dwelling spaces. Overtime, temples became more embellished,
giving way to the ziggurat which incorporated steps, creating a physically higher plane which
was symbolic of superiority and the privilege it was to be interacting with god. The region
was also frequently subject to power struggles, political instability and a multitude of rulers.
Sargon II, being one of these rulers, was King of Assyria in late 8 th century BCE and was
known for the expansion and fortification of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. With the growth of
an empire, the emperor becomes representative of larger cities, a wider range of people
and territories and so the architecture of the palace within the Temple-Palace compound
became more extravagant to reflect this change. Previously, the palace had not had its own
individual form – the community served god, hence, the temple was the central focus.
Whilst the ziggurat remained the most significant part of the city in Dur-Sharrukin, able to
be seen from across the city, the ascension of King Sargon II caused an increase in the area
of the compound that was dedicated to the palace - the dwelling place of royalty. Thus, the
historical change in leadership and the growth of the Neo-Assyrian Empire raised the profile
of the emperor and the architecture of Dur-Sharrukin was designed to reflect this change.

In addition to the design of the citadel being a consequence of historical change, the
materials used to build structures were also a product of historical change. Mudbrick was
the primary building material in early Mesopotamia. However, the imperial expansion
created more trade and the ability to import and transport new materials such as the stone
used in sculptures and carvings decorating the palace. These sculptures included winged
bulls with human heads and crowns, depicting the superiority and grandeur of the King and
his conquest. Hence, even sculptures themselves evidenced how the architecture produced
had been a result of the historical change that occurred through Sargon’s assumption of
power over Mesopotamia.