Ziggurart of Ur by Michelle Taylor

ZIGGURAT OF UR



The actual significance and meaning of the ziggurat is unknown, but it does describe the structure that was the home of the god in each Mesopotamian city. Mesopotamia is also known as “the Land between the Rivers” which is present-day Iraq. Ur was the last capital of the Sumerian civilization. The Sumerian people believed that a particular deity or god protected each village and city, and in the center of every city there was a temple or ziggurat built. The Ziggurat of Ur was built as a place of worship dedicated to the moon god Nanna. King Ur-Namma started the construction of the ziggurat in the 21st century BC. He is also credited for many temples and ziggurats built in Eridu, Uruk and Nippur. King Shulgi later completed the Ziggurat of Ur in the 21st century BC. He controlled Ur for 48 years as a self-proclaimed god. Shulgi left the control of the city to his sons, but they were not able to hold on to the city they inherited. In 4th century BC after being ruled by various foreign kings the city was abandoned due to the Euphrates River changing its course, which made irrigation extremely difficult. The Ziggurat of Ur is a colossal stepped platform, which is composed of three solid stages or levels with the upper stage over 100 ft. high and the base 210 ft. by 150 ft. The ziggurat looks like a stepped pyramid with stairs leading to the summit, which is thought to support a temple at the top. The four corners of the ziggurat resemble the four points of the compass, reflecting the movement of the sun. The core of the ziggurat consists of sun-baked bricks, which were made out of mud with reeds as a binder. These mud bricks measured around 25 x 16 x 7 centimeters and weight about 4.5 kilograms. Stones were not an option because they were not available to this region. Layers of reed-mats were used to reinforce the mud-bricks and give them strength and protection from moisture. A thick facing of baked or fired bricks were used, these exterior bricks were made out of clay and baked in a mud oven. These bricks measured 30 x 30 x 7 centimeters and weighed up to 15 kilograms. Often kings would stamp their names in the exterior bricks. Weep holes were set at intervals and internal drainage shafts were used to help keep the structure dry. The Ziggurat of Ur has a main staircase in front and two side ones that run up both sides, which meet each other. Each one of these staircases has one hundred steps leading to the temple or shrine. A support called a buttress was built on both sides of the main staircase. This staircase is believed to have served as a tool to bridge the distance between the sky and the earth. The Sumerians believed that the gods and goddess lived in the mountains and if they built their temples tall enough the gods would protect their cities. Nanna was believed to descend down and visit the temple where only a select group of priest and government officials may enter. Priest and priestesses were considered very powerful members of the Sumerian society and they were the selected few who were permitted on the ziggurats and allowed inside the rooms located at its base. Their responsibility was to care for the gods very need. As ziggurats age and years pass new temples were built on the remains of the preceding and the platforms expand under the new temples. Archaeologist can prove this by the different bricks found from various eras in the foundation platforms. From 1922 to 1932 an excavation jointly sponsored by the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania Museum under the direction of C. Leonard Wooley began excavations at the site of Ur. In the 1960’s and 1970’s the first stages of the ziggurat was reconstructed by the Iraqi Department of Antiquities. This restoration was based upon the ideas of teams who had excavated over the past two hundred years. The Ziggurat of Ur is still well preserved in large parts as the only main remainder of Ur in present-day southern Iraq.



Sources:

Books

Landau, E (1997). The Sumerians: The Cradle of Civilization. Brookfield, Conn.

McIntosh, J (2005). Ancient Mesopotamia: New Perspectives Understanding Ancient Civilization. Santa Barbara, Ca.

Spencer, W (2000). Iraq: Old Land, New Nation in Conflict. Brookfield, Conn.


Websites

Retrieved Nov. 15, 2008 from website: http://www.amazeingart.com/seven-wonders/ziggurat.html

Retrieved Nov. 15, 2008 from website: http://www.islamonline.net/english/In_Depth/Iraq_Aftermath/2003/07/article_02.shtml