Mesopotamian Architecture

• MATERIALS: No stone, only clay and soil ORIENTATION: Four corners towards cardinal points

  Early Mesopotamian Architecture
• From the Greek words mesos and potamas, meaning "middle river."

  Refers to the fertile plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

  Mesopotamia
• Characterized by monumental temples of sun-dried brick faced with burnt or glazed brick, often built upon the ruins of their predecessors.

  (5000-2000 B.C.)

  Sumerian
• Stepped structures constructed with outside staircases and a temple or shrine at the top for worshipping the gods of nature.

  Ziggurat
• A temple dedicated to the moon god built by the Sumerian ruler, Ur Nammu, and his successors around 2125 B.C.

  Ziggurat of Ur
• • were 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.

  Ziggurats
• Ziggurat of Ur

  
• Tower of Babel


  Lucas van Valckenborch, 1594

  
• (2000-1600 B.C.) The last great Mesopotamian city-empire of the ancient age.

  Babylonian
• Architecture characterized by mud-brick construction, had walls articulated by pilasters and recesses, sometimes faced with burnt and glazed brick.

  Babylonian
• 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
• One of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World."

  Hanging Gardens
• A royal palace constructed of mud brick walls were covered with glazed, colored tiles decorated with animal reliefs.

  Hanging Gardens
• Large, four-storey portal dominating the processional avenue through the city. It was covered in glazed bricks, colorful tiles, and decorative figures of bulls and dragons.

  Ishtar Gate
• Hanging Gardens

  
• Ishtar Gate


  Reconstructed. Pergamon Museum, Berlin.

  
• (900-700 B.C.) Palaces took precedence over religious buildings. Architecture was characterized by mud-brick buildings. Stone was used for carved monumental decorative sculptures. External walls were plainly treated, but ornamented with carved relief sculpture or with polychrome bricks. Interior courts were all large, and filled with columns.

  Assyrian
• Squarish parallelogram city, with the palace, temples, and 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.

  Dur-Sharrukin
• (500-331 B.C) Characterized by a synthesis of architectural elements of surrounding countries, such as Assyria, Egypt, and lonian Greece.

  Persian
• Apartments in an Assyrian Palace: palace proper

  Seraglio
• Apartments in an Assyrian Palace: private chamber

  Haram
• Apartments in an Assyrian Palace: service chamber

  Khan
• Plan: Palace Complex at Persopolis

  
• Fars Province, Iran. Darius.

  
• Designed his own capital city, Persepolis "the city of the Persians

  Darius
• Darius designed his own capital city, Persepolis "the city of the Persians," as the Greeks called it-located 10 kilometers to the southwest and closer to the fertile lands along the coast.

  Persepolis
• Plan: Palace Complex at Persopolis:

  • It is a great audience hall

  Apadana
• Plan: Palace Complex at Persopolis:

  • It is a Hall of a Hundred Columns.

  Throne room
• Principal Stairway

  
• Palace of Darius

  
• Palace of xerxes I

  
• Staircase at Persopolis