In the heart of Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization, lies a colossal structure that has fascinated and baffled generations of explorers, scholars and travelers. It is the Great Ziggurat of Ur, a towering pyramid that once served as a temple, palace, and symbol of divine power. But who built it, why and how? And what secrets lie beneath the layers of brick and sand? This article unravels the mystery of this ancient wonder and reveals its history, structure and significance.
The Builder and His Vision
The ziggurat was built by Ur Nammu, founder of the 3rd Dynasty of Ur, also known as the New Sumerian Empire. Ur-Nammu was a far-sighted ruler who brought most of Mesopotamia under his rule and implemented a series of legal, administrative and religious reforms. He also undertook a large scale building program to build temples, palaces and ziggurats throughout the empire. The ziggurat of Ur is his culmination, designed to honor Nanna, god of the moon and protector of the city.
Ur-Nammu had a great vision of the ziggurat. He wanted it to be the highest point in the city, visible from afar, and to attract both travelers and devouts alike. He wanted it to be a place where he could commune with the gods and secure their favor and legitimacy. He wanted it to be a place where he could distribute wealth and food to his people and ensure their loyalty and welfare. He wanted it to be a place where he could display his power and glory and evoke awe and admiration.
According to one of his inscriptions, Ur-Nammu claims to have built a ziggurat “with pleasure” for Nanna:
I built their shrines for them, i heaped up their brick-piles, i raised high their chapels, i made bright their dwellings. With joy i founded for him his great ziggurat like a mountain i raised it up with a summit like unto heaven. (ur-nammu ziggurat foundation tablet)
Partially reconstructed facade and the access staircase of the ziggurat. The actual remains of the Neo-Babylonian structurecan be seen at the top.
The Structure and Its Splendor
A ziggurat is a huge pyramidal structure with a base approximately 210 feet by 150 feet and an original height of 70 to 100 feet. He has four sides along the cardinal points of North, South, East and West. The center of the ziggurat is made of mud bricks. Sun-dried bricks are cheap and plentiful in Mesopotamia, but they are also susceptible to erosion and decay. It is covered with a more durable and durable fired brick to protect the core from the elements and damage. Each baked brick measures approximately 11.5 x 11.5 x 2.75 inches and weighs up to 33 pounds. Bricks use bitumen, a sticky tar that acts as a mortar and waterproofing agent.
The ziggurat he consists of three terraces that decrease in size as you go up. The bottom tier supports the first terrace, accessed by three monumental staircases that meet at a gate. Each staircase has about 100 steps and is flanked by sloping walls that convey a sense of grandeur and awe. A gate leads to a large courtyard surrounding his second floor of the ziggurat. The second tier supports the platform on which the temple rests, and the third supports the ziggurat. Dedicated to the moon god Nanna, the temple is decorated with niches, pilasters and buttresses that create patterns of light and shadow on the façade. The temple also has windows that allow natural light to enter inside. The third floor is the highest point of the ziggurat and from the platform he can be accessed by one flight of stairs. There may have been another small temple or shrine on the third floor, but this has not survived.
The ziggurat impresses not only with its size and shape, but also with its color and texture. The fired bricks are glazed in various colors such as blue, green, yellow and red to create a vivid contrast with the adobe core. The glazed bricks also reflect sunlight and moonlight, making the ziggurat shine. A ziggurat is therefore a visual masterpiece that combines geometric shapes, color effects and symbolic meaning.
As one scholar describes it: The ziggurat at ur was an artificial mountain rising above flat land; its terraces were planted with trees; its walls were glazed in colors; its corners were oriented toward cardinal points; its summit was reached by stairs; its topmost shrine was a place of mystery. (harriet crawford, sumer and the sumerians) William Loftus’s sketch of his discovery of the ziggurat
Fate and Its Legacy The ziggurat survived the centuries after Ur-Nammu’s death, but gradually decayed and decayed. Some later kings, like Nabonidus of Babylon in the 6th century BC, have partially restored it. Temples were also rebuilt in ziggurats in BC. After Babylon fell to the Persians in 539 BC, however, the ziggurat was abandoned and forgotten. It remained buried under layers of sand and rubble until rediscovered by archaeologists in the 19th century. The ziggurat of Ur is his one of the most remarkable achievements of the ancient Mesopotamian civilization. It shows the skill and ingenuity of the builders who used simple materials and techniques to create monumental structures that can withstand harsh environments and the passage of time. It also reflects the culture and beliefs of its creator, who wanted to establish a connection with the sacred realm and express his devotion and gratitude to his patron deity. The Ziggurat of Ur is not only a legacy of ancient history and heritage, but also a testament to human creativity and spirituality. One historian notes: The ziggurat at ur is one of those monuments that mark a turning point in the history of human thought. It is a monument that proclaims the triumph of human intelligence over nature, a monument that announces the birth of civilization. (paul kriwaczek, babylon: mesopotamia and the birth of civilization)
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