1. Mesopotamian Architecture

2. Mesopotamian Architecture – Introduction
It is generally accepted that Mesopotamia is the cradle of civilization; cradle and tomb of nations and empires
Mesos= middle
Patamos= river
Mesos + Patamos = between the rivers (Tigris and Euphrates)
Middle Eastern civilization
Prehistory to the 6th century b.c.

3. Mesopotamian Architecture – Introduction
Mesopotamia, located in a region that included parts of what is now eastern Syria, south-eastern Turkey, and most of Iraq, lay between two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates

4. Mesopotamian Architecture – Introduction

5. Mesopotamian Architecture – Basic Materials
most fertile land on earth; the ‘fertile crescent’
network of irrigation channels
Alluvial district of thick mud clay – mud brick
Walls were faced with burnt bricks and glazed bricks of different colors
Stone was rare but imported – basalt, sandstone
Metals – fine sculpture

6. General Architecture Massive towered fortifications
Earliest – temple (commercial and religious)
Later - palace
Temples
Palaces – Assyrian/ Persian
Buildings raised on huge platforms due to torrential rain and frequent flood
Bitumen, pitch, mortar of calcareous earth (slime) - used as cementing material
Buildings of all types arranged round large and small courts
Rooms were narrow, long, rectangular form and thick walled carrying brick barrel vaults or domes

7. Mesopotamian Architecture
Chief temples had sacred ziggurats (artificial mountains made of tiered rectangular stages (1 to 7)
Burnt bricks used for facings
White washed walls
Ziggurat – colour painted
Arcuated architectural style (true arch with radiating voussoirs)

8. Historical periods Early civilization flourished here:
1. Sumerian - Ur of the Chaldees BC 4000 –1275

9. Historical periods 2. Assyrian (1275 –538)
Cities include –Nimrud, Khorsabad and Nineveh
Kings:
Ashur-nasir-pal ( )
Sargon ( )
SennaCherib ( )
Esharhaadon
Asur-beni-pal

10. Historical periods 3. Persian Period (BC 538-333) Susa, Perspolis,
Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes
Alexander the great – W. Asia became a Greek province

11. Early Mesopotamian (Sumerian) Ziggurats

12. Early Mesopotamian (Sumerian) Ziggurats
Temple tower
Terraced pyramid with successive receding stories
Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians
Top of the ziggurat is flat
Core – sun baked bricks
Facing – fired bricks
Facing – glazed in different colours

13. Early Mesopotamian (Sumerian) Ziggurats- Ziggurat of Urnammu, Ur
Located in the centre of villages
1-7 tiers
Ziggurat (205x141ft) base
Shrine or temple at the summit above 70’
Access to the shrine
Series of ramps on one side of the ziggurat
Spiral ramp
No internal chambers Not for public worship or ceremonies
Only for priests
Dwelling place for gods
Core – sun baked bricks
8’ thick skin of burnt brick and bitumen

14. Assyrian Architecture

15. Assyrian Polychrome ornamental glazed brickwork
Use of high plinths carved with low relief sculpture
Temples with and without ziggurats
Palaces – numerous
City of Nimrud
City of Khorsabad
City of Nineveh

16. Assyrian – City of Khorsabad
Khorsabad (BC 722 –705)
Excavated in AD 864 –provides the best idea of Assyrian Palaces
Built by Sargon II
Square planned with a defensive perimeter
1 sq. mile
Palace for the king’s brother, temple, official buildings, Palace of Sargon

17. Assyrian – City of Khorsabad – Palace of Sargon
Complex of large and small courts
Corridors and rooms
23 acres
Raised upon a terrace – 15m high
a platform of sun dried brick faced with stone
700 rooms (300 x 400 m)
Approached by broad ramps

18. Assyrian – City of Khorsabad – Palace of Sargon
Main entrance to the palace grand court flanked by great towers and guarded by man headed winged bulls (12’6”high)
This bull supports a semicircular arch
Decorated with brilliantly coloured glazed bricks

19. Assyrian – City of Khorsabad – Palace of Sargon
Private and residential apartments
Palaces had 3 main parts – each abutting the grand court
Left – 6 temples (3 small and 3 big)
Right – service quarters and administrative houses
Opposite – private and the residential apartments
ziggurat
Service quarters
and administrative houses
temples

20. Assyrian – City of Khorsabad – Palace of Sargon
Around the state court – dado slabs (7’ high) – reliefs of the king and his courtiers
Flat timber ceiling for the apartments
Winding ramped ziggurat associated with palace temples (148’ side)

21. Assyrian – City of Khorsabad – Palace of Sargon

22. Persian Architecture

23. Persian Architecture – Palace of Persepolis
518 b.c.
By Darius I, Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I
On a platform faced with local stone

24. Persian Architecture – Palace of Persepolis
1500x900 ft
Rising 50’ above the plain
22’ wide steps on the NW side
Shallow enough for the horses to ascend
had mud brick walls faced with polychrome bricks
Front and rear portals guarded by stone bulls

25. Persian Architecture – Palace of Persepolis
Throne room
Apadana
Tripylon
Palace of Darius
Palace of Xerxes
Treasury
Harem

26. Persian Architecture – Palace of Persepolis

27. Persian Architecture – Palace of Persepolis

28. Persian Architecture – Palace of Persepolis
Apadana
A grand audience hall
On its own terrace 10’ high
250’ square
With 36 columns

29. Persian Architecture – Palace of Persepolis
Apadana

30. Persian Architecture – Palace of Persepolis
Tripylon
terraced
Lay centrally among the buildings
Acts as a reception chamber and guard room for the more private quarters of the palace group

31. Persian Architecture – Palace of Persepolis
Treasury
SE angle of the site
Double walled administrative and store house building
With columned halls of different sizes
Only a single doorway

32. Persian Architecture – Palace of Persepolis
Palace of Xerxes and Harem
Near the SW angle of the site
Connects with an L-shaped building (harem)
Harem – Women’s quarters

33. Persian Architecture – Palace of Persepolis
Throne Room - Hall of 100 columns
Throne Hall
225’ square
Flat cedar roof
Portico faced a forecourt

34. Persian Architecture – Palace of Persepolis – Hall of Hundred Columns