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WEST ASIATIC ARCHITECTUREWEST ASIATIC ARCHITECTURE

CONTENTS

FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT

ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE OF WEST ASIA DEVELOPED FROM 3000B.C. – 330B.C.

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GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONFORMATION AND

DEVELOPMENTThe West Asiatic civilization mainly spread in the fertile lands of the two long rivers Tigris and Euphrates.

The district was named as Mesopotomia (Messos = middle, potamos = river).

The rich alluvial lands of mesopotamia stretched in from the persian gulf and known as “Fertile Crescent” which formed the cradle of civilization

GEOLOGICAL CONDITIONThe Mesopotamian plain – mainly alluvial

Clay – abundantly and cheaply available building materials.

Brick manufacture – sun dried or Kiln-burnt

Bricks glazed in different colors – decorative works

CLIMATIC CONDITION

Extreme hot in summer and severe cold in winter

Columned Halls and Porticoes were common – protect from sever heat

High platforms or dadoes were provided for buildings – protect from heavy floods

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RELIGIOUS CONDITIONFORMATION AND

DEVELOPMENTReligion dominated their life

Gods were thought to reside in the height

Temples were built on elevated platforms usually provided with holy mountains “Ziggurats” with the shrine at the top

Each city had at least one Ziggurat.

The Mesopotamian civilization is supposed to have left some thirty Ziggurats.

SOCIAL CONDITION

The homes of the poor were simple with a central coutyard. Flooring consisted of paved bricks or mud plaster.

The rich had two storeys with sleeping rooms, kitchens, wash room, servants quarters and a family chapel.

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SUMERIAN PERIOD (3000-2000 B.C.)

OLD BABYLONIAN (2016-1595 B.C.) NEO BABYLONIAN (626-539 B.C.)

ASSYRIAN (1859-626 B.C.)

PERSIAN (750-330 B.C.)

FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT

The ancient architecture of West – Asia developed from 3000 B.C. to 330 B.C. in the following period

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SUMERIAN PERIODMesopotamia formed a fairly homogeneous culture even though it was never a unified nation.

From about 3000 B.C. onwards, many cities grew up in Sumer such as Ur, Uruk, Eridu, Mari and others.

The Sumerians became powerful under the Third Dynasty ruler Ur-Nammu who reigned from 2113-2046 B.C.

He constructed the famous Ziggurat at Ur.

The city of Ur was at its highest glory as an imperial capital of Sumer.

It was the light of the Known world.

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SUMERIAN ARCHITECTUREUr had three levels.

The richer, like governemnt officials priests and soldiers, were at the top.

The second level was for merchants, teachers, laborers, farmers & craftmakers.

The bottom were for slaves captured in battle.

The entire city was surrounded by a canal– acting as a moat. The streets of Ur were narrow.

The ziggurats stood like modern skyscrapers over the city. Some ziggurats stood 70 feet tall.

There were big staricases to get up and down. The only level that remains today is the bottom.

Sumerians had no tools and machinery like us. Brickmakers formed mud bricks there were perfect. After drying they take them to the site and set them in place with bitumen. Bitumen is a thick sticky black stuff.

River Euphrates which had bought so much glory, prosperity to Ur, suddenly changed its course and started running some 14km east to the city. As a result the canals became dry, lost its shipping trades and ultimately the city lost its value.

THE CITY OF UR

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SUMERIAN ARCHITECTUREThe Ziggurat or holy mountain was erected by the Mesopotamian King Ur-Nammu, a founder of Third Dynasty of Ur.

This ziggurat was erected to the moon god Nanna, the patron deity of the city of Ur.

It is the most preserved of all ziggurats in Mesopotamia and has been partially reconstructed reaching a height of 11 m.

It stood within a rectangular plan of 60 m x 45 m and 17m high.

The whole mass was solid, with a core of sun dried bricks and outer covering of burnt bricks of 2.5m thick cemented with bitumen.

It was composed of three stages. Access to the ziggurat was through three converging ramps from where a central stairway continued to the second stage. The shape of the staircase to the third stage is unclear.

Large Courtyard around its base and surrounded by shrines, among which one was dedicated to the goddess Ningal, the wife of Nanna.

The temple had inner courtyard surrounded by a no. of rooms – cooking, animal sacrifice, workshops, sotre rooms.

There was also a palace within the courtyard for the King and his family members.

ZIGGURAT OF UR-NAMMU (2125 B.C.)

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BABYLONIAN PERIODBabylonian civilization mainly developed in the central southern region of the Mesopotamia. (Present day Iraq)

The Amorites, a nomadic People from syrian desert foundedThe first royal dynasty in Babylon in the 19th Century B.C.

The fifth king of the first Dynasty was Hammurabi(1792-1750B.C.)

About 1595B.C. Mursilis I, King of the Hittites captured Babylon.

However, he was defeated by Kassites whose rule lasted until 1171 B.C.

From 1300-1900B.C. it was under Assyrians.

In 1612 B.C. the governor Nabopolassar defeated Assyrians and captured the city of Nineveh.

Nebuchadnezzar II ascended the throne in 605 B.C. (Neo-Babylonian empire)

His empire spread from Jerusalem to the Persian Gulf.

Trade Links were Improved. His reign was undoubtedly glorious.

There were the World famous Hanging Gardens.

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BABYLONIAN ARCHITECTUREBabylon – “Gateway of the God” (Bab = Gate and ili = God)

The city had a circumference of at least 18 km and the river Euphrates was once running through it.

The city was destroyed by Assyrians once in 13th and again in 7th Century B.C.

The city was surrounded by a canal acting as a moat.

It was also protected by huge rampart walls which were more than 86km. In length and provided with hundred bronze gateways.

Each of its eight gateways was protected by different gods, the main palace and gate were dedicated to Ishtar, the goddess of love and battle.

The Ishtar gate was patterned by horned dragons; yellow and white bulls in reilef on a blue background

THE CITY OF BABYLON

The Horned Dragon the symbol of Warrior – the God Marduk.

He was worshipped in the Temple of Esagila.

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BABYLONIAN ARCHITECTURE

The gate consisted of two portals one behind the other, each flanked by huge towers. It was built in Kiln-burnt bricks, cemented with pitch. The outer surface was covered by enamelled bricks with colored figures of dragons.

THE CITY OF BABYLON

HANGING GARDENS(600B.C.)Built by King Nebuchadnezzar, to please his persian wife

They occupied an area of 275mx183m and situated nearEuphrates river.

The terraced gardens planted with flowers and trees,With the beautiful fountains were 25m to 100m above the Ground.

Water was stored in the reservoir and supplied through pipes

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ASSYRIAN PERIODAssyrians were Originally Semitic Akkadians.

They were warriors and Huntsmen. Their campaign ranged all throughout the Middle East.

They founded their capital at Ashur (named after the God), a city on the bank of river Tigris.

They kept fighting wars to keep their trade routes open. They were opposed by Hittite empire in the beginning.

After its fall in 1200B.C. their empire spread rapidly.

Assyrian history really commenced under the reign of Takulti-Ninurta I(1250-1210B.C.) who captured Babylon.

After the reign of ShalmaneserIII(859-824B.C) the Assyrians power declined.

Then followed the reign of Sargon II(722-705B.C.) – founded the capital city of Khorsabad.

There was the main Ziggurat temple of Ashur which was restored byTukulti-Ninurta.

The city had two large palaces built one for the living and other for theAdministration.

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ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTUREThe city stood on a rectangular plan of 2.6 sq.km.

There were several office buildings including a temple.

Palace of Sargon II was the most splendid structure, occupying an area of nearly 23 acres.

THE CITY OF KHORSABAD

It had large and small courts, corridors and rooms was approached by broad ramp.

The palace was divided into three parts.

On its left wing, there were six temples, and on its right wing were service rooms and administrative offices, and on the opposite wings, were residential quarters followed by royal apartments.

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ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTUREThe royal apartments had dadoes nearly 2m high. At the end was the throne room about 49mx11m.

The high plinths of the temple courts were decorated with polychrome glazed bricks.

At one corner there stood a Ziggurat on square base of about 45m side rising in seven tiers to aHeight of 45m with shrine at the top.

It had a winding ramp of 1.8m wide by which one could reach on its top. Each of the seven tiers was painted in different colors.

THE CITY OF KHORSABAD

Main gateway to the grand court was flanked by imposing towers and guarded by the man-headed winged bulls as a symbol of adad the god of thunder.

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PERSIAN PERIODIn about 1000B.C. Aryans from Caucasus region settled in Medes and Persia.

The founder of this empire, Cyrus the Great (559-530B.C.) captured medians and Assyrians.

After conqureing the Greek colonies of western Asia minor, he next subjugated Babylon in 539B.C.

After his death at pasargadae, his son Cambyses II(530-522B.C.) extended the kingdom upto the borders of Egypt. In his reign, the persian architecture was largely influenced by the Egypt’s splendid buildings of Thebes.

He was succeeded by Darius I(522-486B.C.)

He founded two new capitals one at Susa and one at Persepolis the “ Gateway of all Nations”

He constructed the splendid palace at Persepolis

He constructed many arterial roads and planned to connect Red Sea and Nile by a canal.

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE

Persepolis was used as a showpiece of imperial grandeur of his empire.

It was also executed by Xerxes I(486-465B.C.) and completed in 460B.C. by Arta-XerxesI.

The entire building stood on a rectangular plan 460mx275m over a rising terrace of 15m above the ground.

The approach was provided at north-west by magnificent steps 6.7mwide and shallow enough for the horses to ascend.

THE PALACE OF PERSEPOLIS

The gateways were flanked by imposing towers and guarded by man-headed winged bulls.The gateway on the south opened to the Apadana or Audience hall nearly 76sq.m with 36 slender columns, 20m high 1.5m dia and place at 6m centre to centre.

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTUREThe stairway of Apadana has bas-relief showing the delegates, nobles, advancing in dignified procession.

The delegates can be easily identified from their national costumes.

THE PALACE OF PERSEPOLIS

Next his son Xerxes I added his palace together with women’s quarters – Harem on the south end.

The throne room – the famous “Hall of Hundred Columns” situated on the east end, was commenced by Xerxes I and completed by Arta-XerxesI.

The throne room was set up on a high platform with columns 11m high supporting the flat roof.

The columns had moulded base, fluted shaft and decorative capitals with continuous vertical scrolls.

The top brackets of the columns were in the form of twin bulls, or dragons the Symbol of power.

Alexander the Great defeated the last king Darius III and put the city includingthe palace to the torch. Now it stands in ruins state.

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CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF WEST ASIATIC ARCHITECTUREBuilders in West Asia always had a serious problem - there was not enough stone or wood.

But there was lots and lots of clay. So their buildings were usually built of brick, or mud-brick.

Another thing which made West Asian people build a certain way is the constant arrival of nomadic people into the area: the Persians, the Parthians, the Arabs. All of these people were used to living and entertaining in tents, and they built their houses and palaces kind of like tents, so they would feel at home.

The Assyrians unlike the Babylonians produced Mural decoration. Often the gates of the palaces were flanked by imposing towers and guarded by man-headed winged bulls.

They provided bas reliefs on walls showing scenes of fighting, hunting and ceremonies of states.

The chief form of ornmentation was lotus flowers, buds and band of rosettes

The temples, houses and palaces had rectangular plan and were built on high dadoes to protect from heavy floods.

Persian Architecture was columnar

Double walls were more common. Doors and Windows were square headed.

They used relief slabs for parapets and surface decoration for the lower portions of the buildings.

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RUINS OF PERSEPOLIS

IMAGE OF TODAY’SBABYLONIA

The Persians were eventually defeated by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, which led to a great many Greek temples and theaters and gymnasia being built all over West Asia and even into India in the Hellenistic period.

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