Mesopotamian architecture is the ancient architecture of the Tigris and Euphrates river system, created by the Sumerians and Akkadians, including the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, over a span from the 10th millennium BC, when the first permanent structures were built, to the 6th century BC. Among its accomplishments are the development of urban planning, the courtyard house and the ziggurat, a huge pyramidal temple tower first built in the Sumerian city states and later developed in Babylonian and Assyrian cities. A ziggurat rose in receding tiers from a rectangular, oval or square platform to a flat top, with a core of sun baked brick faced on the outside with fired brick, and ziggurats were built as monuments to local religions.
Connections
Influenced
Achaemenid palace architecture at Persepolis and Pasargadae drew on Elamite and Mesopotamian building traditions.
Notable Examples
The great Mesopotamian capital, its ziggurats and mudbrick palaces exemplifying Mesopotamian architecture.
In the Other Atlases
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Sources
Architecture of Mesopotamia (Wikipedia)
Lead section, scope and period
spanning a period from the 10th millennium BC (when the first permanent structures were built) to the 6th century BC.
Lead section, accomplishments
Among the Mesopotamian architectural accomplishments are the development of urban planning, the courtyard house, and ziggurats.
Temples, Ziggurats
Ziggurats were huge pyramidal temple towers which were first built in Sumerian City-States and then developed in Babylonia and Assyrian cities as well.
Temples, Ziggurats, form
Built in receding tiers upon a rectangular, oval, or square platform, the ziggurat was a pyramidal structure.
Temples, Ziggurats, flat top
The top of the ziggurat was flat, unlike many pyramids.
Temples, Ziggurats, brick
Sun-baked bricks made up the core of the ziggurat with facings of fired bricks on the outside.
Temples, Ziggurats, purpose
Ziggurats were built by the Sumerians, Babylonians, Elamites, and Assyrians as monuments to local religions.
In Group: Ancient and Classical Styles of the Middle East and North Africa, Lead paragraph
The architecture of Mesopotamia is ancient architecture of the region of the Tigris-Euphrates river system (also known as Mesopotamia), encompassing several distinct cultures, which includes Sumerians and Akkadians (Ancient Assyrians and Babylonians), spanning a period from the 10th millennium BC
View the SourceWikipedia: Uruk
Notable Examples: Uruk, Article bodyQuote, Notable Examples: Uruk, Article body
the prototype of all future Mesopotamian temple architectural typology
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