Profile of a Sacred Place: Ziggurat of Ur

Profile of a Sacred Place: Ziggurat of Ur

Ziggurat of Ur

There are many sacred monuments in this world that posses hundreds of personal and historical meanings. One of those historical landmarks being The Ziggurat of Ur. The Ziggurat of Ur was dedicated to the moon god Nanna (Akkadian Suen or Sîn), and is located in the city of Ur near Iraq. It was erected by the Sumerians of the city of Ur to honor their deity from among the Sumerian pantheon of gods. Its erection helped rebuild the economy in the 21st century during hard times. Ziggurat of Ur is one of the oldest sacred artificial mountains known. Archaeologist assumed it was a temple because of the burnt fish remains they found to be left as offerings. The temple was rebuilt on the burnt fish remains. Therefore making the platform grow in size. The temple has the form of a step pyramid with receding stories/levels. Each ziggurat was a part of a temple complex that was included with other buildings. They were built in receding tiers on a rectangular, oval, or square platform. The Ziggurat platform was a pyramidal structure but instead of a pointed top it consists of a flat one. The core was made up of sun-baked bricks with facings on each side. The faces were made up of many colors and consist of many different astrological significances. Sometimes kings would have their names engraved on the bricks to show their rein. The number of tiers in each ziggurat ranged from two to seven. The four corners of the Ziggurat point toward the four points of the compass that in turn reflect the movement of the sun. Even though there is no archaeological evidence there was textual evidence recorded that they had shrines at the top of each. Access to these so called shrines would have been by a series of ramps on one side of the ziggurat or by a spiral ramp from base to summit. “The Mesopotamian ziggurats were not places for public worship or ceremonies. They were believed to be dwelling places for the gods and each city had its own patron god.” With them being places for the god’s. Only priests were permitted on the ziggurat or in the rooms at its base, and it was their responsibility to care for the gods and attend to their needs.

Sources

Internet, Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziggurat_of_Ur

Book: Margaret Lazzari, Dona Schlesier, Exploring Art