History of Architecture study

5. Overview
•Mesopotamian civilizations formed on the banks of the Tigris
and Euphrates rivers in what is today Iraq and Kuwait.
•Early civilizations began to form around the time of the
Neolithic Revolution—12000 BCE.
•Some of the major Mesopotamian civilizations include the
Sumerian, Assyrian, Akkadian, and Babylonian civilizations.
•Evidence shows extensive use of technology, literature, legal
codes, philosophy, religion, and architecture in these societies.

6. GEOGRAPHY
Fertile area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers became site of
world’s first civilization
Fertile Crescent well suited for agriculture
Farming in Mesopotamia posed challenges:
If water levels too high, crops washed away
If water levels too low, crops died
People developed methods to control water:
Basins, canals, and dikes
Organization: assigning jobs, allocating resources

8. Ancient Mesopotamia was mostly in the same area as modern day Iraq, positioned
between two rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates.
 The word Mesopotamia is Greek meaning "the land between the rivers".
 Ancient Mesopotamia included an area that was about 300 miles long and about 150
miles wide. These rivers flow into the Persian Gulf.
The land was very fertile.
 In the Northern part of Mesopotamia, rivers and streams were fed from the
mountains. In addition, there was a rainy season that helped water the soil. While the
southern region was much hotter and dryer, the two large rivers, the Tigris and the
Euphrates, allowed for irrigation.
 The land between the rivers was filled with wildlife and edible vegetation. People
who wandered into the area discovered they could plant crops and store food to add to
the natural food supply.
 With the discovery of agriculture, people began to settle down, and build homes and
then villages and then towns and then cities.

11. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERS:
1.Alluvial plains of River Tigris and River Euphrates which flow into Persian Gulf.
2.Stone and timber were rare, abundance of clay, compressed in moulds, sun dried and
kiln fired bricks used.
3.Types of buildings in Babylonian and Assyrian architecture
1.Massive towered fortification
2.Temple complexes
3.Palace complexes
4. Buildings of all types were arranged around large and small courts.
5. Rooms were narrow and thick walled, carrying brick barrel vaults and some times
domes. Roofs were usually flat from outside. Burnt bricks were sparingly used for
facing or where special stress was expected. Walls were white washed.
6. Architecture was arcuated (arches are used to carry load). True arch with
radiating voussoirs were used.
7. Towers or flat buttresses were finished in steeped battlement.

18. Temple:
The cella or sanctuary with an altar in a niche and a central
offering table. Some of later temples had tripartite plan,
having subsidiary rooms on either side of cella. This became
typical plan. Decoration of exterior was done by alternate
niches and buttresses. Temple site became nucleus of each
city.
Example: white temple at warka.
Warka- largest Sumerian city (c.2900- 2340 B.C.) had a
perimeter of over 9 km (6miles). About one third of this city
was occupied by temples and other public buildings.

19. WHITE TEMPLE AT WARKA

20. Ziggurats:
1.Stepped temples raised on mud and brick artificial platforms.
2.Artificial mountains made up of tiered rectangular stages which rose in
numbers from one to seven. Ziggurats were painted in colour.
3.Temple tower in pre historic Mesopotamia are set on platforms.

24. HANGING GARDEN OF BABYLON

28. Question:
Q1 What factors influenced the rise of
civilization in Mesopotamia?
Q2. Explain with neat sketches Hanging Garden
of Babylon
Q3. Explain in detail City Of Ur, in
mesopotamian civilization.