Mesopotamia was located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and was the cradle of early civilizations like the Sumerians, Assyrians, and Babylonians. Cities in Mesopotamia like Ur, Assur, Khorsabad, Nimrud, Nineveh, and Babylon contained temples, palaces, and houses built from sun-dried mud bricks due to the lack of stone. Temples evolved from simple platform structures to zigurats with multiple stacked platforms and palaces had colorful wall carvings and sculptures. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World consisting of trees and plants on elevated pillars with underground water systems.

1. 1. Introduction
2. Cities
3. Temples
MESOPOTAMIA

2. “between two rivers”: Tigris and Euphrates
“cradle of civilizations”
wheel
music
instrument Hammurabi Code -Low
lettering
“meso” = between / middle of “potamos” = river

3. Civilizations:
• Sumerians
• Assyrians
• Babylonians
Materials & Construction
• No stone available
• Sun-dried brick (light & flexible)
rounded arches
vaults
• Facades with pilasters reinforced
with palm trunks
• Surface with colored tiles
Contribution to the Architecture
• Founding number of cities (heavily protected)
Ur
Assur, Khorsabad, Nimrud, Nineveh
Babylon
• Differtnt types of buildings:
temples
public buildings
palaces, houses

4. CITIES & TEMPLES

5. Summerian City of Ur & modern parallel
“High” or Platform Temples – it will lead to the
“staged towers” or Ziggurats
“High” or Platform Temples
mud-brick temples repeatedly
built
buildings built on the ruins so
that the temple would stand
on the raised platform over-
looking the surrounding houses
“Oval” Temple

6. Ziggurat of Ur
• area of 62m x 43m
• 3 stages / platforms
• top platform 20m above
material: sun-dried brick
life & ceremonies in front of the Temple

7. Ziggurat of Ur - Sumerians Evolution of Ziggurats

8. Assyrian City of Khorsabad & Palace
King Sargon II
Solders – wall treatment
sculptures made of
stone
Human headed
winged lions

9. Babylonian City of Babylon
Ishtar Gate & Processional Street
Wall treatment

10. • First description: he describes gardens as
"an exact resemblance of a mountainous
country “.
• Built around 600 B.C. by Babylonian king
Nebuchadnezzar for his wife Amytis.
• Hanging Gardens consisted of trees of all
kinds especially fruit trees that were
supported on vertical pillars.
• Gardens also had underground
passageways where a person could get
shade and view the root system of the
trees.

11. Hanging Gardens of Babylon

12. What have we learned….
• Civilizations 
• Materials & Construction 
• Contribution to the world of architecture 
• Cities 
• Temples 
• Hanging Gardens 