ARCH202 History of Architecture Spring

University of Nizwa College of Engineering & Architecture Dept. of Architecture & Interior Design ARCH202 History of Architecture Spring 2013-2014 Dr. Janon Kadhim Associate Professor of Architecture

ARCH 202 History of Architecture Lecture #2 Mesopotamian ARCHITECTURE Dr. Janon A. W. Kadhim Associate Professor of Architecture University of Nizwa Spring 2013-2014

Mesopotamia: The Cradle of civilization On the land of Mesopotamia we can trace the growth and development of human existence and civilization from the earliest times in a continuous sequence. The caves in Northern Mesopotamia contain remains of the ancient Cavemen. The first Agrarian settlements in the world formed in the north of Mesopotamia some of which go back to 10000 BC. Dr. Janon Kadhim 3

The fertile Crescent Arab Gulf Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers, is situated in the region called the fertile crescent Dr. Janon Kadhim 4

Mesopotamia: Attributes of the Natural Environment Mesopotamia is part of what is known as the Fertile Crescent ; It contains some of the most fertile and rich land in the world; Diverse topography and climate: which provided a variety of building materials, and led to the creation of a variety of art forms and architectural types; Mesopotamia does not have any natural means of fortification other than the mountains that create the North and North-Eastern boundaries of the region. This has created a continuous problem for Mesopotamia over history causing it to be invaded many times over history by surrounding entities. Dr. Janon Kadhim 5

Other Natural attributes: Characterized by the two large rivers, The Tigris and the Euphrates, and their many tributaries; The rivers are known for their annual floods. The flood waters carry particles of clay and minerals which they carry from the mountainous region they go through as they flow from their main origins downwards; The flood over-flows create plains called the Sedimentary Plains that were created over thousands of years by the residue that covers the land during the floods; The major part of southern Mesopotamia is created of Sedimentary Plains. At one time the waters of the Arabian Gulf reached all the way up to the south of present - day Baghdad. Dr. Janon Kadhim 6

Mesopotamia: The land between the Two Rivers Rivers Dijla Tigris and Furat Euphrates and their many branches, main life stream; irrigating the whole land A land of diverse topography, climate, and natural resources Dr. Janon Kadhim 7

Local building materials and other natural resources Mud and mud brick: the main building material in Mesopotamia; It is the natural material available in the land; It was also considered to be a sacred material, sent to the people by the Gods. Various types of bricks were used: Sun-burned brick; Kiln fried brick; Glazed and colored Glazed brick (used in decoration) Dr. Janon Kadhim 8

Other Building materials Natural Stone was used in northern Mesopotamia, but only as a façade material over a base of mud or mud brick; Stone also used to build bridges and cross-overs, and for sculptures and carved Murals; Lime Mortar to bond the brick; Tar, as a natural sealant and bonding material; Stucco wash for façade treatments, and also Stucco panels for Fresco art work; Various minerals are available and widely used especially in artwork, tools, and decoration, like Copper, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Iron. Dr. Janon Kadhim 9

Climatic Factors in Mesopotamia The climate has highly impacted Mesopotamian architecture. Mainly it is hot and dry with cold, short winters with little rain; The prevailing winds are the north-western which are pleasant winds, while the summer brings the south-eastern winds that are hot and cause severe dust storms. This is an important factor considered in buildings; Most of the cities are built on the river banks with the buildings in the direction of the prevailing winds; Some very important historic cities were abandoned when the course of the river changed and the city became far from the river banks, as the ancient city of Ur ; Dr. Janon Kadhim 10

Climatic Factors in Mesopotamia To overcome the harsh climate, buildings were inwardlooking, depending on their inner courtyard to provide light and ventilation for the building. The openings take prevailing winds into account; The courtyard also became the main social area in houses and buildings; The facades are mostly window-less or with very few and small openings to protect from the heat & dust, Buildings are usually built adjacent to each other with narrow alley-ways for walkways and roads to prevent exposure to the harsh weather as well as for privacy and defense purposes. Dr. Janon Kadhim 11

Cultural Attributes of Mesopotamia Architecture reflects the Spirit of its Age, meaning it is affected by the general cultural environment of the people who create it; The Mesopotamian people were highly influenced by their religious and spiritual beliefs; These beliefs influenced their understanding and outlook to life and to the world around them and was reflected in their art and architecture, as well as in their poetry, literature, and even music. Dr. Janon Kadhim 12

Cultural Attributes of Mesopotamia The Mesopotamians believed in many Gods and their temples were dedicated to these Gods; The Sumerians had a special theory of creation. They believed Man was created from Mud or clay which was the gift from the Gods. Therefore, they believed Mud was a sacred material and ensured to build all structures from Mud or mud brick, even in areas where there was Stone, as Northern Mesopotamia. Dr. Janon Kadhim 13

Cultural Attributes of Mesopotamia They believed Man was created to serve the Gods, therefore they dedicated their temples to them; They were very superstitious, they believed a person could be cursed if his name was known, therefore they used fake names ; They believed Man s strength is in his head, the place of his mind, therefore in sculptures the proportion of the head was lager than reality; They believed the eyes were the mirror of the spirit therefore, in sculptures the eyes were very large or were inlaid with precious stones. Dr. Janon Kadhim 14

Cultural Attributes of Mesopotamia They did not believe in the Divine King, or that the King was the God, as the Egyptians did, but rather the king was to serve the God; They did not believe in life after death, as the Egyptians did, therefore they concentrated on secular (worldly) matters. They built temples for the Gods, and built elaborate palaces and others to celebrate everyday life. They also used perishable materials in building; They did not have funerary architecture (burials, tombs, etc.) since they feared death; The only example is the Royal Burial in UR (the 1st dynasty of UR), which contains the remains of three of the Sumerian kings. Dr. Janon Kadhim 15

A map showing some of the most famous sites of the Mesopotamian Civilization Dr. Janon Kadhim 16

Mesopotamian Era C 10.000 B.C. 539 B.C. Dr. Janon Kadhim 17

Early shelters and settlements The Paleolithic Age in Mesopotamia: Remains of the Cave Man were found in three caves in the mountains of northern Mesopotamia. Human remains in addition to small stone tools and gadgets were found in these caves. Early Settlements of Mesopotamia: The earliest dated back to 10,000 B.C They were founded in northern Mesopotamia; The first huts were circular, built of mud on a foundation of large rocks. Dr. Janon Kadhim 18

The Settlement of Jermo (around 6750 B.C.) Located in northern Mesopotamia; The first agrarian settlement (village) in the world; They planted barely and wheat; The settlement remained inhabited for over 400 yrs; The remains of more than 25-20 houses were found in the settlement; The houses were of rectangular floor plans; Built of Mud on foundations of natural rock; Other settlements followed. The later ones had fortifying walls to protect them. Dr. Janon Kadhim 19

The ancient Mesopotamians were the first to discover means of growing wheat and barley. (The Agrarian Revolution) They invented weaving, pottery and other art forms as early as 10000 BC. Most of all they invented the Wheel. Some of the ancient Mesopotamian agrarian settlements were highly developed. Dr. Janon Kadhim 20

Ancient Mesopotamian Era Pre Dynastic Era ( c. 5300 B.C. 2900 B.C. ) Late Ubaid Jamdet Nasir Warka Ubaid Eridu Early Dynastic Era ( c2900 B.C. 2350 B.C. ) Kish II Dynasty (Kingdom of Misilim) UR I Dynasty Sumerian dynasty Akkadian Empire ( c2371 B.C. 2159 B.C. ) UR III Dynasty Neo Sumerians ( c2110 B.C. 2048 B.C. ) Assyrians (.- 612 B.C.) Babylonians (1895-539 B.C.) In the North in the south Dr. Janon Kadhim 21

Pre Dynastic Era 5300 B.C. - 2900 B.C. Also known as the Pre-Sumerian and Sumerian Era; Very important era since many great developments happened at this time, especially the invention of writing, and the wheel; Many of the typical art forms of Mesopotamia originated in this era; Great architectural achievements: the prototypes of most Mesopotamian architectural types originated in this era including the first cities.

Cuneiform Script Cuneiform script is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. It emerged in Sumer around the 30th century BC, with predecessors reaching into the late 4th millennium (the Uruk IV period), cuneiform writing began as a system of pictographs. In the course of the 3rd millennium BC the pictorial representations became simplified and more abstract. The number of characters in use also grew gradually smaller, from about 1,000 unique characters in the Early Bronze Age to about 400 unique characters in Late Bronze Age (Hittite cuneiform). Cuneiform writing was gradually replaced by alphabetic writing in the Iron Age Neo-Assyrian Empire and was practically extinct by the beginning of the Common Era. It was deciphered from scratch in 19th century scholarship. Dr. Janon Kadhim 23

Cuneiform documents were written on clay tablets, by means of a blunt reed for a stylus. The impressions left by the stylus were wedge shaped, thus giving rise to the name cuneiform "wedge shaped," from the Latin cuneus, meaning "wedge". Dr. Janon Kadhim 24

Dr. Janon Kadhim 25

Art forms typical to Mesopotamia A. Cylindrical seals: An art form typical of Mesopotamia exclusively. A small clay cylinder with bas-relief carving on it. When rolled on a wet clay sled the cylinder leaves an decorative imprint. Cylindrical Seal with imprint Dr. Janon Kadhim 26

First artifacts are traced back to the predynastic era and continuing in Mesopotamian Art through the following eras. Cylinders made of clay, lime or gypsum stone or shell. Dr. Janon Kadhim 27

Cylinders rolled on a surface of wet clay. Imprint is made on wet surface that is then left to dry. Dr. Janon Kadhim 28

Other main art forms: B. Pottery: made of clay, main building and art material in Mesopotamia. Colored and painted pottery becoming typical as early as the 4 th millennium B.C. * Key work Sacred cup, Warka, 3 rd mill. B.C., Pre-dynastic era, Mesopotamia Bas-relief on lime stone Dr. Janon Kadhim 29

C. Small sculptures. 1. Bas-Relief sculpture: usually using clay as a main material. 2. Sculptures in-the-round, made mostly of limestone 3. Inlaid bas-relief sculptures: most typical inlays in shell, stones or colored stone. One of the earliest works of sculpture, Head statue of the Sumerian woman, Warka, 2800 B.C., Pre-Dynastic Era D. Jewelry: mostly made of gold, silver, bronze and inlaid with precious and semi precious stones. Some designs are very elaborate and fashionable Dr. Janon Kadhim 30

E. The art of colored cones (Mosaic like): Cone shaped objects made of clay and colored in vibrant colors are nailed into the wet mud wall. It creates a beautiful decoration in addition to embracing and strengthening the wall. This art form is typical of the pre-dynastic era and disappeared afterwards Cone mosaics, Warka, Temple of Inanna, hall of the pillars, Pre-dynastic era * Key work Dr. Janon Kadhim 31

Cone mosaics, Warka, Temple of Inanna, hall of the pillars, Pre-dynastic era Dr. Janon Kadhim 32

1. Temples: Pre-Dynastic Architecture The first Mesopotamian temples were built in this era forming the basic prototype. No Palaces in this era; They believed the temple was the God s home on earth; They believed the Gods chose certain places to reside in, that s why certain sites were sacred and temples were always built on these sites and old temples continuously renovated; They also had the tradition of building new temples on top of the old. This eventually led to the high temple; Sites like Uruk, Warka, and UR were considered sacred; Dr. Janon Kadhim 33

Mesopotamian Temples First temples had simple rectangular plans; They contained the basic spaces: Entrance Courtyard; Antecella: the space that leads to the Cella; The Cella or Sanctuary: place of worship, contained an offering table, and a nitch; Fortification: in some of the temples Dr. Janon Kadhim 34

Types of Mesopotamian Temples Low Temples: The first type of temples were of this type. They are built directly on the ground; High Temples: 1. Mastaba type: the first type of high temples developed naturally due to building new temples on top of the old leading over time to a raised ground level; 2. The Ziggurat: the first one built was in the Neo- Sumerian era, Ur Dynasty III, in 2100 B.C. (will explain later) Dr. Janon Kadhim 35

Building materials used in Temples Temples were built of sun-baked Mud brick, on foundation of large rocks; Recessed Paneling is used on the outer facades to strengthen the wall. Also creating a beautiful shade and shadow effect on the window-less elevation; The exterior facades were coated with a layer of slurry mud or plaster to protect them; Some decorative means were used on the temple walls like a frieze (strip) decorated with inlays of colored stone or shells; The art of cone mosaics was used in some examples. Dr. Janon Kadhim 36

The White Temple, Uruk, c. 3000 B.C., Pre-Dynastic (high temple) Called the White temple because the exterior walls were coated with a layer of Plaster to protect them *Key Work Very simple floor plan, typical of Mesopotamian Temples Dr. Janon Kadhim 37

Pre-Dynastic Cities The Sumerian city of Warka, in southern Mesopotamia was the first planned city in history; Built c. 3000 B.C.; It contains the 3 typical elements of the Mesopotamian city: The city walls: the walls of Warka were fortified with towers; The urban center (or Core): which contained the main temple, also the white temple; The residential district: Organic in planning, with adjacent courtyard houses and narrow alley ways. Dr. Janon Kadhim 38

Warka, 3000 B.C., Southern Mesopotamia, The first planned city in history, Warka is a sacred site therefore it contains many famous Mesopotamian temples Warka * Key work Dr. Janon Kadhim 39

Early Dynastic era 2500 B.C. - 2230 B.C. City States: Many cities formed in this era in the southern part of the region on the river banks. Some of these cities become self governing states called city stats ruled by families or dynasties. Most famous are Warka, Ur, Kish, Lagash. Famous dynasties of the era: UR Dynasty I - 2600 B.C., (Sumerian dynasty) Dynasty of Kish II, (Tribes from Arab Peninsula), their king Misilim started the palace as a new building typeseparating the (religious) power from the secular power of the king. Dr. Janon Kadhim 40

Early Dynastic Era Also known as the Sumerian era. Famous Sumerian city state of UR and the royal dynasty of Ur I Sumerian woman with gold jewelry, Early Dynastic era, UR Dynasty I 2600 B.C. * Key work Dr. Janon Kadhim 41

The Dynasty of UR I was famous for its Gold Jewelry works with some outstanding designs; Many of these objects were found in the Royal Burial in UR, 2600 B.C., the only example of burial architecture in Mesopotamia Dr. Janon Kadhim 42

They were also famous for tools, weapons and musical instruments that were made of Bronze, gold and other precious materials, using inlays of shells and precious and semi-precious stones Sumerian Golden Harp Early dynastic, UR Dynasty I 2600 B.C. Dr. Janon Kadhim 43

Early Dynastic Era Standard of UR, Wall Mural UR Dynasty I, 2600 B.C. Bas-Relief filed with shell on Bitumen backing Dr. Janon Kadhim 44

Early Dynastic Architecture Temples: Followed the same style of those of the predynastic era, but became larger and a little more elaborate or complicated; Some Temples were surrounded by a fortifying wall, like the mustaba temple in Khafaja; Cities: New cities were built following the main concepts and elements developed in the previous era. Famous cities: Ur and Kish; The Palace: New building type created by Misilim the ruler of Kish; He built the first Palace Misilim Palace, Kish, 2600 B.C. Dr. Janon Kadhim 45

The Temple in Khafaji, c. 2600 B.C., Early- Dynastic era, Mastaba type temple. Enclosed in an oval shape enclosure Dr. Janon Kadhim 46

The Akkadian Empire 2230 2350 B.C. The Stele, a new art form invented by the Akkadians which later also became typical of Mesopotamian art The Stele of King Naram-Sin Akkadian Empire 2230-2350 B.C. * Key work Dr. Janon Kadhim 47

King Sargon of Akkad, founder of Akkadian Empire,2230-2350 B.C. Head Sculpture in bronze Dr. Janon Kadhim 48

The Neo- Sumerians UR Dynasty III 2021-2125 B.C. Created by king Ur-Nammu the ruler of the third dynasty of UR; He defeated the Akkadian Empire and reunited all of Mesopotamia under his leadership; Great developments especially in the arts and architecture happened in this era; Dr. Janon Kadhim 49

The Ziggurat An outstanding development by the Dynasty of Ur III; The ziggurat is a high temple; It is called the God s heavenly home. So it is built on a very high platform to ensure that is closer to the sky; The first ziggurat is the great ziggurat of Ur- Nammu in Ur, 2100 B.C. Dr. Janon Kadhim 50

Neo-Sumerian Era ; Ur, 2021 2123 B.C. Ziggurat of UR-NAMMU, UR Neo-Sumerians, UR dynasty III 2100 B.C. / main feature of the neo-sumerians * Key work Dr. Janon Kadhim 51

Ziggurat of UR-NAMMU, UR Neo-Sumerians, UR dynasty III 2100 B.C. A reconstruction drawing of the ziggurat Aerial view of the ruins of Ur and the reconstruction of the ziggurat base Dr. Janon Kadhim 52

The City of Ur in the Neo-Sumerian era (Ur Dynasty III) With a contemporary day Arial view Dr. Janon Kadhim 53

The Citadel of ancient Ur, 2100 B.C., Ur Dynasty III Contains the main elements of the urban core which are the main temples, the Ziggurat and the palace. All contained within the fortified walls forming the citadel Dr. Janon Kadhim 54

The residential district, City of Ur, 2100 B.C. Adjacent courtyard houses with narrow, twisty alleys and road Dr. Janon Kadhim 55

Other typical Mesopotamian art forms continued to flourish and develop in the era, as the cylindrical seals, pottery, and Stella. Stele of Ur-Nammu, Ur, Neo Sumerian, Ur Dynasty III, 2100 B.C. * Key work Dr. Janon Kadhim 56

Key works 1) Sacred cup, Warka, 3 rd mill. B.C., Pre-dynastic era, Mesopotamia, Basrelief on lime stone 2) Cone mosaics, Temple of Inanna, hall of the pillars, Warka, Pre-dynastic era 3) The White Temple, Uruk, c. 3000 B.C., Pre-Dynastic (high temple) 4) City of Warka, 3000 B.C., Southern Mesopotamia, 5) Sumerian woman with gold jewelry, Early Dynastic era, Ur Dynasty I, 2600 B.C. 6) Ziggurat of UR-NAMMU, Ur, Neo-Sumerians, Ur dynasty III, 2100 B.C. (High Temple) 7) Stele of Ur-Nammu, Ur, Neo Sumerian, Ur Dynasty III, 2100 B.C. 8) The Stele of King Naram-Sin, Akkadian Empire, Akad, 2230-2350 B.C. Dr. Janon Kadhim 57