Art History ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN ART White Temple and Ziggurat

Main room of a temple where the god is housed

Cella

Pyramid-like building made of several stories that indent as the building gets taller; ziggurats have terraces at each level

ZIGGURAT

Sky god; most important Sumerian god

Anu

 no straight pathway to protect sacred place (temple)

Bent axis plan

Served as a "waiting room" or home on Earth for the sky god Anu

Religious Center

Projected the power of the priests and ruler (patesi/king), who claimed exclusive access to negotiate with the gods on behalf of the city

Theocratic Authority

Elevated the temple (~40 feet above the flat plain) to physically bridge the gap between humans and heaven, and to protect the shrine from frequent river flooding.

Sacred Height

Holy

White=

The interior contained a main central sanctuary flanked by smaller side rooms

Cella (Central Hall):

 Inside the cella were a central altar for animal or food sacrifices and a fire pit (hearth) where ritual burnings took place

Altar & Hearth:

Uruk was the world's first true urban metropolis (population ~40,000+).

Sumerian Civilization (Uruk Period):

The temple stood at the center of both religious life and economic life—collecting taxes, storing surplus grain, and redistributing supplies.

Theocratic Socialism:

Constructing a massive mud-brick structure required an estimated 7,500 workers working continuously for 5 years, demonstrating extraordinary civic organization and division of labor.

Labour Mobilization:

White Temple and Ziggurat, Uruk (modern Warka), Iraq, ca. 3200–3000 BCE, mud brick.

IDs?

40ft Mudbrick Ziggurat with temple on top

Form

Large mound (ziggurat) with a modest sized temple for clergy/royalty to meet with gods and offer sacrifices.  Stairs and Sloped sides leading to a flat platform.

Content:

The representation and housing of the gods, served as a focal point in the city for the theocratic ideals of the society because of its height. Temple itself was exclusive but there were areas to congregate on the ziggurat outside the temple. Sloped sides helped drain rainwater.

Function:

Ancient Sumer, (modern Iraq) served the Sun god Anu. 

Context: