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Ziggurat of Ur
Early Bronze Age ziggurat in present-day Iraq / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ziggurat (or Great Ziggurat) of Ur (Sumerian: 𒂍𒋼𒅎𒅍 é-temen-ní-gùru "Etemenniguru",[3] meaning "temple whose foundation creates aura")[4] is a Neo-Sumerian ziggurat in what was the city of Ur near Nasiriyah, in present-day Dhi Qar Province, Iraq. The structure was built during the Early Bronze Age (21st century BC) but had crumbled to ruins by the 6th century BC of the Neo-Babylonian period, when it was restored by King Nabonidus.
Etemenniguru | |
![]() Partially reconstructed facade and the access staircase of the ziggurat. The actual remains of the Neo-Babylonian structure can be seen at the top. | |
Alternative name | Great Ziggurat of Ur |
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Location | Tell el-Muqayyar, Dhi Qar Province, Iraq |
Region | Mesopotamia |
Coordinates | 30°57′46″N 46°6′11″E |
Type | Temple |
Part of | Ur |
Area | 2880 m2[1] |
Height | over 30 m[2] |
History | |
Builder | Ur-Nammu |
Material | mud brick with burnt brick facing[2] |
Founded | started in c. 2050–2030 BC, completed in c. 2030–1980 BC[2] |
Its remains were excavated in the 1920s and 1930s by Sir Leonard Woolley. Under Saddam Hussein in the 1980s, they were encased by a partial reconstruction of the façade and the monumental staircase. The Ziggurat of Ur is the best-preserved of those known from Mesopotamia, besides the ziggurat of Dur Untash (Chogha Zanbil).[5] It is one of three well-preserved structures of the Neo-Sumerian city of Ur, along with the Royal Mausolea and the Palace of Ur-Nammu (the E-hursag).