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OBJECTIVES:

Mesopotamia

• Sumer
• Babylon
• Assyria
• Persia

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GEOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCE

• West Asian Architecture

developed and
flourished between the
twin rivers.

MESOS (MIDDLE)
POTAMOS (RIVER)

=LAND BETWEEN THE

RIVERS
TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES

Ancient Near East: PREPARED BY AR. ROY DE GUZMAN

MESOPOTAMIA

• Not a country

• Mesopotamia is a term used to refer to the

area where the Earliest Civilizations started.

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GEOLOGICAL INFLUENCE & ARCHITECTURAL BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

• No good natural stone deposits in Mesopotamia, Assyria and Babylonia, hence use
of sun-dried bricks. Also lack of timber (imported from Lebanon), hence only limited
use of burned bricks covered by bitumen as outer layer (floods and heavy rains).
Persia: Good stone, much wood, hence use of TIMBER and LIME STONE.

Ancient Near East: PREPARED BY AR. ROY DE GUZMAN

ARCHITECTURAL THEORY: CHARACTER

MASSIVENESS

MONUMENTALITY

GRANDEUR

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SEQUENCE OF CIVILIZATION

4500 BC to 2000 BC Sumerian Civilization

2350 BC to 2200 BC Sargon’s rule over Sumerian’s
(Akkadian Empire)
1792 BC to 1570 BC Old Babylonian Empire
1350 BC to 612 BC Assyrian Empire
625 BC to 539 BC Neo-Babylonian Empire
560 BC to 275 BC Persian Empire

Ancient Near East: PREPARED BY AR. ROY DE GUZMAN

SUMER
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SUMER
• Earliest known Civilization

• Started around 4000 BCE

• Located at the Eastern

part of Mesopotamia

Ancient Near East: PREPARED BY AR. ROY DE GUZMAN

City states of Sumer

• UR City states all had separate

rulers and kings until
• URUK Sargon, leader of Akkad,
invaded and conquered all
• UMMA states and built an empire
(2350 BC).
• KISH

• LAGASH

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Sumerians’ Advanced Technologies

• Invention of wheel

• Possibly earliest writing system

• First to use maps

• Invented sails for navigation.

• First Literature- Epic of Gilgamesh

(written in cuneiform)

• Mathematical systems based on 60

Ex. 60 mins., 60 seconds.

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Sumerians’ Advanced Technologies

• Cuneiform- one of the Earliest writing system ever
developed (Syllabary, contra Alphabet and Pictograms)

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• Sumerians worshipped many gods (polytheism). Their life was centered

around religion.

God of the air

and clouds

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• Sumerians experience flood

but when the sun comes, the
land becomes dry. Due to this:

• The Sumerians established an

irrigation system to save their
food production.

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ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS AND CHARACTER

• Mud was their main building

material.

• Walls are built for protection.

• Walls were thick to

compensate the weakness of
mud.

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ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS AND CHARACTER

• Walls were reinforced with

buttresses.

• Buttresses and recesses were

used to relieve the monotony
of the plastered wall surfaces.

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SUMERIAN ARCHITECTURE
SUMERIAN HOUSES
• The houses were usually
punctuated by narrow
openings that serve as
entrance to houses.

• Houses have narrow streets

between them.

• Street layout is irregular and

“chaotic”, no canalisation

Ancient Near East: PREPARED BY AR. ROY DE GUZMAN

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SUMERIAN ARCHITECTURE

TEMPLES

• Principal Architectural
monuments of Sumerian
cities.

Example:
Oval Temple at Khafaje.

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SUMERIAN ARCHITECTURE

Oval Temple at Khafaje

• Constructed around 2600 BC

• Named Oval because of its

massive oval walls
surrounding the temple.

• The temple is raised on a

simple platform.

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SUMERIAN ARCHITECTURE

Oval Temple at Khafaje

• Constructed around 2600 BC

• Named Oval because of its

massive oval walls
surrounding the temple.

• The temple is raised on a

simple platform.

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ZIGGURAT
• Built of mud-bricks.

• Major building and

centerpiece of each
Sumerian city.

• A temple tower, built in

several diminishing storeys,
culminating in a summit shrine
reached by a series of
stairways.

• Also called: Step temple.

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ZIGGURAT
• Walls are ornamented on the outside with
alternating buttresses and recesses.

• Interior wall ornament often consist of

patterned mosaics of terra cotta panels,
painted in bright colors.

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ZIGGURAT
• Walls are ornamented on the outside with
alternating buttresses and recesses.

• Interior wall ornament often consist of

patterned mosaics of terra cotta panels,
painted in bright colors.

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THREE TYPES OF ZIGGURAT

• ARCHAIC ZIGGURAT

• TWO OR MORE STOREY ZIGGURAT

• SEVEN STOREY ZIGGURAT

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Archaic Ziggurat

usually one flat top

rectangular mound carrying
the temple.

Example: The White Temple

and the Great Ziggurat, Uruk,
3200-3000 BC

Believed to have been dedicated to

the sky god, Anu.

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Archaic Ziggurat

The White Temple and the

Great Ziggurat, Uruk,
3200-3000 BC

Believed to have been dedicated to

the sky god, Anu.

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Archaic ziggurat

usually one flat top

rectangular mound
carrying the temple.

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Two or more storey

Ziggurat

Rectangular in plan,
design with several tiers.

Example: Ziggurat of Ur

Ziggurat of Ur

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Two or more storey

Ziggurat

Rectangular in plan,
design with several tiers.

Example: Ziggurat of Ur

Ziggurat of Ur

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Two or more storey Ziggurat

Ziggurat of Ur

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Seven-storey Ziggurat Example: Babylon

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Seven-storey Ziggurat

See also Hanging Gardens,

Palace of Nebuchadnezzar II

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Seven-storey Ziggurat

See also Hanging Gardens,

Palace of Nebuchadnezzar II

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Seven-storey Ziggurat

Temple of Birs Nimrud (2000 bc)

Dedicaded to the seven planets,

with glazed tiles in different color.

1. Black: Saturn
2. Orange: Jupiter
3. Red: Mars
4. Yellow: Sun
5. Green: Venus
6. Blue: Mercury
7. White: Moon

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1792 BC

Amorites (Hamitic-speaking people

from Syria) took over the Sumer and
established their capital in Babylon
START OF OLD BABYLONIAN EMPIRE

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BABYLON
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SEQUENCE OF CIVILIZATION

4500 BC to 2000 BC Sumerian Civilization

2350 BC to 2200 BC Sargon’s rule over Sumerian’s
(Akkadian Empire)
1792 BC to 1570 BC Old Babylonian Empire
1350 BC to 612 BC Assyrian Empire
625 BC to 539 BC Neo-Babylonian Empire
560 BC to 275 BC Persian Empire

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BABYLON

• Babylon means ‘The Gate of

the God’

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BABYLON
The old Babylonian Empire was ruled by
(among others) King Hammurabi

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HAMMURABI
• Famous for his codes of law called the Code of
Hammurabi.

• The code of Hammurabi was inscribed on a stele and

placed in a public place so that all could see it.

“Eye for an
Eye”!!!

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CODE OF HAMMURABI

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CODE OF HAMMURABI

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1350 BC
The Assyrians conquer Babylon
START OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE

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ASSYRIA

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SEQUENCE OF CIVILIZATION

4500 BC to 2000 BC Sumerian Civilization

2350 BC to 2200 BC Sargon’s rule over Sumerian’s
(Akkadian Empire)
1792 BC to 1570 BC Old Babylonian Empire
1350 BC to 612 BC Assyrian Empire
625 BC to 539 BC Neo-Babylonian Empire
560 BC to 275 BC Persian Empire

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• Assyrians are known for

their military might and
cruelty.

• The Assyrians were great

warriors and hunters, this
was reflected in their art.

• Sculptures and carvings in

stone depicting violence
and war, used to
ornament their palaces.

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• Assyrians are known for

their military might and
cruelty.

• The Assyrians were great

warriors and hunters, this
was reflected in their art.

• Sculptures and carvings in

stone depicting violence
and war, used to
ornament their palaces.

Ancient Near East: PREPARED BY AR. ROY DE GUZMAN

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ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTURE
Palaces took precedent over
religious buildings.

TEMPLES LOST THEIR

IMPORTANCE DURING
ASSYRIAN PERIOD.

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ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTURE
• Assyrian buildings- Vaulted & flat strips, buttressed walls with glazed
ornaments.

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ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTURE
• Palaces were raised on brick platforms, and their principal entrance ways
were flanked by guardian figures of human headed bulls or lions of stone.

Lamassu:
Stone
Human Lion
headed
winged
bull

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ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTURE
• Walls of cities were
strengthened with many
towers serving as
defensive positions.

• The interiors of palaces

were richly decorated
and luxurious.

City of Khorsabad

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• Khorsabad was designed as the

royal capital of Assyria during
the reign of Sargon II.
(Formerly Nimrud, thereafter
Ninive)

• Enclosed by a double wall with

seven gates.

• Only palaces, temples, and

administrative headquarters
were built.
City of Khorsabad plan

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ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTURE
Palace of Sargon II
• The palace was decorated with
relief sculptures and glazed brick

• The palace was arranged

around two major courtyards.
(All buildings within the citadel
were arranged around
courtyards)

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ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTURE
Palace of Sargon II
• The palace was decorated with
relief sculptures and glazed brick

• The palace was arranged

around two major courtyards.
(All buildings within the citadel
were arranged around
courtyards)

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ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTURE
Palace of Sargon II
• The palace was decorated
with relief sculptures and
glazed brick

• The palace was arranged

around two major courtyards.
(All buildings within the citadel
were arranged around
courtyards)

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ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTURE

PALACE OF SARGON
II, KORSABAD (720BC)

• Entrance portals
flanked with
statues of Lamassu

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ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTURE

PALACE OF SARGON II,

KHORSABAD (720BC)

• Entrance portals
flanked with statues
of Lamassu.

Royal guard colossal beast symbolize: Guardians against evil,

with fierceness of a lion, sight of an eagle, strength of a bull and
wisdom & intelligence of a human being.

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G. ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS &

EXAMPLES
PALACE OF SARGON II, KHORSABAD (720BC)

IMPORTANT PARTS
A. SERAGLO – PALACE PROPERLY WICH
INCLUDES THE KINGS RESIDENCE, MEN’S
APARTMENT & RECEPTION COURT

B. HAREM- PRIVATE FAMILY APARTMENT

AND WOMENS QUARTER

C. KHAN- SERVICE CHAMBER

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625 BC
ASSYRIANS WERE DEFEATED BY NABOPOLASSAR
START OF BABYLONIAN EMPIRE REVIVAL

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NEO-BABYLONIA

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SEQUENCE OF CIVILIZATION

4500 BC to 2000 BC Sumerian Civilization

2350 BC to 2200 BC Sargon’s rule over Sumerian’s
(Akkadian Empire)
1792 BC to 1570 BC Old Babylonian Empire
1350 BC to 612 BC Assyrian Empire
625 BC to 539 BC Neo-Babylonian Empire
560 BC to 275 BC Persian Empire

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NEO-BABYLONIAN EMPIRE 625 BC

• Period when Babylon reached its
peak of civilization.

• Old Sumer cities were rebuilt during

the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

• The capital old Babylon was

enlarged and heavily fortified.

• Adorned with magnificent new

buildings.

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OLD BABYLONIAN EMPIRE NEO-BABYLONIAN EMPIRE 625 BC

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NEO-BABYLONIAN ARCHITECTURE

ISHTAR GATE

• Built into the double walls of

the city fortification

• The gate had a pair of

projecting towers on each
wall.

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NEO-BABYLONIAN ARCHITECTURE

ISHTAR GATE

• All the facades of gates

were faced with blue
glazed bricks and
ornamented with figures
of heraldic animals-
lions, bulls, and dragons

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NEO-BABYLONIAN ARCHITECTURE

NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S PALACE

• Nebuchadnezzar’s
palace covered a land
area of 900 feet by 600
feet.

• The palace is praised

for its legendary
hanging garden (Myth,
Ninive???)

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NEO-BABYLONIAN
ARCHITECTURE

SADDAM HUSSEIN’S
PALACE in Babylon

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NEO-BABYLONIAN ARCH.

HANGING GARDENS OF
BABYLON

• Recorded as one of the

Seven Wonders of the
ancient world, but exact
knowledge of the
nature of this garden is
not known.

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NEO-BABYLONIAN ARCH.

• Temples and Towers

were also prominent
Architectural elements
of Babylon

• The legendary tower of

Babel located at the
end of procession street
is mentioned in the
Christian bible.

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560 BC
CYRUS THE GREAT TAKES OVER BABYLON
START OF PERSIAN EMPIRE

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PERSIA
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SEQUENCE OF CIVILIZATION

4500 BC to 2000 BC Sumerian Civilization

2350 BC to 2200 BC Sargon’s rule over Sumerian’s
(Akkadian Empire)
1792 BC to 1570 BC Old Babylonian Empire
1350 BC to 612 BC Assyrian Empire
625 BC to 539 BC Neo-Babylonian Empire
560 BC to 275 BC Persian Empire

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PERSIAN EMPIRE
• Also known as The
Achaemenid Empire

• Became an example for

other empires

• Ruled by Cyrus the Great

and later on by Darius
the Great.

From the 2006 movie ‘300’

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CYRUS THE GREAT

• He freed the Jews that were exiled in Babylon.

• Well recognized for his achievements in human

rights, politics, and military strategy.

• Conquered Babylon using propaganda. He turned

the Babylonian people against their king instead of
using warfare.

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CYRUS THE GREAT

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DARIUS THE GREAT

• He ruled the Persian Empire after Cyrus the Great.

• He made Aramaic the official language in his

empire.

• He organized a new uniform monetary system. The

empire was centralized and unified during his reign.

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XERXES THE GREAT

• Predecessor of Darius the Great.

• Failed to invade Greece.

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE
• Persargardae (pa-sar-gard), Paradaisia
(greek) the first world’s majestic garden

“Creating gardens was Held in such esteem

that the Persian Kings wished to be
remembered as gardeners.”

Earliest invention of water cistern

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE
• Persargardae (pa-sar-gard), Paradaisia
(greek) the first world’s majestic garden

“Creating gardens was Held in such esteem

that the Persian Kings wished to be
remembered as gardeners.”

Earliest invention of water cistern

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE
PERSEPOLIS
• Constructed as a new capital
for the Persian Empire

• Surrounded by a fortification
wall which encloses three
terraces, remains of the great
palaces of Darius and Xerxes.

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE
PERSEPOLIS
PROPYLEA (Gateway of Xerxes)
• Entrance hall designed by
xerxes

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE
PERSEPOLIS
PROPYLEA (Gateway of Xerxes)
• Entrance hall designed by
xerxes

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE
PERSEPOLIS
PALACE OF DARIUS THE GREAT (521BC)

• Darius Hall, APADANA, Pillars adorned

with Gold, Silver and Tapastry.

• With water and Drainage System

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE
PERSEPOLIS
PALACE OF DARIUS THE GREAT (521BC)

• Darius Hall, APADANA, Pillars adorned

with Gold, Silver and Tapastry.

• With water and Drainage System

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE
PERSEPOLIS ENTABLATURE

PALACE OF DARIUS THE GREAT (521BC)

COLONADE
(COLUMN)
• DEPICTING DARIUS’ ARMY

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE
PERSEPOLIS
PALACE OF DARIUS THE GREAT
(521BC)

• DEPICTING DARIUS’ ARMY

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE
PERSEPOLIS

PALACE OF XERXES AND APARTMENTS

MAIN FEATURE: APADANA (ROYAL CENTRAL HALL)

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TIMBER FRAMED

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE ANATOMY

CAPITAL
PERSEPOLIS

Palace of Xerxes, Artexerxes and

Apartments
Main feature: APADANA (ROYAL
CENTRAL HALL/ HALL OF HUNDRED SHAFT
COLUMNS 200ftx200ft, 100ft shaft,
8 drums )
`

BASE

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE
PERSEPOLIS

Palace of Xerxes, Artexerxes and

Apartments
Main feature: APADANA (ROYAL
CENTRAL HALL/ HALL OF HUNDRED
COLUMNS 200ftx200ft, 100ft shaft,
8 drums )
`

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PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE

TOMB OF DARIUS, NAKSH-

I-RUSTAM(485 BC)

• Example of rock cut

tomb, free standing
tomb, cut into the cliffs
and featuring carvings of
architectural façade.

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CONCLUSION
• Temples and Palaces were the most prominent building types in the
Ancient Near East.

• Across all the Civilizations, cities were usually walled.

• The walls were of massive brick material, with evenly distributed

towers serving as buttresses.

• Importance of temples and palaces varied during the different

periods of the ancient near east.

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CONCLUSION
• Temple building declined during the Assyrian period.

• Stone and timber suitable for building was rare in the plains of the
Tigris and Euphrates.

• Sun dried brick became the standard building material.

• The Babylonians introduce glazed brick.

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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
PLANS:
BABYLONIAN PALACES AND TEMPLES WERE BUILT
ON ARTIFICIAL PLATFORMS 30DEG. ABOVE THE
PLAIN. ZIGGURAT WHICH GROWS SEVERAL TIERS
HAD THEIR ANGLES TO THE CARDINAL POINTS,
SAME WITH ASSYRIANS

PERSIANS HAS LOWER LEVEL AND IN TERRACES

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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
WALLS
BABYLONIAN WALLS ARE NORMALLY MADE UP OF
SUN DRIED BRICKS FACED WITH KILN BURNT

ASSYRIAN WALLS ARE ALSO MADE OF SUNDRIED

BRICKS WITH POLYCHROME

PERSIAN FOLLOWED THE ASSYRIAN STYLE

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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
OPENINGS
BABYLONIAN AND ASSYRIAN DOORS ARE
USUALLY SPANNED BY SEMI CIRCULAR

PERSIAN SPANNED BY LINTELS AND MONSTERS

PRIOR TO DOORWAYS

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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
WINDOWS
BABYLONIAN AND ASSYRIAN WINDOWS ARE NOT
IN USE
PERSIAN ARE ALSO SPANDED WITH LINTELS

ROOF
GENERALLY FLAT

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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
COLUMNS
Babylonian & assyrians have no columns
Persians with high moulded base, fluted shafts, bracketing system and with
capitals

MOULDINGS
Babylonian & assyrian were of little use
Persians adopted from egyptians

ORNAMENTS
Babylonian mostly flora fauna elements
Assyrian & persian they have monster flanking elements in bricks with colour

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REFERENCES
1. Cruickshank(1996) Sir Fletcher Banister’s A History of
Architecture 20th Edition, Architectural Press, Oxford
2. Ching (1995) A visual Dictionary of Architecture, John
Wiley & Sons, Canada
3. Fazio,Moffett,Wodehouse(2013) A world History of
Architecture 3rd Edition, LaurenceKing Publishing, London
4. Cole(2002) Architectural details: A visual guide to 5000
years of building styles
5. History Chanel(2012) Engineering An Empire: Persia

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 11/01/2023

REFERENCES
6. Jones, Denna (2014). ARCHITECTURE: The Whole Story.
Thames & Hudson Ltd, High Holborn, London.
7. Reader’s Digest. Knowledge Quest: The Ancient World.
The Reader’s Digest Association Limited, London.
8. S. Lloyd, H.W. Muller (2014). History of World
Architecture: Ancient Architecture. Electa Architecture
Mondadori, Milano.
9. Ching, Jarzombek, Prakash (2011). A Global History of
Architecture, Second Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,
New Jersey.

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REFERENCES
10. J.Pile, J. Gurra (2013). A History of Interior Design Fourth
Edition. Laurence King Publishing, Ltd., London.
11. Irving, Mark (2007). 1001 Buildings You Must See Before
You Die. Octopus Publishing Group Limited, Carmelite
House, London.

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