A gleaming temple built atop a mud-brick platform, it towered abovethe yat plain of Uruk.Visible from a great distanceUruk (modern Warka in Iraq)—where city life began more than xvethousand years ago and where the xrst writing emerged—was clearlyone of the most important places in southern Mesopotamia. WithinUruk, the greatest monument was the Anu Ziggurat on which theWhite Temple was built. Dating to the late 4th millennium B.C.E. (theLate Uruk Period, or Uruk III) and dedicated to the sky god Anu, thistemple would have towered well above (approximately 40 feet) the yatplain of Uruk, and been visible from a great distance—even over thedefensive walls of the city.ZigguratsA ziggurat is a built raised platform with four sloping sides—like achopped-ow pyramid. Ziggurats are made of mud-bricks—the buildingmaterial of choice in the Near East, as stone is rare. Ziggurats werenot only a visual focal point of the city, they were a symbolic one,as well—they were at the heart of the theocratic political system (atheocracy is a type of government where a god is recognized as theruler, and the state ozcials operate on the god’s behalf). So, seeingthe ziggurat towering above the city, one made a visual connectionto the god or goddess honored there, but also recognizedthat deity’s political authority.Excavators of the White Temple estimate that it would have taken1500 laborers working on average ten hours per day for about xveyears to build the last major revetment (stone facing) of its massiveunderlying terrace (the open areas surrounding the White Temple atthe top of the ziggurat). Although religious belief may have inspiredparticipation in such a project, no doubt some sort of force(corvée labor—unpaid labor coerced by the state/slavery) was involvedas well.ue sides of the ziggurat were very broad and sloping but brokenup by recessed stripes or bands from top to bosom (see digitalreconstruction, above), which would have made a stunning pasernin morning or arernoon sunlight. ue only way up to the top of theziggurat was via a steep stairway that led to a ramp that wrappedaround the north end of the Ziggurat and brought one to the templeentrance. ue yat top of the ziggurat was coated with bitumen(asphalt—a tar or pitch-like material similar to what is used forroad paving) and overlaid with brick, for a xrm and waterprooffoundation for the White temple. ue temple gets its name for the factthat it was entirely white washed inside and out, which would havegiven it a dazzling brightness in strong sunlight.Archaeological site at Uruk (modern Warka) in Iraq (photo: SAC Andy Holmes(RAF)/MOD, Open Government Licence v1.0) <heps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Uruk_Archaealogical_site_at_Warka,_Iraq_MOD_45156521.jpg>35Digital reconstruction of the two-story version of the White Temple, Uruk (modernWarka), c, 3517-3358 B.C.E. © artefacts-berlin.de; scientijc material: GermanArchaeological InstituteThe White Templeue White temple was rectangular, measuring 17.5 x 22.3 metersand, at its corners, oriented to the cardinal points. It is a typicalUruk “high temple (Hochtempel)” type with a tri-partite plan: a longrectangular central hall with rooms on either side (plan). ue WhiteTemple had three entrances, none of which faced the ziggurat rampdirectly. Visitors would have needed to walk around the temple,appreciating its bright façade and the powerful view, and likely gainedaccess to the interior in a “bent axis” approach (where one would haveto turn 90 degrees to face the altar), a typical arrangement for AncientNear Eastern temples.Interior view of the two-story version of the “White Temple,” Digital reconstructionof the White Temple, Uruk (modern Warka), c, 3517-3358 B.C.E. © artefacts-berlin.de; scientijc material: German Archaeological Instituteue north west and east corner chambers of the building containedstaircases (unxnished in the case of the one at the north end).Chambers in the middle of the northeast room suite appear to havebeen equipped with wooden shelves in the walls and displayedcavities for sesing in pivot stones which might imply a solid door wasxsed in these spaces. ue north end of the central hall had a podiumaccessible by means of a small staircase and an altar with a xre-stained surface. Very few objects were found inside the White Temple,although what has been found is very interesting. Archaeologistsuncovered some 19 tablets of gypsum on the yoor of the temple—all ofwhich had cylinder seal impressions and reyected temple accounting.Also, archaeologists uncovered a foundation deposit of the bones ofa leopard and a lion in the eastern corner of the Temple (foundationdeposits, ritually buried objects and bones, are not uncommon inancient architecture).Remains of the Anu Ziggurat, Uruk (modern Warka), c. 3517-3358 B.C.E. (photo:Geoi Emberling, by permission) <heps://www.kickr.com/photos/emberling/8609236153/in/photostream/>To the north of the White Temple there was a broad yat terrace, at thecenter of which archaeologists found a huge pit with traces of xre (2.2x 2.7m) and a loop cut from a massive boulder. Most interestingly, asystem of shallow bitumen-coated conduits were discovered. ueseran from the southeast and southwest of the terrace edges and enteredthe temple through the southeast and southwest doors.Archaeologists conjecture that liquids would have yowed from theterrace to collect in a pit in the center hall of the temple

The monumental, stepped architectural structure built by Mesopotamian people and known in the cities of Uruk, Ur, Nippur and Eridu is called a Answer Question 4. (one word answer; be careful with your spelling)

Urbanisation in Southern Mesopotamia:Temples and KingsFrom 5000 BCE, settlements had begun to develop in southernMesopotamia. The earliest cities emerged from some of these settlements.These were of various kinds: those that gradually developed aroundtemples; those that developed as centres of trade; and imperial cities.It is cities of the first two kinds that will be discussed here.Early settlers (their origins are unknown) began to build and rebuildtemples at selected spots in their villages. The earliest known templewas a small shrine made of unbaked bricks. Temples were the residencesof various gods: of the Moon God of Ur, or of Inanna the Goddess of Loveand War. Constructed in brick, temples became larger over time, withseveral rooms around open courtyards. Some of theearly ones were possibly not unlike the ordinary house– for the temple was the house of a god. But templesalways had their outer walls going in and out at regularintervals, which no ordinary building ever had.The god was the focus of worship: to him or herpeople brought grain, curd and fish (the floors of someearly temples had thick layers of fish bones). The godwas also the theoretical owner of the agricultural fields,the fisheries, and the herds of the local community. Intime, the processing of produce (for example, oilpressing, grain grinding, spinning, and the weaving ofwoollen cloth) was also done in the temple. Organiserof production at a level above the household, employerof merchants and keeper of written records ofdistributions and allotments of grain, plough animals,bread, beer, fish, etc., the temple gradually developedits activities and became the main urban institution.But there was also another factor on the scene.In spite of natural fertility, agriculture was subjectto hazards. The natural outlet channels of the Euphrates would havetoo much water one year and flood the crops, and sometimes theywould change course altogether. As the archaeological record shows,villages were periodically relocated in Mesopotamian history. Therewere man-made problems as well. Those who lived on the upstreamstretches of a channel could divert so much water into their fieldsthat villages downstream were left without water. Or they could neglectto clean out the silt from their stretch of the channel, blocking theflow of water further down. So the early Mesopotamian countrysidesaw repeated conflict over land and water.When there was continuous warfare in a region, those chiefs whohad been successful in war could oblige their followers by distributingthe loot, and could take prisoners from the defeated groups to employas their guards or servants. So they could increase their influence andclout. Such war leaders, however, would be here today and gonetomorrow – until a time came when such leadership came to increasethe well-being of the community with the creation of new institutionsor practices. In time, victorious chiefs began to offer precious booty tothe gods and thus beautify the community’s temples. They would sendmen out to fetch fine stones and metal for the benefit of the god andcommunity and organise the distribution of temple wealth in an efficientway by accounting for things that came in and went out. As the poemabout Enmerkar shows, this gave the king high status and the authorityto command the community.We can imagine a mutually reinforcing cycle of development inwhich leaders encouraged the settlement of villagers close tothemselves, to be able to rapidly get an army together. Besides,people would be safe living in close proximity to one another. AtUruk, one of the earliest temple towns, we find depictions of armedheroes and their victims, and careful archaeological surveys haveshown that around 3000 BCE, when Uruk grew to the enormousextent of 250 hectares – twice as large as Mohenjo-daro would be inlater centuries – dozens of small villages were deserted. There had been a major population shift. Significantly, Uruk also came tohave a defensive wall at a very early date. The site wascontinuously occupied from about 4200 BCE to about 400 CE,and by about 2800 BCE it had expanded to 400 hectares.War captives and local people were put to work for thetemple, or directly for the ruler. This, rather thanagricultural tax, was compulsory. Those who were put towork were paid rations. Hundreds of ration lists havebeen found, which give, against people’s names, thequantities of grain, cloth or oil allotted to them. It hasbeen estimated that one of the temples took 1,500 menworking 10 hours a day, five years to build.With rulers commanding people to fetch stones or metalores, to come and make bricks or lay the bricks for atemple, or else to go to a distant country to fetch suitablematerials, there were also technical advances at Uruk around3000 BCE. Bronze tools came into use for various crafts.Architects learnt to construct brick columns, there being nosuitable wood to bear the weight of the roof of large halls.Hundreds of people were put to work at making and baking claycones that could be pushed into temple walls, painted in differentcolours, creating a colourful mosaic. In sculpture, there were superbachievements, not in easily available clay but in imported stone.And then there was a technological landmark that we can say isappropriate to an urban economy: potter's wheel . In the log run the wheel enables a potter's workshop to 'mass produce' dozens of similar pots at a time.

At the site of Eridu in early Mesopotamia, we see evidence of increasingly larger temples built over top of earlier temples.  This may suggest that _____________.You Answered  the same space was utilized due to a culture that emphasized conformity Correct Answer  the ritual space was at least as important as the buildings   the culture participated in ancestor worship cults and maintained a space familiar to these ancestors   none of these   temple construction was very costly and repurposed existing materials

The monumental architecture of the Egyptians and Mesopotamians was predated by that of which ancient culture?CarthageÇatal HüyükGöbleki TepeJericho

Which temple has been declared as UNESCO World Heritage Monument?/ यूनेस्को ने किस मंदिर को विश्व विरासत स्मारक घोषित किया है? Nataraj Tempe, Chidambaram/ नटराज मंदिर, चिदंबरम Brihadeshwara Temple Tanjavur/   बृहदिश्वर मंदिर, तंजावुर Chamundi Temple, Mysuru / चामुंडी मंदिर, मैसूर Sri Kanteshwara Temple, Nanjangud/   श्री कांतेश्वर मंदिर, नंजनगुड