DUR-KURIGALZU
![](durkurigalzu.png)
Dur-Kurigalzu
shown within Iraq
![](640px-The_ziggurat_at_Aqar_Quf.jpg)
The
ziggurat of Dur-Kurigalzu in 2010
Location
:
Baghdad Governorate, Iraq
Region
: Mesopotamia
Coordinates
: 33°21'13 N 44°12'8 E
Type
: tell
Length
:
Area
:
225 ha (560 acres)
Site
notes :
Excavation
dates :
1942–1945
Archaeologists
:
Taha Baqir, S. Lloyd
Dur-Kurigalzu
(modern `Aqar-Quf in Baghdad Governorate, Iraq) was a city in southern
Mesopotamia, near the confluence of the Tigris and Diyala rivers,
about 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of the center of Baghdad. It was
founded by a Kassite king of Babylon, Kurigalzu I, some time in
the 14th century BC, and was abandoned after the fall of the Kassite
dynasty. The prefix Dur- is an Akkadian term meaning "fortress
of", while the Kassite royal name Kurigalzu, since it is repeated
in the Kassite king list, may have a descriptive meaning as an epithet,
such as "herder of the folk (or of the Kassites)". The
city contained a ziggurat and temples dedicated to Mesopotamian
gods, as well as a royal palace. The ziggurat was unusually well-preserved,
standing to a height of about 52 metres (171 ft).
History
:
The town of Dur Kurigalzu was founded by the Kassite King Kurigalzu
I in the late 15th or early 14th century BC and is situated along
an east–west-trending limestone ridge between the Euphrates
and Tigris rivers. Until the last century, the adjacent Aqar Quf
depression would have been inundated with flood water part of the
year. This site had access to fresh water from the Euphrates by
means of the Isa Canal, known as the Patti-Enlil Canal in ancient
times. The city functioned as the capital of Babylonia during the
reign of Kurigalzu, and either as the capital or at least an important
city during the period after. It was occupied continuously until
the fall of the Kassite Dynasty in the 12th century BC, when it
was largely abandoned. The temple area, at least, was known to be
active in the 7th century BC and in the Neo-Babylonian period. Up
until recently (mostly between the 9th and 14th centuries AD), there
have been smaller occupations at parts of Aqar Quf, with areas of
the site being used for burials and for Arab settlement.
In
Kassite times the area was defined by a large wall that enclosed
about 225 hectares (560 acres). The shape of the city is elongated
and features several mounds, perhaps reflecting a functional separation
of the parts of the site. The hill of Aqar Quf is dominated by the
most visible monument at the site, a ziggurat devoted to the main
god of the Babylonian pantheon, Enlil. Because of the uniformity
of architectural features, the ziggurat and surrounding temple complexes
appear to have been founded by the Kassite king, Kurigalzu. The
ziggurat measured 69 by 67.6 metres (226 ft × 222 ft) at its
base. It was approached by three main staircases leading up to the
first terrace, which has been reconstructed by the Iraqi Directorate-General
of Antiquities. The surrounding temple-complex has only been excavated
on the south-west side of the ziggurat. The palace area of Tell
al-Abyad consists of several stratigraphic architectural layers,
which suggests several phases of building in this area over the
entire stretch of the Kassite period, and therefore has great potential
to yield an invaluable sequence of pottery and other material for
the period. Associated tablets confirm that the structure was occupied
throughout the Kassite period. The palace has innovative architectural
features, being constructed in modules of three rooms around large
courts. In addition, excavators also discovered a treasury on the
east of the palace and a probable throne room or royal reception/ceremonial
chamber.
Ziggurat
:
![](Aqar_Quf.jpg)
The
Ziggurat of Dur-Kurigalzu (1915)
The Ziggurat of Dur-Kurigalzu was built in the 14th century BC by
the Kassite king Kurigalzu. The core of the structure consists of
sun-dried square bricks. Reed mats were placed every seven layers
of brick, used for drainage and to assist in holding the bricks
together by providing a continuous layer of support. The outer layers
of the ziggurat are made from fired bricks. An inscription on one
of the fired bricks states that it was laid during the reign of
King Kurigalzu II. Today both types of brick, sun-dried and fired,
are still made in Iraq in the same fashion and used in farm houses.
The
ziggurat at Aqar Quf has been a very visible ancient monument for
centuries. For camel caravans and modern road traffic, the ziggurat
has served as a signal of the near approach to Baghdad. The site
has been one of the favorite places where Baghdadi families have
gone to picnic on Fridays, even before it was excavated. A small
museum, built in the 1960s, has served to introduce visitors to
the site. The structure needs renovation, however.
Because
of Aqar Quf's easy accessibility and close proximity to the city
of Baghdad, it has been one of Iraq's most visited and best known
sites. Its ziggurat has been an outstanding monument for centuries,
often confused with the Tower of Babel by Western visitors in the
area from the 17th century onwards.
Research
:
The site was first described by Claudius James Rich in 1811. Aqar
Quf (referred to then as Akerkuf, Agger Koof, or Akar-kuf) was visited
and examined in 1837 by Francis Rawdon Chesney. The name of Dur
Kurigalzu was identified by Henry Rawlinson in the mid-19th century.
![](640px-Door_socket_from_Dur-Kurikalzu.jpg)
Door
socket from Dur-Kurikalzu
![](Male_head_from_Dur-Kurigalzu,_Iraq,_reign_of_Marduk-apla-iddina_I._Iraq_Museum.jpg)
Male
head from Dur-Kurigalzu, Iraq, reign of Marduk-apla-iddina I. Iraq
Museum
Excavations were conducted from 1942 through 1945, by Taha Baqir
and Seton Lloyd in a joint excavation by the Iraqi Directorate-General
of Antiquities and the British School of Archaeology in Iraq. Over
100 cuneiform tablets of the Kassite period were recovered, now
in the Iraq Museum.
The
excavations included the ziggurat, three temples and part of the
palace of Dur Kurigalzu II. The Iraqi Directorate-General of Antiquities
has continued to do some excavation around the ziggurat as part
of a restoration project under Saddam Hussein during the 1970s that
had reconstructed the lowest stage of the structure. The three excavated
areas are the mound of Aqar Quf (including the ziggurat and large
temple), a public building (approximately 100 metres (330 ft) to
the west), and Tell al-Abyad where a large palace was partially
uncovered (about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) to the south-west). The erosion
of the ziggurat exposed details of construction that are not readily
available in any other temple tower. Thus, it has been a valuable
primer for architectural historians. Nowhere else are the layers
of reed mats and reed bundles that hold the structure together and
offset differential settling as visible as they are here. Many of
the currently known major works of art from the Kassite period were
found within the palace (located at Tell al-Abyad) at Aqar Quf.
Another area within Dur-Kurigalzu, Tell Abu Shijar, was excavated
by Iraqi archaeologists and the results have recently been published.
The
area of Aqar Quf has potential for future excavations since only
small areas within the enclosure wall have been excavated. Especially
important is the possibility of a stratigraphic column through all
of Kassite times.
Current
status :
For 16 seasons in the 1960s and 1970s the Iraqi government did conservation
and restoration work at the site. Aqar Quf is currently suffering
environmental damage and urban encroachment. Natural factors like
rain and standing groundwater have contributed to the erosion of
the ziggurat and damage to the ruins, especially along the south-west
side. As a result of this damage, the ziggurat is in danger of further
deterioration as well as collapse if preventive measures are not
taken. The suburbs and industrial areas of Baghdad also continue
developing near to the site. Currently there is encroachment of
modern construction along some stretches of the enclosure wall.
There is also agricultural encroachment along the enclosure wall,
especially on the south-west side. Iraqi Army maneuvers, involving
trenches, did some damage to the site in the 1980s.
The
ziggurat suffered damage as a result of the U.S. invasion of Iraq,
when the site was abandoned and looted during the security breakdown
and chaos that followed the U.S. military's overthrow of Saddam
Hussein. Little is left of the modern administration building, museum,
event stage and restaurant that once served the picnickers and students
who visited the site before the war. Local government officials
and the U.S. military charged with security in the area have been
working to create a renovation plan. Since mid-2008, local officials
have drafted plans to rebuild the historic site, but support from
the Iraq Ministry of History and Ruins has not materialized.
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Dur-Kurigalzu