WEST ASIA ARCHITECTURE

Geographical
Provides much of the background of the western civilization

Covers the Arab states, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, Persia (Iran), and Trans-Caucasian republics of the
former USSR, Iraq (Mesopotamia)
Three broad zones comprise the greater part of West Asia:

o Arabian peninsula with its desert extending to Syria;

o Yemen stretching from the Mediterranean coastal plain; Palestine through north Syria
and Iraq to the head of the Gulf, lies the zone of grasslands, foot hills, alluvial river
plains known as the Fertile Crescent,
o Mountains and plateaus of Anatolia, mountains and lakes of Turkey and Iran, mountain
ranges of Zargos

o Fertile Crescent-cradle of Civilization

 -rich soil
 -flooding of water from Rivers Tigris, Euphrates (Mesopotamia and Nile (Egypt)
due to melting of snow from Anatolia and Persian mountains made the soil
fertile and good for agriculture
 -irrigation (technology) increased food security
 -earliest settlements were found along these rivers
 -consisted of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel , part of Egypt, Turkey (Anatolia),
Iran (Persia), Iraq (Mesopotamia)

Climatic
o Western Persia and Mesopotamia, warmer climate good for growth of settlements, part
of the Fertile Crescent
o Little rain but water came from snow found in the mountain ranges of Anatolia and
Persia

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 o The melting of snow caused annual flooding of Tigris and Euphrates River good for
agriculture
o Dry climate in Northern Mesopotamia, water from Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to irrigate
farmlands
o Southern Mesopotamia, fertile land good for agriculture - first complex societies of
south-west Asia evolved
o Mesopotamia lacks natural defensive boundaries
o Syria is open to maritime due to its location along the Mediterranean; has fertile lands
good for agriculture

*agri is not only for planting but also all na may kinalaman sa food

Geological
o Limestone in northern Egypt
o Basalt, Red volcanic tuf in Jordan and Anatolia

Culture
o Babylonia and Assyrian belief
o Anu- gods of heaven,

o Enlil- god of wind, earth and storm

o Ea- god of ritual, purification

o Triad of Heaven, Anu in the northern, Enlil in the middle and Ea in the southern zone.

o Eanna for the Sumerians and Ishtar for the Assyrians- Goddess of love, fertility
o The god was the ruler. The kings were the representatives of the god

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