Western Asiatic Architecture

Mesopotamia – came from the greek word

mesos middle, potamos river
meaning “between rivers”

Developments:
The wheel, The sail, Writing

 Cuneiform - a system of writing first developed by the ancient Sumerians of

Mesopotamia c. 3500 BCE
Fertile land great for farming

 Tigris and euphrates – river surrounding mesopotamia.

Civilization started in mesopotamia.
We started developing ourselves as humans
We have proper settlements

 Catal Huyuk - provides important evidence of the transition from settled villages to
urban agglomeration-
- provides important evidence of the transition from settled villages to urban
agglomeration
- Central Anatolia, Turkey) is one of the most important archaeological sites in the
Middle East, with human occupation dating back 9,000 years.
- This Neolithic settlement, known as the oldest city in the world, covers an area of 13
hectares and has densely clustered mud-brick buildings.
- Houses are so close to each other that the bricks are beside each other
- No space for roads, streets
- No doors either

Periods and kingdoms that flourished in Mesopotamia:

Summer
Assyria B.C. 1275-538
Babylon B.C. 4000-1275

Western Asian Architecture (MESOPOTAMIA) influences

 Geographical – Bounded by two rivers – Tigris and Euphrates

 Geological – Clay turned into bricks / mud bricks
 Climatic – Dominated by floods during rainfall which resulted for temples on platforms (high
building structures to prevent the flood)
 Religious Beliefs – Symbolism and Polytheism
 Social Political – City-state rules by kings
 Historical Events – Sumerians first ruled over Mesopotamia

1. Geographical
 Earliest civilization of western Asia flourished in the fertile plains of the twin rivers, Tigris
and Euphrates.
 Plains of Mesopotamia was irrigated by canals from river to river
 The land became fertile enough to support the immense populations round Nineveh and
Babylon
 Pyramids and early monuments of Egypt clustered first round the delta of Nile
 In Chaldea the earliest buildings appear to have been the mouth of the two famous rivers of
western Asia.
 East of Babylonia and Assyria was ancient Persia, which under Cyrus and Darius, extended
over the high plateau of Iran from the Tigris to the Indus.

2. Geological
 Chaldeaor lower mesopotamia – Alluvial district of thick mud and clay deposited by the two
great rivers. Such soil, where no stone was found and no trees would grow, was suitable for
the making of bricks which thus became the usual building material in babylonia.
 Walls were made from crude, sun dried brick faced with kiln-burnt and glazed bricks of
different colors.
 Assyria – Plenty of stone in the mountains but followed by babylonians in the use of brick.
Did not use glazed bricksfor internal and external walls but used alabaster or limestone slabs
carved with low bas-reliefs and inscriptions, which are of great historic importance.
 Persia – Hard colored limestone were used in the building of susa and persepolis, and roof
timbers were obtained from Elam on the west. Persian tiles have always been world-famous
for their beauty of texture and color,