E-abzu — ziggurat
Eridu · Tell Abu Shahrain, Iraq · c. 2100–2040 BCE (ziggurat of the Third Dynasty of Ur; temples in the sacred precinct from the 6th millennium BCE)
Eridu was regarded as the first city. Temples to Enki were raised on the same spot for centuries; Ur-Nammu capped them with a classic three-tiered ziggurat. UNESCO lists the mound as part of the “Ahwar of Southern Iraq”.
Dossier
- Type: Classic Sumerian
- Ancient city: Eridu
- Modern location: Tell Abu Shahrain, Iraq
- Deity: Enki / Ea
- Dating: c. 2100–2040 BCE (ziggurat of the Third Dynasty of Ur; temples in the sacred precinct from the 6th millennium BCE)
- Builders: Ur-Nammu (began the construction); completed by his grandson Amar-Sin (Third Dynasty of Ur); earlier the E-abzu temple was refurbished by kings of Ur, Uruk and Larsa
- Material: mud brick; facing of baked brick set in bitumen (bricks stamped with the names of Ur-Nammu, Shulgi and Amar-Sin survive)
- Plan: a massive rectangular stepped tower on the high platform of the multi-layered sanctuary of Enki; the exact plan and dimensions cannot be established because of the destruction
What matters
The upper structure was left unfinished and the mud-brick masonry is badly ruined, so the exact dimensions of the ziggurat are unknown. It is thought the tower was planned with three tiers, like the ziggurat of Ur. As late as 1855 its ruins still rose some 21 m above the platform. The mound of Eridu itself is enormous: about 580×540 m at the base and up to ~25 m high, and temples were built on this spot from the 6th millennium BCE.