Ekur — ziggurat
Nippur · Nuffar, Iraq · c. 2100 BCE — Third Dynasty of Ur, the reign of Ur-Nammu (c. 2112–2095 BCE); rebuilt many times later, including under Ashurbanipal (7th century BCE)
The religious capital of Sumer, with no royal dynasty of its own. Enlil's ziggurat stands on a platform about 12 m high; its corners face the cardinal points. Access was by an inclined ramp from the southeast.
Dossier
- Type: Classic Sumerian
- Ancient city: Nippur
- Modern location: Nuffar, Iraq
- Deity: Enlil
- Dating: c. 2100 BCE — Third Dynasty of Ur, the reign of Ur-Nammu (c. 2112–2095 BCE); rebuilt many times later, including under Ashurbanipal (7th century BCE)
- Builders: Ur-Nammu, Third Dynasty of Ur
- Material: mud brick, with a facing of baked brick laid in bitumen
- Plan: A rectangular three-tier ziggurat (39×58 m at the base) on a brick terrace about 12 m high and ~32,000 m² in area; its corners are oriented to the cardinal points, and a ramp on the southeast side led to the top
- Base: 58 × 39 m
- Height (surviving): about 25 m
- Tiers: 3
- Survived: yes, the ruins can be visited
What matters
Only the lower part of Ur-Nammu's ziggurat survives, so its original height is unknown. The base is rectangular, roughly 39×58 m. The present mound, about 25 m high, includes cultural deposits — older accounts gave up to ~30 m, and the heights of the individual tiers cannot be reconstructed.