The Great Ziggurat of Ur is a Neo-Sumerian ziggurat in what was the city of Ur near Nasiriyah, in present-day Dhi Qar Province, Iraq. The structure was built during the Early Bronze Age (21st century BCE) but had crumbled to ruins by the 6th century BCE of the Neo-Babylonian period, when it was restored by King Nabonidus.
Overview
The Ziggurat was part of larger temple complex, built in 2100 BCE by King Ur-Nammu who dedicated in honour of Nanna/Sîn and rebuilt in 600 BC by Nabonidus and was dedicated to moon god Nanna. The remains of the ziggurat consist of a three-layered solid mᴀss of mud brick faced with burnt bricks set in bitumen.
Clearly the most important part of the ziggurat at Ur was the Nanna temple at its top, but this, unfortunately, has not survived. Some blue glazed bricks have been found which archaeologists suspect might have been part of the temple decoration.
The Ziggurat of Ur is the best-preserved of those known from Iran and Iraq, besides the ziggurat of Dur Untash (Chogha Zanbil). It is one of three well preserved structures of the Neo-Sumerian city of Ur, along with the Royal Mausolea and the Palace of Ur-Nammu (the E-hursag).
The great Ziggurat as it stood in 1920s, was first discovered by William Loftus in 1850 and first excavations were conducted by John George Taylor. The site was extensively excavated in the 1920s by Sir Leonard Woolley in the period of 1922 to 1934. At the time, the lowest layer of the remains corresponded to the original construction of Ur-Nammu, while the two upper layers were part of the Neo-Babylonian restorations.
