Mesopotamian Art and Architecture: A Journey Through History

Posted on Dec 4, 2024 in History

Mesopotamian Art

Mesopotamia (from Greek: Μεσοποταμία, “between rivers”, a translation of the ancient Persian Miyanrudan, “the land between the rivers” or the Aramaic Beth Nahrin, “between two rivers”) is the name by which the Middle Eastern area located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is known. It also extends to the fertile areas adjacent to the strip between the two rivers, which roughly coincides with the non-desert areas of modern-day Iraq. The term mainly refers to this area in the Old Age.

General Characteristics of Mesopotamian Architecture

Mesopotamian architecture is profoundly influenced by the physical environment and the contributions made by the Sumerians from the third millennium BC.

Materials

Being a swampy and sedimentary area, stone is scarce. Therefore, the primary construction material was adobe (mud bricks mixed with straw and dried in the sun). In the most representative buildings, adobe was replaced by fired brick (clay blocks), which were sometimes decorated with glazed tiles (colored and glazed bricks) or covered with carved stone slabs.

Supporting Elements

Thick adobe walls with small openings were the main supporting elements of buildings. These thick walls and lack of windows created interior environments that offered protection from the outside heat. Columns were rarely used, except for decorative purposes, and were made of bricks.

Sustainable Assets

Lintels and beams were used as roofing. Brick vaulting was first created for monumental doorways and spacious rooms. The arch used was a simple semicircular arch, creating barrel vaults and hemispherical domes.

Foundations

All major buildings were built on a podium or terrace to protect them from moisture and seasonal flooding. Steps and ramps were used for access.

Key Architectural Concepts

Palaces

The first palaces of Cyrus the Great (559-530 BC) in Pasargadae had rooms with double rows of columns and bull-headed capitals, showing Ionian influence. To centralize power, Darius I (522-486 BC) established Susa and Persepolis as the administrative and religious capitals, respectively. Their palaces were the last examples of ancient oriental architecture. Palaces were not single buildings, but a series of connected prismatic structures of different sizes, linked by corridors, galleries, and passageways with intermediate courtyards and surrounding walls. A typical palace consisted of a simple rectangular building with a central courtyard for light and ventilation. It stood on brick terraces accessed by stairs and ramps with drains to protect against flooding and moisture. Gates, often with bronze doors, were flanked by winged bulls with human heads, believed to have protective powers. Interior walls were decorated with fresco paintings on lime plaster, colored glazed bricks, or carved stone reliefs. Some of the most important palaces were those of Nineveh, Khorsabad, and Nimrud.

Walls

Wet bricks were typically used in wall construction, although dry bricks were used in areas requiring special care. Sometimes, a coating of earth or earth and lime plaster protected the walls from rain. Walls lacked ornamentation or moldings. Vertical grooves, mimicking palm tree trunks, or angled slots, reminiscent of Egyptian homes, provided light and air.

Temples

Temples consisted of a large walled courtyard. The most characteristic feature, the ziggurat, was situated on one side of the courtyard, elevated on a platform. The ziggurat was a multi-story stepped tower, square in plan, with a sanctuary at the top. Its faces were oriented to the cardinal points. Access to the different levels was provided by a ramp winding around the four sides, or by two symmetrical staircases ascending the front or sides. Rich materials such as marble, alabaster, lapis lazuli, gold, and cedar were used in its construction.

Tombs

Architecturally, tombs were simple brick-vaulted hypogea with chambers, marked externally by a small, unadorned monument. Inside, rich grave goods have been found, including the bodies of sacrificed ladies, musicians, servants, charioteers, and guards, revealing the burial customs of these peoples.

Mesopotamian Sculpture

Mesopotamian art includes architectural and sculptural creations. In architecture, brick was crucial, replacing stone and enabling the construction of large buildings and the invention of architectural features like arches, vaults, domes, and columns. Palaces and temples in cities like Uruk, Ur, and Larsa exemplify Sumerian architecture. Babylonian temples were larger and more ornate, while Assyrian palaces were luxurious and grand. Examples of Mesopotamian sculpture include Sumerian statues, the Stele of Hammurabi, and the statue of Gudea. Bas-reliefs, displaying naturalism and movement, were also prominent.

Mesopotamian Painting

Due to the nature of the region, few painting samples remain. The style is similar to the Magdalenian period of prehistory. The technique resembled parietal relief, lacking perspective. Mosaics, more durable and characteristic, served a decorative purpose. In paintings and prints, hierarchy was depicted through size, with higher-ranking figures larger than others. Painting was primarily decorative, used to embellish architecture. It lacked perspective and had a limited color palette of white, blue, and red. Tempera technique was used, evident in decorative mosaic tiles. Subjects included war scenes and ritual sacrifices, depicted realistically. Geometric figures, people, animals, and monsters were represented. It was used in home decoration, without shadows.

Mesopotamian Ceramics

Ceramic development in Mesopotamia began in the Neolithic period, referred to as the Pre-Ceramic Neolithic. Afterward, pottery appeared intermittently in archaeological remains. This is because “white ware” was still sufficient for most uses. By the fourth millennium BC, ceramics reached full development, with kilns having distinct fire and cooking chambers. From this point, with higher firing temperatures, a new technique emerged: vitrification of the paste. Around the third millennium BC, during the Jemdet Nasr period, glass beads were produced, and a millennium later, glazing was mastered. Finally, during the second millennium BC, glass object manufacturing became possible.

Sculptures

Ceramics and Paintings