The Architecture of Ashur

MONUMENTAL ARCHITECTURE:

  (ICOMOS, 2003)

For the first 700 years of the Assyrian empire, each of its intricately designed cities, which were unlike any other in Mesopotamian history, was modeled after Ashur. Though each city built on its predecessors becoming ever more elaborate, they always echoed the great city of their god, Ashur.
Ashur was built on a triangular plot overlooking the Tigress valley. To the east, it was guarded by the Mahkul mountain ranges where it was believed that the god Ashur resided.  Surrounding the rest of the city was the Tigress River and the small off-shooting river, Zab.  Public buildings lined a steep slope of rock near the northern edge of town.  The temple of Ashur and a great Ziggurat (massive terraced step pyramid [Scarre, 2009]) occupied the most prominent position of the town. Adjacent to the temple stood the Old Palace of the king who was also the main priest of the god, Ashur.  Near the palace, other important structures including the twin temples of Anu and Adad, the temples of Sin and Samas and the temple of Ishtar framed the cliff.  The entire area to the south of the public buildings was bordered by private dwellings (Novak, 2004).

Although there were no walls separating the public and private areas of Ashur, in later Assyrian cities, such unique fortifications became necessary. The newer cities housed many deportees from other countries. Their hostility presented a certain danger to the sovereigns.  Thus, the elite would segregate themselves from the population (Novak, 2004). Ashur’s population grew with its power. The metropolis was enlarged by building a fortification wall which enclosed a large area south of the old town. The original city was now an inner-town known as libbiali.  The area of Public Buildings became a landmark which could be viewed from anywhere in the city and for miles outside its walls. (Novak 2004)

In the article, The Assyrian Town-Planning Programme, Mirko Novak discusses the distinctive structure of Ashur and the later intricately designed cities of the Assyrian Empire. According to Novak, Assyrian Kings always built on “virgin ground”.  By transforming desert lands into lush and fertile country, each king demonstrated the great power bestowed upon him by the gods.  Elaborately landscaped parks, botanical gardens and zoos provided rich and diverse horticulture.  The zoos contained plants, animals and slaves from each of the kingdoms that Assyria conquered.  The zoos were built to reflect Assyria’s domination over the entire world.  Zoo animals were killed in ceremonial hunts to re-enact the king’s conquests (Novak, 2004).