Ancient Ziggurat of Aqar Quf, Iraq

MessageToEagle.com – An ancient ziggurat called Aqar Quf, largely abandoned after the fall of the Kassite dynasty in 1170 was  briefly inhabited during Neo-Babylonian period (626-539 BC). Aqar Quf replaced the first Babylonian empire of Hammurabi some 3,500 years ago.

The ziggurat – dedicated to the god Enlil – is unusually well preserved building, with mud brick core that still stands to a height of about 170 feet on the flat plain in the vicinity of Baghdad.

The lowest terrace of the ziggurat was restored and the structure’s foundations are 69 by 67.6 meters.

Built by King Kurigalzu, the self-effacing ruler of the Kassite Dynasty, Dur Kurigalzu (“Fortress of Kuriglalzu”) became the seat of power over Mesopotamia (the Sumer and Akad civilizations) for more than 400 years, a record interval, and extended its rule from Mesopotamia to the Caucasus region as far north as the Caspian Sea.

It was burned when the Elamites destroyed the city.  Today, the mud-brick core still stands to a height of 57 meters, with the impressions of the reed mats that were laid between the layers of bricks still visible.

The ziggurat is the most prominent feature visible on the flat plain west of Baghdad, between the capital and Fallujah.

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