THE CITY OF UR

1
THE CITY OF UR
By Ryan Bitzegaio
2
GEOGRAPHY

• Ur was located in what is known today as Tall al
  Muqayyar, Iraq.
• The city is located approximately halfway between
  Baghdad and the head of the Persian Gulf.
• The city used to be located along the banks of
  the Euphrates until the river shifted
  dramatically. The city now lies nearly 12 km from
  the banks.

3
CITY STRUCTURE

• A mud-brick wall enclosed the inhabited portion
  of the city which measured 1200 x 700 meters.

• The sacred area contained many of the prominent
  features of the city including the palace of king
  Shulgi (once known as the Mountain House) and the
  Ziggurat.

4
THE ZIGGURAT

• The Ziggurat contained most of the major temples.
  
• Its construction was ordered by Ur-Nammur,
  founder or the Third Dynasty of Ur.
• The structure measured 62.5 x 43 meters at its
  base and 20 x 11meters at its peak, and stood
  17.25 meters high.

5
WORSHIP

• Ur was the center for the worship of the Sumerian
  moon-god, Nanna and his Babylonian equivalent
  Sin.
• A ground temple was built for Nanna / Sin in
  close proximity to the prominent Ziggurat.

6
GENERAL HISTORY

• Ur was founded around 4000 B.C. by the Ubaidian
  inhabitants of Sumer.
• Ur became one of the most prosperous sumerian
  city-states before 2800 B.C.
• Ur fell under the reign of three dynasties of
  rulers in the years of its existence.

7
THE FIRST DYNASTY OF UR

• The first dynasty was founded by the conqueror
  and temple builder Mesanepada who reigned around
  2670 B.C.
• Mesanepadas son Aanepadda who reigned about 2650
  B.C. was responsible for the construction of the
  temple for the goddess Ninhursag.
• The first dynasty ended when raiders from Akkad
  attacked the city.

8
THE SECOND DYNASTY OF UR

• Little is known of the second dynasty.
• In 2340 B.C. Ur was captured by Sargon.
• Other than this overtaking, very little has been
  determined about the dynasty other than it
  existed, it rose, and it fell.

9
THE THIRD DYNASTY OR UR

• Ur-Nammu was the first king of the third dynasty
  ruling from 2113 2095.
• During his reign he revived the Sumerian and
  Akkadian empires, took control of the seaward
  outlet, and made ur the wealthiest city in
  Mesopotamia.
• Shortly before 2000 B.C., the Elamites capture
  the reigning king of Ur, Ibbi-Sin, and destroyed
  the city.

10
THE DEMISE OF UR

• Shortly after its destruction, Ur was rebuilt and
  incorporated into the Isin kingdom, then the
  kingdom of Larsa, and eventually Babylonia.
• Ur remained a religious center and functioned as
  a provincial capital.
• Once the Chaldean dynasty was formed, King
  Nebuchadnezzar II initiated a new period building
  activity In Ur.

11
THE DEMISE OF UR (contd)

• Nabonidus, Babylonian king from 556-539 B.C.,
  appointed his oldest daughter as high priestess
  or Ur. She proceeded to embellish all the temples
  and completely remodel the Ziggurat.
• Once Babylonia came under Persian control the
  city of Ur began to decline.
• By the fourth century B.C., possibly due to the
  shift of the Euphrates, the city was forgotten.

12
SOURCES

• http//www.taisei.co.jp/cg_e/ancient_world/ancient
  .html
• http//home.achilles.net/sal/iraq_history.html
• http//members.tripod.com/iraki/urtxt.htm
• http//ragz-international.com/ur.htm
• http//www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2002/05.30/28-
  ur.html
• http//www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/archaeology/sites/midd
  le_east/ur.html