Near Eastern Institute

Dur-Kurigalzu

Dur-Kurigalzu (modern Aqar-Qūf in Iraq) was a city in southern Mesopotamia to west of Baghdad. Kurigalzu I or II, a Kassite king of Babylon, founded this city in the 14th century BC. It was abandoned after the fall of the Kassite dynasty. Its name is means “fortress of Kurigalzu”. The city was the capital of Babylonia during the reign of Kurigalzu, and either as the capital or at least an important city after that. In Kassite times, the occupied area was defined by a large wall enclosing about 225 hectares.

The most visible monument is Aqar Quf, a  Ziggurat(a raised area) devoted to Enlil, the main god of the Babylonian pantheon. Sun dried bricks consist the core of the Ziggurat. Outer layers are made from fired bricks.

A large main staircase is at the front of the ziggurat which goes all the way up to the temple and is thought to have stood on the top terrace of the ziggurat. Two side staircases are on both sides of the ziggurat which meet each other, as well as the main staircase, at the gate. A support called a buttress is built on both sides of the main staircase. According to a belief, the use of these staircases was restricted to temple priests. Every stage of the structure has a terrace covered with baked bricks.

There are reed mats and reed bundles holding the structure together. This is amazing for that period. You will not see such a magnificent structure anywhere else in the world.

Tell al-Abyad has a palace area that consists of several stratigraphic architectural layers, which means that it was built in several phases of Kassite period. It has great potential to yield large amount of pottery and other material for the period.

So called weeper holes are one of the most interesting things about ziggurat. Weeper holes are small gaps that were left between the brickwork on the sides of the structure. These holes are believed to be made to allow evaporation of water from the core. These are lined with baked bricks. Vertical drains are built on either side of the ziggurat to carry away rainwater. The drains are also made using baked bricks.

Currently, Aqar Quf is suffering lot of environmental damage and urban encroachment. Natural factors like rain and standing groundwater have contributed to the erosion of the ziggurat and have damaged the ruins, especially along the south-west side. If preventive measures are not taken, Ziggurat is in danger of future deterioration and can even collapse.

The suburbs and industrial areas of Baghdad are continuously developing around the site which does more harm. Currently there is also encroachment of modern construction along some stretches of the enclosure wall. Army maneuvers, involving trenches, did a  lot of damage to the site in the 1980s.

Although the Iraq War did no damage to ziggurat, it was looted and abondened after the fall of Sadam Hussain.

As Aqar Quf is easily accessible from the city of Baghdad, it has been one of Iraq’s most visited and best known sites. The ziggurat in Aqar Quf has been an outstanding monument for centuries. The Ziggurat is often confused with the Tower of Babel by many western visitors in the area.