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What features did a typical Sumerian platform temple include?
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Mesopotamian art and architecture
Ziggurat at Ur (modern Tall al-Muqayyar, Iraq), constructed c. 2100 bce.
A typical Sumerian platform temple was a significant architectural development in Mesopotamian art and architecture, characterized by several distinct features:
- Construction: These temples were built using mud brick, typically situated on a raised plinth or platform base constructed of the same material.
- Exterior Design: The outer walls were often ornamented with alternating buttresses (supports) and recesses to relieve the monotony of the sun-dried brick.
- Interior Layout: Many were tripartite in form, featuring a long central sanctuary flanked by subsidiary chambers. The sanctuary typically included an altar at one end and a freestanding offering table at the other.
- Ornamentation: Interior walls were frequently decorated with patterned mosaics made of terra-cotta cones, which were often dipped in bright colors or sheathed in bronze. Some temples also featured mural paintings depicting mythical scenes.
During the early dynasties, some platform temples were located within oval-shaped walled enclosures that also provided accommodation for priests. These structures served as the precursors to the later, more elaborate ziggurat.