Dur-Kurigalzu
Dur-Kurigalzu (modern `Aqar-Qūf عَقَرْقُوف in Baghdad Governorate, Iraq) was a city in southern Mesopotamia, near the confluence of the Tigris and Diyala rivers, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of the center of Baghdad. It was founded by a Kassite king of Babylon, Kurigalzu I (died c. 1375 BC) and was abandoned after the fall of the Kassite dynasty (c. 1155 BC). The city was of such importance that it appeared on toponym lists in the funerary temple of the Egyptian pharaoh, Amenophis III (c. 1351 BC) at Kom el-Hettan".[1] The prefix Dur is an Akkadian term meaning "fortress of", while the Kassite royal name Kurigalzu is believed to have meant "shepherd of the Kassites".[2][3] The tradition of naming new towns Dur dates back to the Old Babylonian period with an example being Dūr-Ammī-ditāna. The city contained a ziggurat and temples dedicated to Mesopotamian gods, as well as a royal palace which covered 420,000 square meters.[4]
Location
–
225 ha (560 acres)
1942–1945
The ziggurat at Aqar Quf, standing to a height of about 52 metres (171 ft), has been a very visible ancient monument for centuries. For camel caravans and modern road traffic, the ziggurat has served as a signal of the near approach to Baghdad. Because of Aqar Quf's easy accessibility and close proximity to the city of Baghdad, it has been one of Iraq's most visited and best-known sites. The ziggurat was often confused with the Tower of Babel by Western visitors to the area from the 17th century onwards.[5]
Wall paintings at Tell al-Abyad[edit]
Some of the most significant finds of Kassite period artwork are found in the main palatial complex (P1) and its surrounding complexes (located at Tell al-Abyad) of Dur-Kurigalzu about 1000 meters northwest of the main ziggurat. The recurring motifs of the artwork found on all four levels of the palatial complex are representational and contain human processional scenes and clusters of fruit; there are also geometric designs that contain parallel bands, chevrons, and rosettes.[40] The processional scenes date to the time of the last Kassite king Marduk-apla-iddina I.[41] The representational motif of human figures is also some of the only surviving instances of human representation in artwork from the Kassite period and gives an indication of the artistic technique utilized at the time.[42] The majority of large, upright wall paintings can be found in the internal rooms of the palace that would have functioned as reception or public rooms. The highest concentration of this wall painting type can be found in Unit H sector on Level II named also 'PaintedPalace', dating to the reign of Kaštiliaš IV.[40]
Another wall painting type is also found along recesses of the courtyards and between rooms and contains the same motifs of floral and geometric designs and processional scenes that Yoko Tomabechi states function to 'brighten the doorways and the inner rooms'.[40] The colours utilised in these paintings are 'red, cobalt-blue, dark-blue, yellow, white and black'.[40] Much of the palatial complex and its artwork inside remain unexcavated and need further exploration.
Current status[edit]
For 16 seasons in the 1960s and 1970s the Iraqi government did conservation and restoration work at the site.[43][44] Unfortunately the modern restoration work resulted in significant damage to the original construction it overlaid as it did at Babylon.[45][46] Aqar Quf is currently suffering environmental damage and urban encroachment. Natural factors like rain and standing groundwater have contributed to the erosion of the ziggurat and damage to the ruins, especially along the southwest side. As a result of this damage, the ziggurat is in danger of further deterioration as well as collapse if preventive measures are not taken. The suburbs and industrial areas of Baghdad also continue developing near the site. Currently, there is an encroachment of modern construction along some stretches of the enclosure wall. There is also agricultural encroachment along the enclosure wall, especially on the southwest side. Iraqi Army maneuvers, involving trenches, did some damage to the site in the 1980s.
The ziggurat suffered damage as a result of the U.S. invasion of Iraq when the site was abandoned and looted during the security breakdown and chaos that followed the U.S. military's overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Little is left of the modern administration building, museum, event stage, and restaurant that once served the picnickers and students who visited the site before the war. Local government officials and the U.S. military charged with security in the area have been working to create a renovation plan. Since mid-2008, local officials have drafted plans to rebuild the historic site, but support from the Iraq Ministry of History and Ruins has not materialized.[47]
One of the modern buildings at Dur-Kurigalzu, plundered and not restored. Note the damaged outdoor park benches and umbrellas
Ruins adjacent to the modernly reconstructed eastern part of the temple complex
Scattered bricks near the north-east side of the ziggurat
Tiles near the south-west side of the ziggurat
The courtyard of Enlil temple (E-U-GAL), the ziggurat is seen in the background
Ninlil temple (E-GASAN-AN-TA-GAL)
The courtyard of Ninurta temple (E-SAG-DINGIR-RI-E-NE)
Level one of the ziggurat and its remaining core
Layers of reed reinforcement, detail of the core of the ziggurat
The reconstructed "platform" (right) before the axial stairway of the ziggurat. The temple complex appear
The following images represent the status of Aqar-Quf and its architectural remains as of December 29, 2021.