Download The Important Role of Chogha Zanbil in Earth

Advanced Materials Research
ISSN: 1662-8985, Vols. 457-458, pp 395-398
doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.457-458.395
© 2012 Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland
Online: 2012-01-24
The Important Role of Chogha Zanbil in Earth Architecture based on
Material, Structural and Architectural Aspects
Hamed Niroumand1,a, M.F.M Zain2, Maslina Jamil3
1,a
Department of architecture, Faculty of engineering, National University of Malaysia (UKM)
2
3
Deputy Dean, Faculty of engineering, National University of Malaysia (UKM)
Department of architecture, Faculty of engineering, National University of Malaysia (UKM)
a
Email: [email protected]
Keywords: Earth architecture, Chogha Zanbil, Iranian architecture, Ancient buildings, Sustainable
buildings, Mud bricks
Abstract. Earthen buildings come in a vast variety of shapes and sizes, made from materials like
fired clay, compressed dirt and a mixture of clay, sand, straw and water. People have been using
various forms of earth to build structures for centuries. The aim of this paper is to find better
knowledge about Chogha Zanbil as an earth architecture based on material, structural and
architectural conditions. Earth architecture includes vernacular and historical architecture drawn
from many cultures and periods in different countries. Chogha Zanbil’s materials are included mud
bricks and walls that are earth building’s elements. The result has shown mud bricks as good
materials can be develop in new buildings and applications.
Introduction
Chogha Zanbil is an ancient Elamite complex in the Khuzestan province of Iran. It is one of the few
existent ziggurats outside of Mesopotamia. Choga Zambil means 'basket mound.' It was built about
1250 BC by the king Untash-Napirisha, mainly to honor the great god Inshushinak. The complex is
protected by three concentric walls which define the main areas of the 'town'. The inner area is
wholly taken up with a great ziggurat dedicated to the main god, which was built over an earlier
square temple with storage rooms. The middle area holds eleven temples for lesser gods. It is
believed that twenty-two temples were originally planned, but the king died before they could be
finished, and his successors discontinued the building work. In the outer area are royal palaces, a
funerary palace containing five subterranean royal tombs. Some scholars speculate, based on the
large number of temples and sanctuaries at Chogha Zanbil, that Untash-Napirisha attempted to
create a new religious center which would unite the gods of both highland and lowland Elam at one
site.
Elamite architecture
The oldest documents related to the Elamite dynasty go back to 2nd millennium BC which was on
an old scroll by the Sumerian king “Anmabaragisi”. The only information left from Elamite
architecture is on a printing scroll which goes back to the first era of Elamite dynasty which there is
a figure of an Assyrian’s temple. In this figure the temple is in square shape which includes balcony
which openings. At the back possibly there are stairs to reach to the temple upstairs. The left side of
the temple seems to be protected which Nili designed curtain. The most interesting part of the
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Advanced Materials and Engineering Materials
temple is the three horns which are located on both sides of building. Later on finding texts on
stones from Elamite Empire determined those horns play an important role in the temples. They
were the symbol of divinity. Elamite people paid enormous respect to temple, religions and
worshiping. Most of important and huge monuments that they build during their era were temples.
Chogha Zanbil
The ziggurat of Chogha Zanbil was excavated between 1951 and 1962 and considered to be the best
preserved example in the world. The site is more than three-thousand years old, and is in
remarkably good condition. It is also one of the only ziggurats built outside of Mesopotamia.
Ziggurats were constructed by a number of the people who inhabited Mesopotamia, including the
Babylonians, the Assyrians, and the Sumerians, all of whom constructed enormous examples. The
oldest ziggurats reach back to the 4th millennium BCE, and they were no longer built after about
the 6th century BCE. In that three-thousand year span of time, more than thirty known ziggurats
were constructed, and Chogha Zanbil is one of the greatest examples of its kind, and the largest in
modern-day Iran. Ziggurats were essentially large pyramids, with anywhere from three to seven
stories. The ziggurats were closed to all but the priests of these Mesopotamian societies, who made
offerings at a shrine that was located at the top of the ziggurat. Chogha Zanbil is one of the most
intact ziggurats left in the world, and as such offers an excellent opportunity to view this fascinating
bit of history from thousands of years ago. The grand project was abandoned, however, upon
Untash-Napirisha’s death; although Chogha Zanbil continued to be occupied and used until the 7th
century BCE, when it was damaged by the Assyrians. The entire complex of Chogha Zanbil
contains eleven minor temples, in addition to the ziggurat of Inshushinak, a royal palace, various
tombs, and a three-tiered wall guarding the area. The ziggurat at Chogha Zanbil has five stories, and
although it has collapsed over the years from wind and water, and from earlier attacks, it is still
remarkably preserved. The entire shape can still be seen quite clearly from a distance, inscriptions
are still found on many stones, water channels made of brick are still fully intact, and a number of
carved visual elements are still found in situ. The Chogha Zanbil ziggurat is has exotic features
which could be compared with Egyptian pyramids. This enormous structure has build in cubic
squarely pyramid style. There is no adequate water source near Chogha Zanbil, and in order to
secure a supply to the town's inhabitants, the king dug a great canal from a river many kilometers
away. This canal was a massive work at the time, and a length of it is yet in use. For building such
huge structure millions of mud-bricks needed to be prepaid. Thus first materials such as mud and
soil were pretty close to the area.
Structure in Chogha Zanbil
The main plan for Chogha Zanbil is square in 105x105 m in 52 m height. The ziggurat is
surrounded by the wall which has the measurement of 1200x800 m. There is an interior wall around
the temple is in 400x400 m. There are 7 gates on this wall. The main and most important gate
known as king’s gate is located on south east of the ziggurat. There are 14 place of sacrifice on the
entrance after the gate close to the ziggurat. The ziggurat was built within a sacred precinct, which
was, again, surrounded by a wall ("the outer temenos wall"), almost rectangular in shape of 400 x
500 meter, its corners facing the north, east, south, and west.
Advanced Materials Research Vols. 457-458
397
Fig.2 Section View of Chogha Zanbil
Fig.3 Plan View of Chogha Zanbil
Fig.4 Chogha Zanbil in Difefernt Views
Construction Materials
The building materials in Chogha Zanbil are mainly mud bricks and occasionally baked bricks. The
monuments were well built and beautifully decorated with glazed baked bricks, gypsum, ornaments
of faience and glass. Thousands of baked bricks bearing inscriptions with Elamite cuneiform
characters were all inscribed by hand, ornamenting the most important buildings. Glazed terracotta
statues such as bulls and winged griffins guarded the entrances to the ziggurat. Near the temples of
Kiririsha and Hishmitik-Ruhuratir, kilns were found that probably were used for the production of
baked bricks and decoration materials. The ziggurat, it is believed, was built in two stages and in the
second phase took its multi-layered form.
Architectural Aspects
The monument for which Chogha Zanbil is famous, its temple tower, is an Iranian architectural
although few ideas are focused on Chogha zanbil that it isn’t an Iranian architecture even it was
developed in southern Mesopotamia. The most famous ziggurat was in the city of Babylon itself,
and was called Etemenanki. It was dedicated to the god Marduk and its builders, king Nabopolassar
and king Nebuchadnezzar, claimed that it reached into heaven. This boast is repeated in the famous
Biblical story of the "tower of Babel", which is simply the story of a ziggurat. And that is exactly
what the monument in Chogha Zanbil was: a stairway to heaven.
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Advanced Materials and Engineering Materials
Conclusion
Earthern buildings are features that stand alone and don’t need finishing with gyprock, render,
paint, wallpaper, tiles or anything else. There is no need to ever again spend time and money
painting but should you prefer any of these other finishes they can be applied to rammed earth walls
in just the same way as to other masonry. Mud architecture and their building have many
applications in different parts that can be develop as new researches in future. This paper has shown
that mud buildings can be use in new applications because had good conditions in structures,
materials and architecture based on any culture in every country. This paper has shown mud bricks
as a good materials can be develop in new buildings and applications.
Reference
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Advanced Materials and Engineering Materials
10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.457-458
The Important Role of Chogha Zanbil in Earth Architecture Based on Material, Structural and
Architectural Aspects
10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.457-458.395