ChoghaZanbil
ChoghaZanbil is an ancient city built in the second half of the second millennium BC by one of the most powerful Elamite kings. Its most important remaining building is the ChoghaZanbil Ziggurat or Chaghazanbil Temple, which was destroyed in 640 BC by the order of Ashurbanipal, the king of the Assyrians, in the war with Human-health, the last king of Elam. It has an area of 100 hectares and is the first historical work of Iran that has been registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Before the scientific and archeological excavations of this area, a large hill like a basket had been turned, which is why it was known by the local name of ChoghaZanbil. This name is composed of two words “Chogha” which is called hill in the Lori language and “Zanbil” which means basket.
History
Before the Medes came to power, the Elam Empire ruled Iran. King Untash-Napirisha, one of the famous kings of this empire, ordered the construction of a religious and royal city called Duruntash near the Dez River and the ancient city of Shush in 1250 BC. Duruntash is a city with three fences built inside each other, featuring seven gates, palaces, buildings, temples, and structures. The Shahi neighborhood is located between the outer fence and the middle fence, which includes Palace No. 3, Palace No. 2, a Palace, an adobe temple called Nosko, simple residential units in the north, and scattered graves. The Temenos neighborhood or holy area is located between the middle and inner fences. This area is considered holy as there are many temples for Elamite goddesses and gods, as well as gods of other cultures. Within this neighborhood, 10 temples have been discovered, and bricks with inscriptions obtained from them along with the names of the gods to whom the temples were donated.
ChoghaZanbil Temple or ChoghaZanbil Zigvart
ChoghaZanbil Ziggurat is the most important and tallest building in the city of Untash-Napirisha, It was built in the form of a square with five floors and the dimensions of 105 x 105 meters, which became smaller in the form of a pyramid from the bottom to the top, and a small temple was located on top of it. The height of this temple is 52 meters, of which only 25 meters remain in two and a half floors. The most important and prominent building of the city of ChoghaZanbil is its ziggurat, which is considered the main temple. A ziggurat is a form of religious and ritual architecture in the ancient world that has a tower-like and funnel-shaped structure. The ziggurats were a multi-story temple that brought people closer to the gods. These buildings were built during the Babylonian and Assyrian periods in Mesopotamia and the Elamite period in Iran.
Architecture of ChoghaZanbil Temple
The ChoghaZanbil Ziggurat is a structure with four staircases, all of which were connected to the entrance of the first floor. To reach the higher floors, people would use the southwest staircase. The number of brick and stone steps in the ziggurat is almost equal, except in places where the ground is sloping, leading to a difference in their number. The stairs are made of bricks and are protected by a layer of stones. Animal statues were placed around the entrances as guardians of the ziggurat. Two examples of these statues were found in the excavations: the griffin statue, which is kept in the Hafttappeh Museum, and the bull statue, which can be visited in the Museum of Ancient Iran.
Brick inscriptions, as well as inscriptions found in ChoghaZanbil, play an important role in introducing and recognizing this remarkable ancient building. There are thousands of inscriptions, some of which surround the ChoghaZanbil Ziggurat like a belt, while others are written on other works and objects. These inscriptions are in the Elamite script and language. So far, about 6,500 of these bricks have been read, and the name of Untash-Napirisha can be seen in the text of all of them, indicating that this city and temple were built by the order of this king. The Elamite architects chose the location of ChoghaZanbil very carefully, based on natural features, and even created plans and maps for the city. The city’s proximity to the Dez River allowed for easy access to water, while its location on a natural ridge prevented the risk of floods and river floods. The natural ridges also served as a wall, protecting Duruntash from river floods. It is fascinating to know that on clear days, the ancient city of Susa could be seen from the top of the ziggurat. ChoghaZanbil is also where the first examples of Iranian glassmaking were found in the second millennium BC. These findings include glass wires that were used as part of the doors and windows of the temple. These objects, produced en masse and with the same dimensions, demonstrate the knowledge and ability of the Elamites to use raw materials and produce glass objects.
Visiting hours of ChoghaZanbil
The visiting hours for ChoghaZanbil are 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the first half of the year and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the second half.
