Ur.
Ur - Wikipedia
View attachment 3393545
Ur
or Urim (Invalid Link Removed)
Uru (Akkadian)
أور ʾūr'(Arabic)
The ruins of Ur, with the Invalid Link Removed visible in the background
Shown within Iraq
Location Tell el-Muqayyar, Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq
Region Invalid Link Removed
Coordinates30°57′47″N 46°6′11″ECoordinates:
30°57′47″N 46°6′11″E
Type Settlement
History
Founded c. 3800 BC
Abandoned after 500 BC
Periods Ubaid period to Iron Age
Cultures Sumerian
Site notes
Excavation dates 1853–1854, 1922–1934
Archaeologists John George Taylor, Charles Leonard Woolley
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name Ur Archaeological City
Part of Ahwar of Southern Iraq
Criteria Mixed: (iii)(v)(ix)(x)
Reference Invalid Link Removed
Inscription 2016 (40th Invalid Link Removed)
Area 71 ha (0.27 sq mi)
Buffer zone 317 ha (1.22 sq mi)
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Ur (/ʊər/; Invalid Link Removed: Urim;[1] Sumerian Cuneiform: URIM2KI or URIM5KI;[2] Akkadian: Uru;[3] Arabic: أور; Hebrew: אור) was an important Sumerian Invalid Link Removed in ancient Invalid Link Removed, located at the site of modern Tell el-Muqayyar (Arabic: تل المقير) in south Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate.[4] Although Ur was once a coastal city near the mouth of the Euphrates on the Persian Gulf, the coastline has shifted and the city is now well inland, on the south bank of the Euphrates, 16 kilometres (9.9 miles) from Invalid Link Removed in modern-day Iraq.[5]
The city dates from the Ubaid period circa 3800 BC, and is recorded in written history as a city-state from the 26th century BC, its first recorded king being Mesannepada. The city's patron deity was Nanna (in Akkadian, Sin), the Sumerian and Akkadian (Assyrian-Babylonian) moon god, and the name of the city is in origin derived from the god's name, URIM2KI being the classical Sumerian spelling of LAK-32.UNUGKI, literally "the abode (UNUG) of Nanna (LAK-32)".[5]
The site is marked by the partially restored ruins of the Invalid Link Removed, which contained the shrine of Nanna, excavated in the 1930s. The temple was built in the 21st century BC (Invalid Link Removed), during the reign of Ur-Nammu and was reconstructed in the 6th century BC by Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon. The ruins cover an area of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) northwest to southeast by 800 metres (2,600 ft) northeast to southwest and rise up to about 20 metres (66 ft) above the present plain level.[6]
The city, said to have been planned by Ur-Nammu, was apparently divided into neighborhoods, with merchants living in one quarter, artisans in another. There were streets both wide and narrow, and open spaces for gatherings. Many structures for Invalid Link Removed and Invalid Link Removed are in evidence.[7]
Houses were constructed from mudbricks and mud plaster. In major buildings, the masonry was strengthened with bitumen and reeds. For the most part, foundations are all that remain today. People were often buried (separately and alone; sometimes with jewellery, pots, and weapons) in chambers or shafts beneath the house floors.[7]
Ur was surrounded by sloping ramparts 8 metres high and about 25 metres wide, bordered in some places by a brick wall. Elsewhere, buildings were integrated into the ramparts. The Euphrates river complemented these fortifications on the city's western side.[7]
Society and culture
Archaeological discoveries have shown unequivocally that Ur was a major Sumero-Akkadian urban center on the Mesopotamian plain. Especially the discovery of the Royal Tombs have confirmed its splendour. These tombs, which date to the Early Dynastic IIIa period (approximately in the 25th or 24th century BC), contained immense amounts of luxury items made out of precious metals, and semi-precious stones, all of which would have required importation from long distances (Ancient Iran, Invalid Link Removed, India, Asia Minor, the Levant and the Persian Gulf).[6] This wealth, unparalleled up to then, is a testimony of Ur's economic importance during the Early Bronze Age.[8]
The name for "Country of Ur" on a seal of King Ur-Nammu.
Archaeological research of the region has also contributed greatly to our understanding of the landscape and long-distance interactions that took place during these ancient times. Ur was a major port on the Persian Gulf, which extended much further inland than it does today, and controlled much of the trade into Mesopotamia. Imports to Ur came from many parts of the world. The imported objects include precious metals such as gold and silver, and semi-precious stones, namely lapis lazuli and carnelian.[7]
It is thought that Ur had a stratified social system including slaves (captured foreigners), farmers, artisans, doctors, scribes, and priests. High-ranking priests apparently enjoyed great luxury and lived in mansions.[7]
Tens of thousands of cuneiform texts, including contracts, business records, and court documents, record the city's complex economic and legal systems. These texts have been recovered from temples, the palace, and individual houses.[7]
I've been there......2002/03
