Chogha Zanbil; Oldest Elamite Ziggurat in the Near East

Author : asal | Date : Monday 04 March 2024 10:14

The ancient civilizations that lived in Western Asia used a special style of architecture to build religious places. They built a pyramid staircase with brick stairs, which is called the ziggurat.

Maybe you ask what is the meaning of a ziggurat. The ziggurat means rising to the sky, and its construction was roughly from 4200 to 2500 years ago. Since these ziggurats were holy places, people made them with the best type of clay materials or brickwork.

It is interesting to know that one of the biggest and most intact ziggurats in the world is in Iran: The Chogha Zanbil Ziggurat, and also this ziggurat is the first attraction registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site among all Iran's tourist attractions and has a reputation for itself in the world.

Where is Chogha Zanbil?

This time, we are going to the ancient city of Susa in the province of Khuzestan. a city that holds some of the most valuable historical monuments and boasts its long history.

To visit Chogha Zanbil, the first Iranian religious site, you should go 40 km southeast of Susa near the ancient Haft Tapeh area.

Chogha Zanbil history

Your curiosity will soar as soon as this spectacular structure attracts your attention. Who and when were responsible for creating such a legacy for the future? Chogha Zanbil is a shrine that the Elamites constructed in approximately 1250 BC. At that time, the monarch of ancient Elam built Chogha Zanbil, a place to glorify God, in the center and tallest area of the city.

The name of the king who built Chogha Zanbil is Untash Napirash which, unfortunately, was destroyed during the clashes and the invasion of the Assyrian army was buried under the ground for a long time and it took the form of a hill during that time.

and on the inscription which was found from the Assyrian king of that time, Assur Banipal is written: I destroyed the Susa Ziggurat, which was glazed with bricks with lapis lazuli and ruined the Elamite structures. I turned Susa into ruin, and the voice of humans became quiet in this place by me.

How Chogha Zanbil was discovered?

The story of discovering Chogha Zanbil is also interesting. In 1890, a person named Jacques de Morgan, a geologist of the time made a statement saying that there were oil mines in the Chogha Zanbil lands.

50 years after that, several engineers in the same area that was doing oil drilling found a brick, which had written something on it. then sent the bricks to an archaeologist to research them.

This move was the start of suspicions about the historicity of the region, which also led researchers and archaeologists to the area and they discovered Chogha Zanbil, the first monument in the country that is registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

During the search, archaeologists succeeded in finding rock paintings that belong to the Elamite era and have been associated with the United Kingdom of Napier. There is also an interesting picture on this rock figure, a picture of a woman with a tail of fish who holds snakes in Chogha Zanbil.

This valuable monument of Iranian culture and history, which reflects Iran's several thousand years of civilization, is not kept in Iran, like many other historical monuments, and is in the Louvre Museum of France.

Chogha Zanbil architecture

Let's tell you a little about the Iranian architecture of this building to know more about it; the Chogha Zanbil building has a square appearance and is surrounded by circular fences around it. Chogha Zanbil had originally 5 floors and was 52 meters high but today only 2 floors and a half of it remain, and its height is 25 meters.

Perhaps you ask how the number of floors is estimated in Chogha Zanbil. If you check the gradient of the pyramid classes and assume that the stairs are on the same slope, then on the fifth floor, the stairs will reach the center, which means we have reached the top of the pyramid and the floors are over.

Also, the four corners of this religious site are located in four main directions, and it shows that at that time the main directions were well-known.

More information about Chogha Zanbil:

Address:  Susa County - Khuzestan Province - Iran

Access time: 8:00 till 18:30

Closure time: 9^th and 10^th of Muharram – 28^th of Safar – 21^st of Ramadan – 25^th of Shawwal – 14^th of Khordad

Cost for foreign nationals: 200,000 IRR

Suggested visit time: 2 hours

Last Word

The Chogha Zanbil, the oldest Elamite ziggurat in the Near East, stands as a monumental testament to ancient Elamite culture and architectural prowess. This UNESCO World Heritage site, with its intricate design and historical significance, offers a profound glimpse into Iran's rich and diverse ancient history. It exemplifies the sophistication of early urban planning and religious architecture, marking an important chapter in the study of the Near East's archaeological and cultural heritage.