Dur-Kurigalzu

`Aqar-Qūf
عَقَرْقُوف
Dur-Kurigalzu
A large, partially restored, brick building with a soldier in front
The ziggurat of Dur-Kurigalzu, December 2021
Dur-Kurigalzu is located in Iraq
Dur-Kurigalzu
Shown within Iraq
LocationBaghdad Governorate, Iraq
RegionMesopotamia
Coordinates33°21′13″N 44°12′8″E / 33.35361°N 44.20222°E / 33.35361; 44.20222
Typetell
Length–
Area225 ha (560 acres)
Site notes
Excavation dates1942–1945
ArchaeologistsTaha Baqir, S. Lloyd

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]

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]

  1. ^ Edel, E./M. Görg (2005): Die Ortsnamenlisten im nördlichen Säulenhof des Totentempels Amenophis' III. Ägypten und Altes Testament 50. Wiesbaden
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Brinkman1977 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Balkan, K. (1954): Kassitenstudien 1. Die Sprache der Kassiten. AOS 37.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference clayden96 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference clayden17 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).