The history of civilizations began in the Middle East. More than six and a half thousand years ago, in the valley of two rivers, the Euphrates and the Tigris, the center of
world culture began to form
. Now in this territory is Iraq. Then it was Mesopotamia - a country inhabited by the Babylonians, Syrians, Persians, Sumerians, Akkads, Chaldes. The culture and art of Mesopotamia reached an extraordinary heyday for those times. Residents of the country created cities with huge temples and mastered writing.
The origins of the culture of Mesopotamia
Probably, the development of art and culture was facilitated by a large number of diverse peoples in the same territory. Sumerian culture also developed after the fall of the dynasty of rulers, and the Persians and Syrians also exerted their influence. It was the Sumerians who became the founders of the written language of the country. Cuneiform writing had a great impact on the art of ancient Mesopotamia, because with this writing style not only government documents and scientific treatises were created, but also works of art, religious and poetic texts, some of which have survived to this day.
The Sumerians laid the foundations for the scientific development of the state, they created irrigation systems and city fortifications. For two thousand years BC, the art of Mesopotamia was represented by applied and graphic works, literary and musical
essays.
Mesopotamia Architecture
Constant wars led to the fact that the main direction of architecture was called for the creation of fortresses. The hallmarks of the Mesopotamian cities were powerful gates, fortified doors and frames, heavy columns. The bronze lions located at the door were brought in by the Babylonians. In addition, architectural forms such as towers and domes, as well as arches, appeared. The houses were built of clay and brick, in the center of the city, as a rule, there was a ziggurat.
Ziggurat temples were intended for believers who could come there and bring gifts to God. It was the architectural art of Mesopotamia that created one of the most famous temples in history - the Tower of Babel. It was a structure of seven towers, one on top of the other, and at the top was the sanctuary of the god Marduk. Another important building is the gate of the goddess Ishtar. Babylon, then the largest city in the state, was filled with many palaces and temples, but powerful gates, decorated with blue plates with images of bulls and dragons, stood out among other architectural structures.
Glyptic
The art of Mesopotamia has survived to the present in the glyptic. These are convex, rounded sculptural images carved, as a rule, on stone (stamps, rings, vases, dishes, bas-reliefs), made according to canons. A human figure has always been depicted with a nose in profile, legs on the side, and eyes in front. Art did not reflect reality, but the accepted canon, a certain tradition of art. Mountains and trees are also depicted conditionally and symmetrically. The works reflect not the individuality of the creator, but his ability to create sculptures according to the general canon. Therefore, from the preserved samples of glyptics, one can judge about the original Sumerian culture as a whole, and not about its individual masters.