Glory of Elamite architecture in southwestern Iran

TEHRAN, 14 May (BelTA - IRNA) - Chogha Zanbil is an ancient ziggurat that shows the grandeur of the Elamite civilization. It was the first Iranian site to be registered on UNESCO's World Heritage list, and it is also one of the oldest terraced temples in the world.

The ziggurat was built around c. 1250 BC by the order of King Untash-Napirisha, and today only three of its original five stories are still standing. Constructed from bricks and raw adobes, this magnificent structure, is surrounded by three concentric areas that enclose royal palaces, tombs, and a water purification system.

Inscriptions in Elamite and Akkadian, etched into its bricks, reflect the religious and political ideologies of the era. Even after centuries, Chogha Zanbil continues to manifest the arts, beliefs, and engineering excellence of the Elamite civilization (3200–539 BC).