#urnammu

The homes in the city of Ur, were usually one storey mud brick  rooms wrapped around a central court. There was no connection to the street except for the front door which when opened only revealed a small vestibule and a blank wall. The homes of the wealthier class usually had two storeys: ground storey for the servants/guests and upper storey for the family. The central court had four wooden posts holding up a continuous walkway to access the upper rooms. (Kostof)

The  Ziggurat contrasted the city in it's regularity and openness. It wasn't dense  and irregular(Kostof).Originally the Ziggurat of Ur Nammu was walled around and was reached through a grand courtyard. Ur Nammu (whom it's named after) remodelled it in the 21st Century (BCE). (Glancey)

Kostof explains thats the Ziggurat was "conceived as a substitute mountain". The Sumerians "who galvanized the first towns of Mesopotamia had come down from the mountainous North" and when they moved to the South they felt the need to recreate the natural environment of their homeland. The Ur Nammu one was dedicated to the moon god Nanna. 

Ur Nammu's Ziggurat has three stages. It is built of Mud Bricks banded with Bitumen. The outer layer was baked and featured "weeper hold" which allowed for evaporation of the mud core. They also built in a drainage system to carry the rainwater. Many believe that the top terrace was also filled with trees. 

As of today all that stands is the base. 

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