21
Jul

The earliest evidence of glazed brick

The earliest evidence of glazed brick is the discovery of glazed bricks in the Elamite Temple at Chogha Zanbil, dated to the 13th century BC. Glazed and colored bricks were used to make low reliefs in Ancient Mesopotamia, most famously the Ishtar Gate of Babylon (c. 575 BC), now partly reconstructed in Berlin, with sections elsewhere. Mesopotamian craftsmen were imported for the palaces of the Persian Empire such as Persepolis.

At Chogha Zanbil, Girishman excavated the Chogha Zanbil Ziggurat, its surrounding temples and altars, as well as a palace and various interesting installations. A ziggurat means a temple-like tower. A huge mountain rising from a flat, empty plain. Perhaps fields and gardens once surrounded the sacred temple, providing the priests and other staff with grain and vegetables.

The earliest evidence of glazed brick is the discovery of glazed bricks in the Elamite Temple at Chogha Zanbil, dated to the 13th century BC. Glazed and colored bricks were used to make low reliefs in Ancient Mesopotamia, most famously the Ishtar Gate of Babylon (c. 575 BC), now partly reconstructed in Berlin, with sections elsewhere. Mesopotamian craftsmen were imported for the palaces of the Persian Empire such as Persepolis.