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Aqar-Quf

Dur-Kurigalzu (modern Aqar-Quf, Baghdad Governorate, Iraq) Dur-Kurigalzu, also known as Aqar-Quf, was a city in Mesopotamia, founded by King Kurigalzu I in the 14th century BC. Dur-Kurigalzu served as a capital during the Kassite Dynasty and was situated on a limestone ridge between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The site features a ziggurat and temples dedicated to various gods, as well as a royal palace. The ziggurat, standing at about 52 meters, is one of Iraq's most visible ancient monuments.

The city has been occupied continuously since the Old Babylonian period, and its importance extended even to the 7th century BC and beyond. The ziggurat is now used as a landmark for travelers, and it was often confused with the Tower of Babel by Western visitors. The site was abandoned in the 12th century BC following the fall of the Kassite Kingdom.

Today, the site is known for its ziggurat, which is devoted to the Babylonian God Enlil. It features a 69m x 67m base and is built with stamped baked bricks, bearing the name of Kurigalzu. Sun-dried square bricks, reed mats, and solid kiln-baked bricks form the ziggurat's structure, with a terraced compound built in layers of receding levels.

During the Kassite period, the site was encircled by a large wall that covered about 225 hectares. The site features several defined areas, including a ziggurat, palaces, housing areas and 9 temples. The most significant finds of Kassite period artwork are found in the main palatial complex, featuring human processional scenes and clusters of fruit, as well as geometric designs.