Historic Overview

The city of Al-Untash-Napirisha was newly founded and erected by the Elamite king Untash-Napirisha in the 13th century BC. The city is well known in specialist literature due to its monuments and still well preserved temple tower, the ziqqurrat, which is 105 × 105 m. It is situated at the centre of the city and was consecrated to the deities of Inshushinak and Napirisha. A wall surrounded the ziqqurrat. The temple complexes dedicated to other deities were found on the outside of this wall to the northwest and northeast. Those again were encircled by a wall that formed a kind of holy district (Elamite: Siyan kuk). A third wall of approximately 4 km length surrounded the whole city area. About 500 m to the east of the ziqqurrat near to the eastern city gate two palaces and a tomb building were found. The tomb building was furnished with 5 subterranean tombs, which were probably intended for the members of the royal family. The few remains of buried corpses however do not at all show any similarity to royal burials.