The World of Mesopotamian Architecture

When people first settled in the Mesopotamian region, they developed unique houses specially suited for the harsh desert climate. Mesopotamian houses were fashioned to provide shelter from the sun, and privacy. These houses first appeared around the year 5300 B.C.E., between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, in the richest part of the Fertile Crescent.
Mesopotamian houses evolved over the years, producing a fascinating history. Over the course of several centuries, the region of Mesopotamia was ruled by many different groups of people, including Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians. Although many features of Mesopotamian houses stayed the same, each new group of people influenced the style somewhat.
Two main kinds of houses existed in ancient Mesopotamia, the country house and the city house. City houses were built with two floors. The first floor had thick walls, which could be up to six feet thick, although it had some terracotta windows for ventilation. The thick walls provided protection from the sun. Inside, the first floor had a hearth but was relatively bare of furniture. When there was furniture, it would be primarily tables, chests, and stools. The upper floor was essentially a flat roof. On cool evenings and nights when it got hot inside, the residents of the house would cook, eat and sleep on this floor. Since city houses could flood easily, pots were placed around the house to collect rain water. Country houses were divided into two styles; the reed house, and the courtyard house, which was made out of mud brick. Both of these styles were generally one floor high. Houses would frequently grow in size, as rooms were added on. The earlier reed house was built from the reeds found locally in great abundance. Reed houses were designed by staking reeds into the ground and tying them together. Courtyard houses, the more common of the two, were constructed around a central courtyard, which was used as a recreational area. A large room was connected to this, and from there a number of doors led to many rooms including storerooms, bedrooms, and kitchens.
Mesopotamian houses are very beautiful and practical, whether in a country or city, and whether they are reed or courthouse. These brilliant structures served people well for many generations.