HSTARC1: West Asiatic Architecture

There was not enough stone and wood in west asia, and it has become their major problem when they need to construct a structure. But there were lots and lots of clay. So their buildings were usually built of brick, or mud-brick. That is one thing that is I really commended on west Asian architects and builders is that they maximized what they have in order to build their historic structures. West Asian builders got so used to building in brick, that even buildings which are built of stone often look like they are made of brick. Another thing which made West Asian people build a certain way is the constant arrival of nomadic people into the area: the Persians, the Parthians, the Arabs. All of these people were used to living and entertaining in tents, and they built their houses and palaces kind of like tents, so they would feel at home. The Sumerians in the Babylonian time, about 3000 BC, were the first people to build big buildings in West Asia: they built ziggurats, or towers made of clay bricks, with temples to the gods on top of them. They also built city walls out of bricks (But recent excavations seem to show that people in southern Iran were building big ziggurats about the same time, and maybe even earlier). Babylonian Architecture was well recognized by its wonders such as the Tower of Babel, Ziggurats, and the Hanging Gardens and The City of Babylon. The Assyrians, about 1000 BC, did not build ziggurats anymore, but they built themselves great palaces out of limestone. And city walls, still out of bricks. Assyrian architecture is mainly recognized by their palaces especially those warrior-kings these palaces were often more important than temples.

When the Babylonians threw out the Assyrians, about 600 BC, there was a sort of revival of old pre-Assyrian ideas, which showed up in building clay brick buildings again, like the famous Ishtar Gate at the top of this page.
But soon after that the Persians conquered West Asia (in 539 BC). These nomads did not build anything at all for some time, but when they did decide to build a palace at Persepolis (the city of the Persians) they hired the best workers from all over West Asia and the Mediterranean to work on it.

A very interesting fact is they even had an urban planning logic. I believe that formal architecture started on west asia. Its rich culture not only in arts and architecture but also on mixed beliefs that were contributed by kingdoms that was passed on every age, made west asia the origin of a lot of things. Materials were from its availability. A very unbelievable management from the ancient times.