axis oriented west/east with, on its north face a long ramp which stretched for 30 m and
was reinforced by three long walls which diverged slightly. This huge ramp allowed the
sacrificial animals to reach the top of the terrace without too much difficulty.
The unique feature of this High Place for sacrifice is that it is closely associated with
the big Temple of the Lions (Figures 27. 2 and 27. 7 ), rebuilt by the king Ishtup-Ilum,
as is shown by the foundation deposits placed all along its south face. It is the biggest
of the City III temples (about 36 m x 20 m), erected on a terrace almost 2 m high,
something which gave it excellent stability, with walls 5 m thick; it belongs to a series
of long rectangular temples also called temples in antis.A terrace enclosed by a
boundary wall gave access to the east door, a very simple plan: the door, decorated with
palm trunks, gave onto a large rectangular room with a long bench on its north wall
and a podium attached to the shorter west wall. This big room seems to have been a
Sacred place – it not impossible that a mobile altar served as a place for offerings –
while the altar against the west wall was the Holy of Holies. Two doors, one on either
side of the main altar, gave access to two small rooms, an unusual plan. Immediately
on the left after the entrance, two bronze lion protomes, standing on two platforms
of different heights, sprang from the wall.
This temple stood in an imposing manner in the heart of the city, but we have to
imagine its whole mass to understand its impact. The thickness of the socle built for
it implies that there were heavy pressures on it. Bearing this and the thickness of the
temple walls (around 5 m) in mind, we have to reconstruct it as having a height of not
less than 10 m, which would also bring it into line with the High Terrace with which
it was closely associated. That is to say, that the temple must have had at least two levels
and one of the two small rooms found at its base probably held the staircase which
joined the two levels and gave access to the High Terrace.
The close relationship between the terrace and the temple shows their real sig-
nificance; in City III they form a single unit which was the religious centre of the city,
one which was apparently under the rule of the high priest of the Lion Temple, who
distributed sacrifices to all the other temples thus maintaining the hierarchy of the
gods. This exceptional sanctuary was dedicated, according to the foundation deposits
to the King of the Land.The palaces
The palace built at the beginning of the period of the Shakkanakkuhad disappeared
leaving hardly any trace. It was succeeded c. 2000 BCby the Royal Palace excavated by
André Parrot, which, thanks to some 15 , 000 tablets, has given us incomparable
evidence for the period of the Amorite dynasties. However, it was constructed much
earlier than this and its history covers about two and half centuries, going back to the
period of the Shakkanakku and not just to that of Zimri-Lim, the last king.
The beginnings of the palace date back to the time of the Shakkanakku/Ur III and
we have to understand the changes which took place if we are to be able to determine
which characteristics belonged to each period and how the building evolved. These
changes often indicate a change in thought and in ritual pracrice. If the chapel of Ishtar
and the chapel with the paintings (Room 132 ) survive unchanged throughout the life
of the palace, other parts were constructed more recently like the king’s appartments
built at a time when Shamsi-Adad was in charge.
–– The Kingdom of Mari ––