Illustration
These two terracotta lions were found at the entrance to the Dagan Temple at Tell Harmal (ancient Shaduppum), in the eastern outskirt of Baghdad. The temple was a typical Old-Babylonian one, with a short staircase made of mudbricks and flanked by platforms, on which those lions once stood. The lions were constructed from many fragments and probably the two lions date to different periods. The gaping jaws and bristly manes would avert any evil from entering the temple. The temple was dedicated to Nisaba (goddess of the grain and writing) and her consort, Haja. This lion (close to the viewer) was safe and intact during the ransacking of the Iraq Museum in April 2003 CE; however, the other lion was vandalized by the looters. and was restored afterwards. Both lions were made of baked and moulded clay (with a hollow interior) and date to the Old Babylonian period, c. 1800 BCE. They are on display at the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, the Republic of Iraq.
About the Author
Related Images
Terracotta Lion from Tell Harmal
The Mesopotamian Pantheon
The Iraq Museum & Three Wars: Three Steps from Hell
The Iraq Museum: A Brightness in the Darkness
First Intermediate Period of Egypt
Old Kingdom of Egypt
Cite This Work
APA Style
Amin, O. S. M. (2019, March 21). A Pair of Lions from Tell Harmal at the Iraq Museum. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/10275/a-pair-of-lions-from-tell-harmal-at-the-iraq-museu/
Chicago Style
Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "A Pair of Lions from Tell Harmal at the Iraq Museum." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified March 21, 2019. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/10275/a-pair-of-lions-from-tell-harmal-at-the-iraq-museu/.
MLA Style
Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "A Pair of Lions from Tell Harmal at the Iraq Museum." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 21 Mar 2019. Web. 03 Oct 2022.
