the inner workings: Lapis Lazul Across the Map and the Ages

Mesopotamia, the fertile valley between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, home to the world’s earliest civilizations: the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians. From the Epic of Gilgamesh to cuneiform to Hammurabi’s code, this land has birthed many great accomplishments still recognized to this day. However, not all of these ancient works were literature. One of the most influential kings of Babylon -- Nebuchadnezzar II -- was known for his extravagant architecture and decoration, from the hanging gardens of Babylon to his ziggurat tower.

One of my favorite remnants from this time period is the enormous and intricate Ishtar Gate, which is decorated with giant lions and bulls in honor of the goddess Ishtar. Constructed in ancient Babylon, the entryway is a capsule of values and traditions from Mesopotamian times, covered in shimmering blue lapis lazuli that would’ve been brilliant in the context of a desert. Here is an image of the gate:

Nebuchadnezzar, recognizing the cultural and aesthetic importance of his gate, wrote an inscription: “I, Nebuchadnezzar, laid the foundation of the gates down to the groundwater level and had them built out of pure blue stone. Upon the walls in the inner room of the gate are bulls and dragons. And thus, I magnificently adorned them with luxurious splendor for all mankind to behold in awe.”

As stated in Khan Academy’s video, “And [here] we are in awe two and a half millennia later. Nebuchadnezzar understood his place in history… wrote inscriptions in his [creations] that not only identified them but also asked future rules to rebuild them for him. It’s as though he knew that empires come and go, and that he could speak across history.”

This same ultramarine lapis lazuli is valued across many cultures and nations, from Badakhshan to Siberia to the Hindu Kush mountains. The deepest blues of lapis lazuli were most valuable; the highest quality lapis lazuli could be turned into a pigment by grinding down the rock and carefully purifying the powder.