Architectural Transmission of Mesopotamian Stepped Forms in Cultic and Funerary Monuments of the Mughan Plain (Southern Caucasus)

Architectural Transmission of Mesopotamian Stepped Forms
in Cultic and Funerary Monuments of the Mughan Plain (Southern Caucasus)

doi:10.17746/1563-0110.2026.54.2.037-044

M.M. Mustafayev and L.S. Nasirova
Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, G. Javid Avenue 115, Central Scientific Academic Town, Baku, AZ1143, Azerbaijan

This article explores cultural ties between Mesopotamia, Elam, and Southern Caucasus, focusing on the architectural tradition of stepped temples (ziggurats). Shrines in Azerbaijan are compared with those in Mesopotamia (Ubaid, Sumer, III Dynasty of Ur) and Elam (southwestern Iran, Khuzestan). A typological and chronological classification of architectural forms is proposed; parallels in the construction, decoration, and function of shrines are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the possible routes whereby cultural traditions were transmitted by means of trade and the diffusion of ideas. One example is the influence of Mesopotamian architectural forms on the medieval shrines of Azerbaijan. The economic background of cultural transmission between those regions is assessed. We conclude that further comparative studies in the Near East and Southern Caucasus are needed to specify the nature of these ties.

Keywords: Mesopotamia, Elam, Azerbaijan, Mughan, ziggurat, architectural traditions, cultural ties