The Ziggurat of Ur: The original FLEX

Student Report (2025)
Author(s)

J.M. Duică (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)

Contributor(s)

EPN Schreurs – Mentor (TU Delft - Situated Architecture)

Faculty
Architecture and the Built Environment
More Info
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Publication Year
2025
Language
English
Graduation Date
17-04-2025
Awarding Institution
Delft University of Technology
Project
['AR2A011', 'Architectural History Thesis']
Programme
['Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences']
Faculty
Architecture and the Built Environment
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Abstract

The thesis explores the relationship between the Ziggurat of Ur and the origin of power. The meaning and interpretations of power and origin are studied from an architectural point of view. The implications of architecture as a tool used to express specific beliefs are questioned. By blending archaeology, architecture, and anthropology, it examines how the ancient structure communicated divine rule and the will of its ruler. Built-in the 21st century BC, the Ziggurat not only served as a physical monument but as a tool of storytelling, reinforcing the power of its creators through its monumental form and celestial symbolism. The thesis investigates how the early stories of the Ziggurat were crafted, why they were so powerful, and how their influence is still visible today. Ultimately, it is questioned whether we are still building "ziggurats"—using storytelling and architecture to flex political power in the modern world.

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