If the tower of Babel existed, it looked like and what serve? What was it - a mystical way to heaven, to the abode of the gods? Maybe the temple or astronomical Observatory?..

Scientific history of searches of the tower of Babel started with a few pieces of colored bricks found in the place of the Babylonian Kingdom German architect and archaeologist Robert Koldewey. Fragments of brick bas-relief was sufficient reason to Kaiser Wilhelm II and newly established East German society began generously to Finance excavations of the ancient city on the Euphrates river on the territory of modern Iraq.

on March 26, 1899 Koldewey solemnly began excavations. He did not expect that from that moment his life long 18 years will be inseparably linked with the ruins of the huge city.

Only in 1913, the ground water level has decreased, and archaeologists were able to begin to study the remnants of the legendary tower. At the bottom of a deep excavations they were released from under layers preserved part of the Foundation of mud bricks and a few stairs. Since then and to this day continues irreconcilable struggle between supporters of different hypotheses, no different represent the shape of this building and its height. Most controversy is the location of stairs: some researchers believe that steps were outside, others insist on placing of stairs inside the tower.

The Babylonians for six centuries B.C. they built majestic constructions with height up to 90 m, but to this day they got only pitiful remnants. In 1962, the expedition under the guidance of the architect Hans-Georg Schmidt continued study of the ruins of the tower. Professor Schmidt created a new model of built: two side stairs leading to the terrace, located at a height of 31 m from the ground, the monumental Central staircase ended on the second floor at the height of 48 M. There were up four flights of stairs, and on top of the tower there was a temple. Ziggurats, as it was called the Babylonians your towers, were approximately modern itany house!

Professor Schmidt compared their laborious and complex calculations with the data found on a small clay plate. This unique document contains a description of a multi-tiered tower of Babylon - the famous temple of the Supreme deity of Marduk. It was called "Etemenanki" is the cornerstone of Heaven and Earth. Now on a place of the temple-tower stretches of reed swamp.

Babylonian ziggurat was the highest and the most recent structure of this type, but not the only high-rise Church in Mesopotamia. The pearls strung on a thread, by a long series were standing along the two mighty rivers - the Tigris and Euphrates - huge shrines. The tradition of building of the towers was born in the Sumerians in the South of Mesopotamia. For seven thousand years ago in Eridu built the first step temple terrace with the total height of one meter. Over time, architects have learned to design more high building and has developed a technology of construction works, which allows to achieve stability and strength of the walls. Tower rampant grew up.

The ziggurat at Ur

Ziggurat, built in Ur by order of Tsar Urnammu about 2000 BC, the first time was faced with a layer of a laying from a brick and decorated Shrine monumental outer stairs. Urnammu undertook the construction of a huge temple, to emphasize the strength of their city, magnify God-patron and, of course, himself.

In cuneiform texts, unfortunately, did not report specific information about using the ziggurat. From late Babylonian sources we know that on the top platform of the tower were made sacrifices to the gods. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote in the V century B.C. the temple on the roof: "there is a wide richly adorned with a bed. But images of the gods is not there, and no one holds the night there, but one of the women from Babylon. Of all people, she is the only one chosen by the gods." Probably, it speaks about the custom of an annual "sacred marriage" a new year celebration in honor of the God Marduk - sex king of the priestess, which symbolized the renewal of nature.

Many historians believe that the temple towers served as priests as well as astronomical observatories. Because these buildings were the highest points on flat as a table, the plain between the Tigris and Euphrates, and the clay tablets were kept in centuries evidence of deep knowledge of the wise men of Babylon in astronomy.

Astronomy was in those days a purely Babylonian science. The priests used the knowledge of celestial bodies for the justification of astrological predictions of the future, as well as in the preparation and correction of the calendar. In the view of the inhabitants of ancient Mesopotamia astronomy and astrology were inextricably linked. Watching the starry sky, the priests were defined trajectory of movement of the stars in the sky, and later learned in advance to calculate them. To study the "sacred heavenly science" had a right only the priests. Perhaps the gospel of the Magi who came to worship the newborn babe, Jesus, came from Babylon, as no other of his contemporaries did not have sufficient knowledge to predict the appearance in the sky of the star of Bethlehem. The wise men of Babylon took care to keep their knowledge to future generations and recorded their cuneiform on the set of clay tablets, providing for clear pictures.

The legend of the tower of Babel, which States that God had punished the people for pride, formed from many European Nations negative attitude to the Kingdom of Babylon as a hotbed of sin and iniquity. In fact, the manners and customs in the country were quite decent. In 587 BC, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II conquered Jerusalem, and thousands of Jews were driven into exile, but there was addressed with the outsiders well. They were given the freedom to practice their religion, they were not forced labour. However, in the old Testament tells the tale of the Kingdom of Babylon and abhorrent "pandemonium". Babylon "skyscraper" became a symbol mad pride earthly man who dared to make yourself equal with God himself.

About the deplorable end of the Babylonian Kingdom in the Bible also refers to the penalty for the sins and arrogance before God. Fiery letters "MENE, TEKEL, PERES"appeared on the wall of the Palace, told the inevitable death of the king Baltazar and section Kingdom between enemies. Biblical morality is clear: useri pride, not zamachivaya that you couldn't, otherwise you will be defeated.

However, for people of this ancient warning was not enough... the builders of the tower of Babel has many followers in the different countries, and record the height of the buildings are collapsing one after another, which largely contributes to technological progress. But even in comparison with modern giants otrova the tower of Babel is an impressive feat of ancient builders.