College of Archaeology

As part of the scientific activities of the Department of Antiquities and Manuscripts Preservation for the academic year 2025-2026, a seminar entitled “Preserving Temple Foundations in Ancient Iraq” was held on Sunday, December 14, 2025. The seminar, presented by Professor Dr. Othman Ghanem Mohammed, addressed the process of preserving temple foundations (their plans), specifically the sanctuary and sacred chamber of the god. This was a matter of great concern to the rulers of Mesopotamia during reconstruction. Herein lies the role of the ruler in caring for the houses of the gods, which legitimized his rule by gaining their favor and receiving their commands.

The research aims to highlight the extent to which the rulers of Mesopotamia were committed to preserving the original plans of the temple foundations when rebuilding, based on the careful search for the foundations and finding the foundation box. The research was divided into main axes, including receiving orders with permission to rebuild and the means of receiving those orders from the gods according to the beliefs of the people, and then starting the work.