West Asiatic Architecture

        West asiatic architecture was mainly composed of Babylonian, Assyrian and Persian architecture. It was very ingenious of them to think of using sun dried bricks as their basic material. Since geologically speaking stone and timber was very scarce there, the only alternative was for them to use clay which they formed to bricks and alabaster. Babylonians and Assyrians mainly used this method however they differ from each other since Babylonians used glazed brickwork while Assyrians used glowing alabaster. Persians were different since they lived on the uplands and they used limestone as their primary material. Architecture back then was not merely a necessity unlike Prehistoric architecture in this period we can see that people are starting to become somehow aesthetic and yet still functional since they elevated their platforms in order to avoid insects and miasmas also they had an early version of urban planning wherein even chariots were able to move freely within the city. I liked how the babylonians were able to think of the idea to use clay in order to mold bricks and there were also varying colors to their bricks which made them more interesting and beautiful to look at. I was most fascinated with the hanging garden, how they were able to construct such a thing?, how did water pump up to water the garden?, those were just the few questions that come popping in my mind every time I visualize the hanging gardens if it were still standing today It would be one of the world's most magnificent work of architecture even though it was from an older time.

         Persian architecture was also very fascinating since they fused what they already have with Assyrian, Egyptian and Greek architecture in order to from a new style of their own. If anyone has ever seen the movie the "Prince of Persia" that, I think, is the best representation of what Persia looks like since they had amazing and large courtyards, giant flight of steps, and rows and rows of columns that were borrowed from the Greeks. Without a doubt my favorite in this period is Persian architecture since they were the mix of the other styles but it didn't appear like scrambled if there were weren't subtle hints of other styles present it was really their own.