ABSTRACT
Recent approaches in sensorial and phenomenological archaeology have been primarily concerned with what places and landscapes do to the body apart from the specificity of cultural meaning and so remain ahistorical in their approach. Taking inspiration from the methodologies in cultural geography and sensorial studies on architecture the present chapter develops a cultural-historical approach to the engagement with the built environment in ancient Mesopotamia, drawing simultaneously upon the rich textual documentation that provides insights into the construction, perceived agency, and symbolic meaning of landscapes and monumental architecture, in general, and Babylon’s Ishtar Gate as a case study, in particular. Movement through the cities of ancient Mesopotamia and the capitals of the Assyrian and Babylonian kings, in particular, offered not only an experience of enormous, monumental scale but also of meaningful pictorial decoration as well as the chance to engage with archetypes of social memory and building blocks for the collective imagination revolving around the role of the city. With the enchantment achieved through technical virtuosity, beyond their affective qualities, especially palaces and temples, city walls and city gates were imagined to have an active force and be agents in their own right.
