Dur-Kurigalzu
| عقرقوف Dur-Kurigalzu |
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The ziggurat of Dur-Kurigalzu in 2010
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 Shown within Iraq
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| Location | Baghdad Governorate, Iraq |
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| Region | Mesopotamia |
| Coordinates | 33°21′13″N 44°12′8″E / 33.35361°N 44.20222°ECoordinates: 33°21′13″N 44°12′8″E / 33.35361°N 44.20222°E |
| Type | tell |
| Length | – |
| Area | 225 ha (560 acres) |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1942–1945 |
| Archaeologists | Taha Baqir, S. Lloyd |
Dur-Kurigalzu (modern `Aqar-Qūf عقرقوف in Baghdad Governorate, Iraq) was a city in southern Mesopotamia near the confluence of the Tigris and Diyala rivers about 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of the center of Baghdad. It was founded by a Kassite king of Babylon, Kurigalzu I, some time in the 14th century BC, and was abandoned after the fall of the Kassite dynasty. The prefix Dur- is an Akkadian term meaning "fortress of", while the Kassite royal name Kurigalzu, since it is repeated in the Kassite king list, may have a descriptive meaning as an epithet, such as "herder of the folk (or of the Kassites)". The city contained a ziggurat and temples dedicated to Sumerian gods, as well as a royal palace. The ziggurat was unusually well-preserved, standing to a height of about 170 feet (52 m).
The town of Dur Kurigalzu was founded by the Kassite King Kurigalzu I in the late 15th or early 14th century BC and is situated along an east-west-trending limestone ridge between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Until the last century, the adjacent Aqar Quf depression would have been inundated with flood water part of the year. This site had access to fresh water from the Euphrates by means of the Isa Canal, known as the Patti-Enlil Canal in ancient times. The city functioned as the capital of Babylonia during the reign of Kurigalzu, and either as the capital or at least an important city during the period after. It was occupied continuously until the fall of the Kassite Dynasty in the 12th century BC, when it was largely abandoned. The temple area, at least, was known to be active in the 7th century BC and in the Neo-Babylonian period. Up until recently (mostly between the 9th and 14th centuries AD), there have been smaller occupations at parts of Aqar Quf, with areas of the site being used for burials and for Arab settlement.
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