Harran
site of ancient Harran
The Babylonian revival did not long endure. After Nebuchadnezzar's death (562 BC), a struggle for power apparently went on among various parties and individuals for several years. In 556 BC Nabonidus, one of Nebuchadnezzar's governors, became king of Babylonia (r. 556-539 BC). A somewhat enigmatic figure, he in some way antagonized the influential priestly class of Babylon. Nabonidus left the city of Babylon under control of his son Belshazzar and lived for a while in the city of Harran and later in the oasis of Teima, in the Arabian Desert. In 539 BC the Babylonians were defeated by the Persian king Cyrus the Great, who had defeated Media. Nabonidus was captured at Sippar (near modern Baghdâd, Iraq), and the Persians entered Babylon without resistance. Babylonia was then annexed to Persia and lost its independence for all time.
Text from Microsoft Encarta
from the period of Umayyad Caliph
Harran was the capital of his empire
as it is today
sheep coming home at the end of the day
the town
(from the beehive rooms to the modern solar hot water heater)
the fuel dump
(dried cattle dung used as fuel for cooking)
front door of a beehive room
the rear with stored "fuel" pile
broken roof
showing the method of construction of the beehive cone
beehive rooms in the sunset
Euphrates River
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