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Ekur

Ekur, written in Sumerian as E-kur, is a term used in ancient Mesopotamian religion and geography meaning "Mountain House." It denotes both a mythic dwelling place of the gods and the principal earthly temple associated with Enlil, one of the chief deities of the Sumerian and Akkadian pantheon.

In myth, Ekur is described as a celestial or cosmic mountain from which the gods govern the

The best-attested earthly locus linked to Ekur is the temple complex in Nippur dedicated to Enlil. This

Name usage and influence: Ekur appears across Sumerian and Akkadian inscriptions and liturgical texts, referring to

See also Enlil, Nippur, Mesopotamian religion.

world.
It
is
often
portrayed
as
the
home
of
the
divine
assembly
and
the
throne
of
Enlil,
king
of
the
gods.
Some
hymns
present
Ekur
as
a
gateway
between
heaven
and
earth,
emphasizing
its
exalted
and
inaccessible
nature
and
its
role
in
divine
order.
temple,
commonly
identified
with
the
E-kur
name,
served
as
a
major
religious
center
in
Sumerian
and
Akkadian
periods.
The
cult
statue
of
Enlil
resided
there,
and
the
temple
functioned
as
a
key
ritual
and
administrative
hub
for
the
city
and
region.
both
the
mythic
mountain-home
and
the
actual
temple
precinct.
The
concept
of
a
sacred
mountain
as
the
seat
of
the
gods
influenced
Mesopotamian
cosmology
and
sacred
geography,
often
invoked
in
descriptions
of
temples,
rituals,
and
divine
kingship.