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 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.

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

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

See also Enlil, Nippur, Mesopotamian religion.