Sites & cities that bear the name of Barbar Temple

Barbar Temple

Today in : Bahrain
First trace of activity : ca. 30th century B.C.E
Last trace of activity : ca. 20th century B.C.E

Description : The Barbar Temple is an archaeological site located in the village of Barbar, Bahrain, and considered to be part of the Dilmun culture. The most recent of the three Barbar temples was rediscovered by a Danish archaeological team in 1954. A further two temples were discovered on the site with the oldest dating back to 3000 BC. The temples were built of limestone blocks, believed to have been carved out from Jidda Island. The three temples were built atop one another with the second built approximately 500 years later and the third added between 2100 BC and 2000 BC. It is thought that the temples were constructed to worship the god Enki, the god of wisdom and freshwater, and his wife Nankhur Sak (Ninhursag). The temple contains two altars and a natural water spring that is thought to have held spiritual significance for the worshipers. During the excavation of the site many tools, weapons, pottery and small pieces of gold were found which are now on display in the Bahrain National Museum. The most famous find was a bronze bull's head. The site is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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