It is hard to believe that the huge Ziggurat of Choqa Zanbil had been lost under the sands for thousands of years until it was accidentally discovered in 1935 during an oil survey!

Walking around the baking hot and dry surroundings today, it is also difficult to imagine that when Choqa Zanbil was built around 1250 B.C.E., the climate was very different: The area was wet and forested and the Ziggurat had to be raised up to prevent flooding!

Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Choqa Zanbil was built by the Elamites to honour their god Inshushinak (literally the protector of Shush). See also Elamite delegation in Persepolis.

For me when wandering around ancient historical sites, it is always the human element that enables me to connect more easily with the past. In Choqa Zanbil's case it was the ancient footprints of children and animals that were accidentally captured for posterity in the drying clay tiles.