Enki in Sumerian mythology is the god of fresh waters, wisdom and the creator of man worshipped in Eridu. Together with the sky god Anu and the god Enlil, he formed a great triad of major deities. ¹⁾

Anzu or Imdugud is an enormous lion-headed bird in Mesopotamian mythology whose flapping wings were said to cause whirlwinds and sandstorms. In one myth, Anzu steals the tablet of destiny from Enki but is killed by the god of war Ninurta, who eventually returns the tablet to its rightful owner. ²⁾

According to Mesopotamian beliefs, humans were created to relieve the gods of their daily work. The intermediary between the gods and the people was established in the form of En, through whom the gods bestowed their grace on people and in return received the worship due to them. En combined the functions of king and priest, and in primitive society was a symbol of fertility. The dwelling place of En was a giparu (egipar), a temple area. ³⁾

The Sumerians (sum. saĝ-ĝi6-ga, translated as “black-headed”) were ancient people of unknown origin who created a highly developed civilization in southern Mesopotamia — Sumer — in the late fourth millennium B.C. They spoke the Sumerian language and cuneiform script. According to uncovered written sources, they called themselves “black-headed people who came from the East.” ⁴⁾

A ziggurat is a temple tower characteristic of Mesopotamian sacred architecture, with successive terraces descending in steps. Each ziggurat was the seat of a different god. Ziggurats were solid structures, for technical and technological reasons there were no rooms in them. These buildings were usually connected with temple complexes, which were located in the centers of Babylonian cities. ⁵⁾