In the cradle of civilization, amidst the fertile lands of Mesopotamia, lies a tale as ancient as time itself – the story of Ninmakh. Known by many names – Ninhursag, Ninmah, or Mami – she was revered as a goddess of healing, fertility, and creation, weaving the fabric of life with her divine hands. She was one of the seven great deities of Sumer and the consort of Enki, the god of water and wisdom. She was often depicted as a motherly figure with a horned headdress and a long dress. She was associated with the creation of humans and animals, as well as their protection and restoration. She was revered as a source of life and fertility and invoked by women in labour and by those who suffered from diseases or injuries.

Ninmakh’s origins are deeply rooted in Sumerian mythology, where she held a prominent place among the pantheon of deities. As the consort of Enki, the god of water and wisdom, she played a pivotal role in the creation of both gods and humans, shaping clay figurines imbued with the essence of life itself.

The Temple of Ninmakh in Babylon

Her dedicated temple was first excavated by archaeologists of the Koldewey Expedition (1899–1914) and later re-excavated and reconstructed by Iraqi archaeologists. The excavation revealed that each rebuild was several meters higher than the previous. Raising the walls in this way had resulted in the preservation of earlier walls and of white lime plaster.

Her temple, a sacred sanctuary nestled within the heart of Babylon, stood as a testament to her divine presence. Within its walls, priests performed rituals to honour her, while women sought her blessings in childbirth and healing. The temple, surrounded by a protective wall, was not merely a religious centre but also a cultural and political hub, where matters of importance were deliberated upon.

Despite the passage of millennia and the ravages of time, the remnants of Ninmakh’s temple still stand, albeit in ruins. Each layer of its reconstruction tells a story of devotion and reverence spanning centuries, from the reigns of kings to the rise and fall of empires.

Yet, amidst the crumbling stones and fading inscriptions, Ninmakh’s legacy endures. Her name, once whispered in prayer, still echoes through the annals of history, a reminder of humanity’s enduring quest for meaning and transcendence.

Located in the fabled ancient city of Babylon, adjacent to the Processional Way and the iconic Ishtar Gate, the Ninmakh Temple was rebuilt several times during the reigns of Esarhaddon, Assurbanipal, and Nebuchadnezzar in the sixth century BCE.

The central courtyard of the temple characterised with the presence of the holy well. The women used the water from this well for ritual bathing and for purification. It was one of the several sacred wells located in the sacred precincts around the city.

The inner sanctum of the temple of Ninmakh was restricted to women only, who would gather in the sacred precinct of the temple and pray for good marriages and married women would pray for offspring among other worship rituals.

Study shows that the temple structure and the attached fortification wall encompassed several rebuilding phases, which cannot be dated solely to the Neo-Babylonian era (626–539 BCE). The ground plan of the temple changed more than once and was used at least till the Parthian era (247 BCE-224 CE). The pavement (flooring) of the temple previously thought to date back to the Neo-Babylonian time actually belongs to the Parthian era.

The temple is in poor condition because of a combination of material incompatibilities, wind, rain, and the changing course of the Euphrates over two millennia, combined with improper water drainage, rising groundwater, and water-borne mineral salts. These priceless heritage structures are begging for restoration.

The Myths of Goddes Ninmakh

In the mythological tapestry of Mesopotamia, Ninmakh emerges as a figure of profound significance – a mother goddess whose nurturing embrace spans the realms of gods and mortals alike. From the creation of mountains to the birth of humanity, her presence permeates every aspect of existence, a timeless symbol of fertility and renewal.

Ninmakh is the Sumerian Mother Goddess and one of the oldest and most important in the Mesopotamian Pantheon. She is principally a fertility goddess. According to legend, her name was changed from Ninmakh to ‘Ninhursag’ means ‘Lady of the Mountain’ by her son Ninurta to commemorate his creation of the mountains. It comes from the Sumerian poem Lugale (Ninurta’s Exploits) in which Ninurta, god of war and hunting, defeats the monstrous demon Asag and his stone army and builds a mountain of their corpses. Ninurta gives the glory of his victory to his mother Ninmah (‘Magnificent Queen’) and renames her Ninhursag. Her other names include Dingirmakh, Makh, Ninmakh, Mamma, Mama, and Aruru.

Temple hymn sources identify her as the “true and great lady of heaven” (possibly about her standing on the mountain) and kings of Sumer were “nourished by Ninhursag’s milk” (possibly referring to the waters of river Euphrates and Tigris flowing down from mountains).

Ninmakh is known as the mother of the Gods and mother of Men for her part in creating both divine and mortal entities, having replaced the earlier Mother Goddess, Nammu (also known as Namma) whose worship is attested as early as Dynastic III (2600-2334 BCE) of the Early Dynastic Period (2900-2334 BCE).

In the legend of Atrahasis (18th-century BCE) is an Akkadian epic, Ninmakh appears as Nintu/Mami, the womb-goddess. She shapes clay figurines mixed with the flesh and blood of a slain minor deity, and ten months later, humans are born. Atrahasis was recorded in various versions on clay tablets, named for its protagonist, Atrahasis (exceedingly wise). The Atra-Hasis tablets include both a creation myth and one of three surviving Babylonian flood myths. The story of Atrahasis also exists in a later Assyrian version, first rediscovered in the Library of Ashurbanipal, though its translations have been uncertain due to the artifact being in fragmentary condition and containing ambiguous words.

Creation was seen by the Sumerians as an act of skilled craftsmanship. According to the myth, Enki, the patron of all arts and crafts, the god of the sweet fertilising waters of the deep, wisdom and magic, is challenged to a creature-making contest by Ninmakh, the Great Mother goddess and Enki´s feisty beloved. Everything starts in the old days when the gods were forced to work hard excavating irrigation canals. The senior gods did the digging while the younger carried the baskets of earth, a heavy task indeed. Then, to relieve the gods of their workload, urged by the primaeval Mother Nammu the Sea, Enki, the creator of forms, aided by Nammu and Ninmah created the first humans. The moment humankind was created, a bond between humans and the gods was sealed, to last forever after.

There is another myth. Together with the sky god Anu, Ninmakh was conceived in Nammu’s oceanic womb. Anu and Ninmakh/Ki came to life embracing each other within the primeval sea.

In the myth of Enki and Ninmah, Ninmakh begins on equal footing with the god, but by the end, loses her status. It is known that the female deities in Mesopotamia were overshadowed by the males during the reign of Hammurabi of Babylon (1792-1750 BCE). If it could be authoritatively determined that the story of Enki and Ninmakh dated from this time, then the myth would correspond to the overall decline in stature and equality goddesses (and women) were then experiencing.

As we gaze upon the ruins of Ninmakh’s temple, we are transported back in time, to an age when gods walked among mortals and the boundaries between myth and reality blurred. It is a journey into the heart of ancient Mesopotamia, where the mysteries of the past await discovery and the echoes of divine whispers still linger in the air.

In visiting this sacred site, we pay homage to the enduring spirit of Ninmakh and the rich cultural heritage of Babylonian civilization. In her story, we find not only the wisdom of ages past but also a glimpse of the eternal truths that bind us all together in the tapestry of life.