Values Based Decision-Making Essay - 1372 Words

An individuals personal, organizational, and cultural values are the foundation of their personal and professional decision-making cycle. These values form the core of that individuals moral fabric, and his actions and decisions are predicated on those beliefs. Shalom H. Schwartz defined values as conceptions of the desirable that guide the way social actors (e.g. organizational leaders, policy-makers, individual persons) select actions, evaluate people and events, and explain their actions and evaluations (Schwartz, 1999, pp. 24-25). Because values drive the way individuals select actions, this paper will outline how my personal, organizational, and cultural values affect my decision-making. Personal Values Personally, I hold†¦show more content†¦The value of honesty cannot be overstated in my personal life. I strive to be honest in all personal dealings but will occasionally be less than honest if my honesty would lead to breaking the golden rule. When making decisions about my personal life, it is integral that I am honest to myself and to others. An example of this would be making a decision to take a vacation. While the vacation would be enjoyable, if I did not have the funds to pay for the vacation without using credit cards, I would have to be honest with myself and my family about the monetary situation and decide against the vacation. Professionally, it is critical to be honest because without the credibility of your superiors and subordinates, you are nothing. Any dishonest act, while perhaps having short-term benefits, is likely to reduce your credibility in the eyes of others. Once you have lost this credibility and trust, it is nearly impossible to regain it. In an insightful article in the Journal of Business Ethics, D. J. Fritzsche tested the hypothesis that certain instrumental personal values such as responsibility, honesty, and broadmindedness are associated with ethical decision-making (Fritzsche, 1995). In his study, Fritzsche surveyed 750 business managers in a series of vignettes. He found that while these core values can be a yardstick for ethical decision-making, not all threeShow MoreRelatedEssay about Values Based Decision-Making1416 Words   |  6 PagesAn individuals personal, organizational, and cultural values are the foundation of their personal and professional decision-making cycle. These values form the core of that individuals moral fabric, and his actions and decisions are predicated on those beliefs. Shalom H. Schwartz defined values as conceptions of the desirable that guide the way social actors (e.g. organizational leaders, policy-makers, individual persons) select actions, evaluate people and events, and expla in their actions andRead MoreThe Challenges Of Values And Ethics Based Business Decision Making852 Words   |  4 PagesThe challenges of values and ethics based business decision-making in the current global market place is creating a positive corporate culture that requires a strong conviction by its members by offering corporate values and ethics which are essential in running an effective business (Henle, 2006, p. 347). Additionally, due to the differences in cultural ethics globally organization ethical standards can be transferred universally when they are deemed as trustworthy, credible, economical, and reliableRead MoreAre The Most On Values For Making Decisions?811 Words   |  4 PagesI would rely the most on values for making decisions. For example, a public administrator is faced with the challenge of reducing poverty by a certain degree. Information and facts are relevant in developing the best program. Research on facts and history should be done to select the best way to achieve the goal of reducing poverty for that city or town. All possible policy alternatives are outlined and rated. The best alternative is chosen from options like work-relief programs, higher welfareRead MoreSocial And Psychological Factors Influence Economic Decisions Essay1052 Words   |  5 Pagessocial and psychological factors influence economic decisions. The main difference with the classical economic approach is that, while economists use a normative approach in describing extit{how decisions should be made} to optimise a reward function, by assuming that subjects are rational decision-makers citep{von2007theory}, behavioural economics describes extit{how decisions are actually made} by using experiments that emulate real-life decision problems citep{kahneman2000choices, todd2003bounding}Read MoreThe Ethical Decision Making Models1576 Words   |  7 PagesEthical Decision-Making Models Decision-making in the field of psychology refers to a cognitive process that results in a selection among multiple possible solutions in a situation (Colman, 2008). Decision-making is based on available information from the environment as well as intrinsic information and existing schemas (Rogerson, Gottlieb, Handelsman, Knapp Younggren, 2011). These internal schemas, along with knowledge and personal preferences, influence the decision-making process. EthicalRead MoreUnique and Complex Nature of Category 2 Decision Making Process1039 Words   |  5 PagesII decision process in nevertheless generic. Discuss The decision making process is extremely complex in case of the category II decision process. Yet, it is not generic as the circumstances and the opinions of each of the decision makers’ matters a lot. People from different parts of the world may approach decision making based on their cultural backgrounds, value systems and also based on their capacity and willingness to take risk by bypassing the steps involved in the process of decision makingRead MoreValues and Ethical Decision Making/Scenario1469 Words   |  6 PagesValues and Ethical Decision Making/Scenario Team B Lakisha Bradley, Telisa Jupiter, Charlene Gillette, Jasmine Hives, and Stacey Lamb MGT/521 Steven Perret February 12, 2012 Values and Ethical Decision Making/Scenario Team B will be evaluating the personal values, organizational values, and ethical decision-making processes of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. Members will also evaluate how one team member’s value and ethic assessment align with one scenario regarding the organizationRead MoreEthical Principles Of Nursing Practice974 Words   |  4 Pagesnursing in respect to decision making is looked upon, various key areas are taken into consideration. These key areas include the nursing values, the standards, subject ethical principles and finally the fundamental beliefs in nursing. When a reflection is made on the on the key mentioned areas, it is presumed that each of them is mainly aimed at protecting human dignity and restoring respect to patients (Bush 2007). Ethical values in nursing When looking at nursing values in regard to the subjectRead MoreThe Difference Between Professionalism And Ethics1590 Words   |  7 Pagestalks about the study of decisions and moral judgment. Ethics is the study of what should be, what is the ultimate good and how to achieve it. People have always thought that the primary purpose of business is to serve society. Business must have a society commitment otherwise businesses cannot enjoy success. It is a study of human actions in respect of being right and wrong. Ethics is an attempt to discover that ought to be. Ethics forms critique of both ultimate values and goals and the means usedRead MoreImproving Leadership Decision Making : Fear Of Lack Of Buy1045 Words   |  5 PagesImproving Leadership Decision-Making Fear of lack of buy-in. One of the most common areas of improvement for effective decision-making in times of uncertainty, is to avoid making decisions based only on the appeal to colleagues. Research shows that a fear of lack of buy-in or approval from colleagues should not be a motivator for making a decision. Examples include making decisions within the following motivators: a) decisions that will sit most comfortably with colleagues, b) be the most popular

Death Of A Salesman And Fences Essay - 1264 Words

Having a father figure in your life can help shape your life. Fathers are disciplinarians and caretakers. Often, it may seem that boys will try to copy their fathers to be just like them. They will seek their father’s approval in everything they do. The relationship between a father, and a son is an essential one. This relationship can determine how a boy will grow up into a man, what good habits will he pick up from his father or what bad ones. Although the fathers in Death of a Salesman and Fences; Willy and Troy wanted whats best for their sons, they did more harm than good. A terrible father and son relationship can cause a strain on the sons mind by constantly needing praise from their dad. Thus, Biff and Corys relationship with†¦show more content†¦Willy was so pushy to a point where Biff could not finish a sentence before Willy could interrupt him. Whereas Troy refuses to see that times have changed and his son has a chance to play football professionally. Troy s father has influenced the way Troy treats his children, even though he escaped his father by fleeing at a young age. Thus creating his hostile attitude that stems from his past. Troy feels guilty for not being around for Lyons growing, instead, Troy was serving his fifteen years sentence. Lyons is thirty-four year old still getting financial support from Troy. However, he never urged Lyon to get another career. Instead, he gave up and let Lyon take advantage of him. But when it came to Cory, Troy was very assertive and short tempered. He refuses to sign the consent forms for Cory’s football draft and ruins his chances at a football career. There was a fearsome relationship between Troy and Cory. All Cory ever wanted was his father’s affection. He even asks Troy if he likes him. All Cory ever gotten from Troy was fear, he never knew if his father genuinely liked him or not. â€Å"You my flesh and blood. Not cause I like you! Cause it’s my duty to take care of you. I ain’t got to like you.†(Wilson 40). Willy’s short temper and sense of paranoia turned any conversation he has into an argument. Willy does not show an ideal example of a father for his sons, patience and understanding vanishes when Willy shows his anger. Hence causing aShow MoreRelatedEssay on Comparing Death of a Salesman and Fences795 Words   |  4 PagesWhen it comes to comparing and contrasting two different cultures and morals the differences can be night and day. In Death Of A Salesman and Fences, these stories follow two middle-class families around the same time period (late 1940-1950’s), who are both facing problems within their own household’s. From marital issues to failing father/son relationships, both of these stories paint a picture to the audience of what life in an urban family living in that time setting was like through the author’sRead MoreFather and Son in Death of a Salesman, and Fences Essay966 Words   |  4 Pagesdifficult to balance a healthy relationship between father and son, because of what a father expects from his son. For instance in the narratives, â€Å"Death of a Salesman,† and â€Å"Fences† both Willy and Troy are fathers who have a difficult time in earning respect from their sons, and being a role model for them. Between, â€Å"Death of a Salesman,† and â€Å"Fences,† both protagonists, Willy and Troy both depict the role of a father in distinctive ways; however, in their struggle, Willy is the more sympatheticRead MoreCharacter Analysis of Cory in The Play Fences by August Wilson1109 Words   |  5 Pagesdeath of a salesman father-sonfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffd Troy Maxson’s father-son relationship is anything but desirable. The harder Cory works to better himself, theRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller2091 Words   |  9 Pagesprosperity through hard work. Both in Arthur Miller s Death of a Salesman and F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the American Dream is a strong theme throughout, as ultimately the protagonists in the novel and play fail to achieve their dream. As a result, the reader is forced to consider whether the American Dream is an unattainable concept or if it is due to personal interpretation. The Great Gatsby written in 1925 and Death of a Salesman 1949, gives a slightly different perspective being postRead MoreEssay Prompts4057 Words   |  17 PagesBarthes’ Observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers any answers. Explain how the author’s treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. You may select a work from the list below or another novel or play of comparable literary merit. Alias Grace Middlemarch All the King’s Men Moby-Dick Candide Obasan Death of a Salesman Oedipus Rex Doctor FaustusRead MoreEudora Welty a Worn Path12166 Words   |  49 Pagesinformation on these eNotes please visit: http://www.enotes.com/worn−path/copyright Table of Contents 1. A Worn Path: Introduction 2. Eudora Welty Biography 3. Summary 4. Characters 5. Themes 6. Style 7. Historical Context 8. Critical Overview 9. Essays and Criticism 10. Compare and Contrast 11. Topics for Further Study 12. Media Adaptations 13. What Do I Read Next? 14. Bibliography and Further Reading 15. Copyright Introduction Eudora Weltys A Worn Path, first published in Atlantic MonthlyRead MoreEudora Welty a Worn Path12173 Words   |  49 Pagesinformation on these eNotes please visit: http://www.enotes.com/worn−path/copyright Table of Contents 1. A Worn Path: Introduction 2. Eudora Welty Biography 3. Summary 4. Characters 5. Themes 6. Style 7. Historical Context 8. Critical Overview 9. Essays and Criticism 10. Compare and Contrast 11. Topics for Further Study 12. Media Adaptations 13. What Do I Read Next? 14. Bibliography and Further Reading 15. Copyright Introduction Eudora Weltys A Worn Path, first published in Atlantic MonthlyRead MoreBelonging Essay4112 Words   |  17 PagesEmily, Selected Poems of Emily Dicksinson Herrick, Steven, The Simple Gift Baillie, Alan, The China Coin Russell, Willy, Educating Rita Cleven,Vivienne et al (eds), Contemporary Indigenous Plays Pung, Alice, Unpolished Gem Noyce, Phillip, Rabbit-Proof Fence Daldry, Stephen, Billy Elliot Making Multicultural Australia, www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au It is also suggested you choose 3-4 related texts as you will have more to discuss. You do not have to read a full book; a story from an anthology canRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pagesdecision, too. He wants to stay, but not by himself. Still, he isnt convinced by Juanitas reasons. Look, he says, if the stream were poisonous, everything in it would look dead. There are water spiders and plants living in the stream. Its no death trap. At this point you are faced with one of lifes little decisions: What do you do about the water situation? Go or stay? Someone else might make this decision by flipping a coin. A logical reasoner is more rational. 4 A first step inRead MoreConfucianism in Journey to the West31834 Words   |  128 PagesLeonard (1966), Principles of Behavior: An Introduction to Behavior Theory, New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. Lai, Whalen (2004), â€Å"From Protean Ape to Handsome Saint: The Monkey King†, Asian Folklore Studies, 53/1, 29-65. Locke, John (1690), An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, London: Printed for Tho. Basset, and sold by Edw. Mory. Keane, Michael (2002), â€Å"Television Drama in China: Engineering Souls for the Market† in: Craig, Timothy J. King, Richard [eds.], Global Goes Local: Popular

Disease Management Free Essays

Disease management pertains to the concept of assisting in healthcare expenditures and augmenting the quality of life through prevention and health maintenance. Disease management is associated with a commitment to provide guidance, information, advocacy and service to its members in order for them to feel a positive change. An ideal health care model aims to improve the quality and efficiency of health care assistance, to increase the accessibility to health care services for various populations, to increase price and quality transparency and to ascertain accountability for all services received. We will write a custom essay sample on Disease Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now In order to achieve these goals, certain disease management programs have linked with Aetna and United Healthcare, which improves both benefits and the marketing of health insurance industry. One policy of disease management involves the improvement of the quality and efficiency of health care for its members (Barry and Basler, 2007). This policy feature is associated with routine measurement of the performance of its plans. It also encourages highly efficient health care options to its members, as well as the application of information technologies in keeping and maintaining patient health records. The use of prescribing medications electronically is also presented, which helps in keeping the patients safe from errors of drug consumption, as well as duplication of services, which are deemed to be wasteful in terms of money, time and effort. Such improvement may also advance the mode of access for health test results and other information. Another policy being promoted by disease management programs involve the availability of health care services to varied populations at reasonable prices. Such feature concentrates on outreach programs that provide materials and services to different communities using other languages that are applicable to specific ethnic groups. This element may be a valuable feature in interacting with its members, so that the patients may freely express their needs and concerns regarding health care and its associated services. It is also very useful in making its non-English speaking members to understand what has been assessed or what is needed in order to help them in their health maintenance, including chronic care and disease management. The use of the multi-language approach also prevents miscommunications and misunderstandings between the program and its members. The benefits of such effort will include a greater chance for its members to understand any information that is provided to them, including the quality, effectivity and costs of the health care services. It also allows the members to make their own decisions about their own health care plans because they are empowered to interact and ask questions about aspects that concern their health. A disease management program also includes the regular monitoring and assessment of its health plan and its subsequent dissemination of information to its members (Gearon, 2006). Such feature is valuable in terms of its goal in continuously improving the health care performance and efficiency of its plans. And it is also known that the most reliable way of improving any health care plan is by gathering the comments and suggestions of the end-users, which are actually the members itself, who directly apply such health care plans to their daily lives. A disease management program appraises its healthcare policy and features every year. Such comprehensive review of the policy often times lead to points of improvement. These are then actively considered an incorporated into the working health policy and its members are likewise advised of the new changes. Any other comments or suggestions are freely expressed by its members, and the program at the same time welcomes such constructive criticisms. Healthcare marketing is a phenomenon that actively promotes features of healthcare industry. A successful healthcare marketing process follows the three major concepts framework, view point and definition. Healthcare marketing has dramatically changed over the last decade, mainly due to reforms initiated by the government (Barry and Basler, 2007). One prime modification in the healthcare market is the incorporation of Medicare, which works as a form of reimbursement for healthcare institutions. A few decades ago, healthcare investigators attempted to establish the relationship between healthcare practitioners and patients. One of the observations they observed was that patients often had only a few choices in terms of healthcare providers hence they have no resort but to maintain a relationship with a particular doctor amidst substandard patient care delivery. Another observation the investigators observed was the patients tend to screen or try out different physicians and just pick out which physician works best with their own personal preference. In addition, other individuals would also screen different hospitals and then later decide which hospital serves them best in terms of their hospital needs. References Barry P and Basler B (2007):   Healing our system.   AARP Bulletin, March, 2007.   Retrieved on July 25, 2007 from http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourlife/healingoursystem.html Gearon C (2006):   State-by-State List of HMO report cards online.   AARP Bulletin, January 2006.   Retrieved on July 25, 2007 from http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourhealth/a2003-08-07-hmoreport.html How to cite Disease Management, Essays

Mesopotamian Art and Arquitecture Essay Example For Students

Mesopotamian Art and Arquitecture Essay Mesopotamian Art and ArchitectureThe arts and buildings of the ancient Middle Easterncivilizations developed in the area (now Iraq) between theTigris and Euphrates rivers from prehistory to the 6thcentury BC. Their art reflects both their love and fear of natural forces, as well as their military conquests. The soil of Mesopotamia yielded the civilizationsmajor building material, mud brick. This clay also was usedby the Mesopotamians for their pottery, terra-cottasculpture, and writing tablets. Few wooden artifacts havebeen preserved. Stone was rare, and certain types had tobe imported; basalt, sandstone, diorite, and alabaster wereused for sculpture. Metals such as bronze, copper, gold,and silver, as well as shells and precious stones, wereused for sculptures and inlays. The art of Mesopotamia includes a mix from peoplewho differed ethnicly and linguistically. Each of thesegroups made its own contribution to art until the Persianconquest of the 6th century BC. The first dominant peo pleto control the region and shape its art were the non-SemiticSumerians, followed by the Semitic Akkadians,Babylonians, and Assyrians. The earliest architectural and artistic remains knownto date come from northern Mesopotamia from theproto-Neolithic site of Qermez Dere in the foothills of theJebel Sinjar. Levels dating to the 9th millennium BC haverevealed round sunken huts outfitted with one or twoplastered pillars with stone cores. When the buildings wereabandoned, human skulls were placed on the floors,indicating some sort of ritual. Artifacts from the late Uruk and Jamdat Nasr periods,also (about 3500-2900 BC), have been found at several sites, but the major site was the city of Uruk. The majorbuilding from level five at Uruk (about 3500 BC) is theLimestone Temple; its superstructure is not preserved, butlimestone slabs on a layer of stamped earth show that itwas niched and monumental in size, measuring 250 x 99ft. Some buildings at Uruk of level four were decorated withcolorful cones inset into the walls to form geometricpatterns. Another technique that was used waswhitewashing, as in the White Temple, which gets its namefrom its long, narrow, whitewashed inner shrine. It was builtin the area of Uruk dedicated to the Sumerian sky god Anu. The White Temple stood about 40 ft above the plain, on ahigh platform, prefiguring the ziggurat, the stepped tower,typical Mesopotamian religious structure that was intendedto bring the priest or king nearer to a particular god, or toprovide a platform where the deity could descend to visitthe worshipers. A few outstanding stone sculptures were unearthed atUruk. The most beautiful is a white limestone head of awoman or goddess (about 3500-3000 BC), with eyebrows,large open eyes, and a central part in her hair, all intendedfor inlay. A tall alabaster vase (about 3500-3000 BC), withhorizontal bands, or registers, depicts a procession at thetop, with a king presenting a basket of fruit to Inanna,goddess of fertility and love, or her priestess; nude priestsbringing offerings in the central band; and at the bottom arow of animals over a row of plants. The first historical epoch of Sumerian dominancelasted from about 3000 BC until about 2340 BC. Whileearlier architectural traditions continued, a new type ofbuilding was introduced, the temple oval, an enclosure witha central platform supporting a shrine. City-states centeredat such cities as Ur, Umma, Lagash, Kish, and Eshnunnawere headed by governors or kings who were notconsidered divine. Much of the art is commemorative;plaques, frequentl y depicting banquet scenes, celebratevictories or the completion of a temple. These were oftenused as boundary stones, as was the limestone stele(Louvre, Paris) of King Eannatum from Lagash. In tworegisters on one side of the stele the king is depictedleading his army into battle; on the other side the godNingirsu, symbolically represented as much larger than ahuman, holds the net containing the defeated enemy. TheStandard of Ur (about 2700 BC) a wooden plaque inlaidwith shell, schist, lapis lazuli, and pinkish stone, has threebands of processions and religious scenes. The Semitic Akkadians gradually rose to power in thelate 24th century BC; under Sargon I (about 2335-2279BC), they extended their rule over Sumer and united thewhole of Mesopotamia. Little Akkadian art remains, butwhat has survived is endowed with technical mastery, greatenergy, and spirit. In the Akkadian cities of Sippar, Assur,Eshnuna, Tell Brak, and the capital at Akkad (still to befound), the palace became more important than thetemple. The most significant Akkadian innovations were thoseof the seal cutters. The minimal space of each seal is filledwith action: Heroes and gods grapple with beasts, slaymonsters, and drive chariots in processions. A newAkkadian theme, developed and continued in the periods tofollow, was the presentation scene, in which anintermediary or a personal deity presents another figurebehind him to a more important seated god. Except forstories from the Gilgamesh epic, many myths that aredepicted have not been interpreted. In Our Time The Nick Adams Stories Were My Favorite Of The Collection EssayNot only is there more detail, but at times figures overlap,giving the viewer a sense of people and animals in realspace. The art of the late Assyrian seal cutter is acombination of realism and mythology. Even thenaturalistic scenes contain symbols of the gods. These objects may have originated outside of Assyria, for theyresemble Syro-Phoenician crafted objects found at ArslanTash on the upper Euphrates and at Samaria, capital of theIsraelite kingdom. The lioness plaques incorporateEgyptian iconography and are examples of the bestPhoenician craftsmanship. Thousands of ivory carvingsdisplaying a variety of styles have been recovered atNimrud. The art of the peoples who lived on the fringes of theAssyrian Empire at times lacks the aesthetic appeal of thatof the capital. In Tell Halaf, a local rulers palace wasdecorated with weird reliefs and sculpture in the round;among the hybrids is a scorpion man. At the site of TellAhmar in northern Syria, ancient Til Barsip (Assyrian KarShalmaneser), a palace decorated extensively withAssyrian wall paintings was uncovered. Some of thepaintings are attributed to the mid-8th century BC; others toa rebuilding by Assurbanipal in the 7th century BC. Fromthe earlier building are scenes with winged genii, the defeatof the enemy and their merciless execution, audiencesgranted to officials, and scribes recording booty fromsubjugated nations. The paintings in Khorsabad were moreformalrepeat patterns in bands are topped by two figurespaying homage to a deity. Excavations in Lorestan, themountainous region of western Iran, yielded fine bronzes offantastic creatures, probably made in the middle or lateAssyrian period. These were used as ornaments forhorses, weapons, and utensils. Syria, Phoenicia, and Palestine were on the land routebetween Asia Minor and Africa, and the ancient art of thisarea always shows the influence of those who conquered,passed through, or traded with its inhabitants. Mesopotamian-style cylinder seals from the Jamdat Nasrperiod have been found. Pottery, works in stone, andscarabs were influenced by dynastic Egypt beginning in the29th century BC. Bronze figurines from Byblos of the early2nd millennium are more distinctly Phoenician, as aredaggers and other ceremonial weapons found there. Although the motifs used by local artisans came frombeyond the immediate regionCrete, Egypt, the HittiteEmpire, and Mesopotamiathe technique embodied incrafted objects found at Byblos and Ugarit is distinctlyPhoenician. Phoenician goldsmiths and silversmiths wereskilled artisans, but the quality of their work depended ontheir clientele. Ivory work was always of the higheststandards, probably because of Egyptian competition. Phoenicians sold their wares all over the Middle East, andthe spread of Middle Eastern style and iconography, likethe alphabet, can be attributed to these great traders ofantiquity. The Babylonians, in coalition with the Medes andScythians, defeated the Assyrians in 612 BC and sackedNimrud and Nineveh. They did not establish a new style oriconography. Boundary stones depict old presentationscenes or the images of kings with symbols of the gods. Neo-Babylonian creativity manifested itself architecturallyat Babylon, the capital. This huge city, destroyed (689 BC)by the Assyrian Sennacherib, was restored byNabopolassar and his son Nebuchadnezzar II. Divided bythe Euphrates, it took 88 years to build and wassurrounded by outer and inner walls. Its central feature wasEsagila, the temple of Marduk, with its associatedseven-story ziggurat Etemenanki, popularly known later asthe Tower of Babel. The ziggurat reached about 300 ft inheight and had at the uppermost stage a temple (a shrine)built of sun-dried bricks and faced with baked bricks. Fromthe temple of Marduk northward passed the processionalway, its wall decorated with enamelled lions. Passingthrough the Ishtar Gate, it led to a small temple outside thecity, where ceremonies for the New Year Festival wereheld. Nabonidus (reigned 556-539 BC), the last Babylonianking, rebuilt the old Sumerian capital of Ur, including theziggurat of Nanna, rival to the ziggurat Etemenanki atBabylon. It survived well and its facing of brick has recentlybeen restored. In 539 BC the Neo-Babylonian kingdom fell to thePersian Achaemenid king Cyrus the Great. Mesopotamiabeame part of the Persian Empire, and a royal palace wasbuilt at Babylon, which was made one of the empiresadministrative capitals. Among the remains from Babylonof the time of Alexander the Great, is a theater he built atthe site known now as Humra. The brilliance of Babylonwas ended about 250 BC when the inhabitants of Babylonmoved to Seleucia, built by Alexanders successors.