what is ishtar the goddess of

Ishtar is the ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She was the most important female deity in the Mesopotamian pantheon and was worshipped primarily as the goddess of both love and war. Ishtar is associated with aspects of love, such as sexuality, fertility, and beauty, and is responsible for all life, but she is never a Mother goddess. She is also associated with thunderstorms, food preservation, and storehouses such as granaries. Ishtar is often depicted as a heavily armed warrior goddess with a lion as one of her attributes. She is also associated with the planet Venus and is the protectress of prostitutes and the patroness of the alehouse. Part of her cult worship probably included temple prostitution. Ishtar was worshipped in Mesopotamia, particularly during the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE, and many temples of worship were built in her honor.