Why ziggurats were made

Woolley photo of the Ziggurat of Ur with workers, Ziggurat of Ur, c. What Woolley found was a massive rectangular pyramidal structure, oriented to true North, by feet, constructed with three levels of terraces, standing originally between 70 and feet high. Three monumental staircases led up to a gate at the first terrace level. Next, a single staircase rose to a second terrace which supported a platform on which a temple and the final and highest terrace stood.

The core of the ziggurat is made of mud brick covered with baked bricks laid with bitumen, a naturally occurring tar.

Each of the baked bricks measured about The lower portion of the ziggurat, which supported the first terrace, would have used some , baked bricks. The resources needed to build the Ziggurat at Ur are staggering. The Ziggurat at Ur and the temple on its top were built around B. The structure would have been the highest point in the city by far and, like the spire of a medieval cathedral, would have been visible for miles around, a focal point for travelers and the pious alike.

It was in and around Babylon where kings of the Amorite and Kassite ethnic groups built their ziggurats to honor their gods and to express their political legitimacy to the people. One of the more impressive ziggurats was built by a Kassite king named Kurigalzu I reigned sometime in the early fourteenth century BC in a newly founded city.

The ziggurat formed the centerpiece in a large palace and temple complex, much like its predecessors in southern Mesopotamia. As time went on in ancient Mesopotamia, ziggurats' political importance continued to increase — kings continued to build bigger and more impressive ziggurats as testaments to their greatness.

Among the numerous different peoples to engage in ziggurat building in ancient Mesopotamia, the Elamites may have been the most interesting. Located just to the east of Mesopotamia proper, Elam's region nonetheless became integrated into the Mesopotamian system at an early date.

The Elamite kings followed the precedent established by the Sumerian and Babylonian kings by building ziggurats for their primary gods and as a way to legitimize their dynasties. The ziggurat was dedicated to two gods: Napirisha, the primary god of the Elamites, and Inshushinak, the patron god of Susa. Millions of mud clay bricks were stacked in several rows to make the Ziggurat of Al-Untash-Napirisha, which made it one of the largest and one of the best-preserved ziggurats in history.

The first millennium BC saw the political and cultural energy of Mesopotamia migrate once more to the north, this time to Assyria's region on and around the Tigris River. When the Assyrians were not busy conquering the Near East's rest, they were building new cities such as Nineveh, Assur, and Nimrud. Most of the major Assyrian cities had ziggurats dedicated to their primary deities — Assur and Ishtar —and served as a visible reminder of Assyrian supremacy in the region.

Assurnasirpal II ruled BC chose to build his ziggurat in the city of Nimrud [16] , but unfortunately, like with most ziggurats and all Assyrian ziggurats, nothing remains. In the fourth century BC, Greek general and historian Xenophon wrote what was probably the last account of the Ziggurat of Nimrud when he and his contingent of Greek mercenaries passed by it in BC. A brick wall enclosed the city, and the royal palace and the temples, including the ziggurat, were enclosed by yet another wall.

Moderns scholars believe that the Ziggurat of Dur-Sharrukin stood feet high and had up to seven different levels. The culmination of centuries of ziggurat construction took place during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II ruled BC.

Still, he was actually a very active king who led a new dynasty, referred to as the Neo-Babylonian Dynasty, to prominence in the Near East. The ziggurat was dedicated to Marduk, who was the patron god of the city of Babylon. Although nothing remains of the Etemenanki Ziggurat, its greatness inspired awe in people from far outside Mesopotamia.

Despite controlling Mesopotamia for over years, the Persians did not carry on ziggurat building tradition, although they left most of the extant ziggurats intact. Eventually, all of the ziggurats fell into disuse during the Seleucid Dynasty, and the desert claimed most as casualties. Ziggurats enjoyed a long history and an important place in ancient Mesopotamian religion and culture.

From their inception in southern Mesopotamia during the Uruk Period until the collapse of the Neo-Babylonian Dynasty in the sixth century BC, ziggurats provided an important focal point for the religious activities the various ethnic groups of Mesopotamia. Ziggurats were also vital in the early urbanization of Mesopotamia as communities formed around the important religious buildings. Ziggurats are as emblematic of Mesopotamia as the great pyramids are of ancient Egypt.

These ancient stepped buildings were created to be home to the patron god or goddess of the city. As religion was central to Mesopotamian life, the ziggurat was the heart of a city. Starting around B. In Mesopotamia, a fine balance of power existed between the secular kings and the high priests of the patron god or goddess. Kings built ziggurats to prove their religious dedication and fervor. The word ziggurat means raised area. Broad at the bottom, these pyramid-shaped buildings had two to seven tiers, with each ascending tier smaller than the one under it.

The top of the building was flat, and on it was a shrine or temple to the god where only priests could go.