Ziggurats
by Unice Yoo
Ziggurats were architectural structures that served as religious temples built in ancient Mesopotamia. They were composed of a huge platform with many progressively smaller platforms stacked on top. They were similar to the pyramids, but they were terraced and did not have any internal chambers. Stairs allowed access to the top where a temple was located. The steps were often decorated with trees or shrubs, such as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Ziggurats were composed of a mud brick core and then covered with baked bricks laid with bitumen (a naturally occurring tar). They were built on platforms, which were often decorated with mosaics or niches. As they progressed, they were built higher, and later they were even built on terraced platforms. As ziggurats were rebuilt, the remains of the previous ziggurat served as the platform for the new one. The walls were sometimes decorated with small cones of baked clay. The sharp end of the cone was inserted into the walls and the other end was painted blue, black, yellow, white, or red. These decorations formed mosaics. Currently, approximately 25 ziggurats have been uncovered in the ruins of what were once Sumer, Babylon, and Assyria.
Ziggurats were built to honor the gods. The remains of burnt fish bones were found at Eridu, indicating that they were left as offerings to the gods. The people of the ancient Mesopotamian civilizations believed the homes of the gods should be higher than their own homes, so they built these enormous structures. In their religion, the gods descended from the mountains, so it is speculated that ziggurats were built to look like mountains. The temples dedicated to the most feared gods were built in the center of Sumerian cities.
When emperor Ur-Nammu united Sumeria, he built many monuments to honor the gods, including a new form of architecture called ziggurats. Under his rule, the ziggurats at Uruk, Eridu, Nippur, and Ur were built. Each of these ziggurats were dedicated to a deity. For instance, the ziggurat of Eridu was dedicated to Enki, the god of wisdom and fresh water. In addition, the ziggurats had names. The ziggurat at Nippur, for instance, was called "Eduranki", which means "House binding Heaven and Earth".
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<http://archive.school.eb.com/eb/article-9078369>
http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/ziggurat-of-ur.html
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/zigg/hd_zigg.htm
Chogha Zanbil: ziggurat. Photograph. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://archive.school.eb.com/eb/art-4847>.
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