what was the importance of
Ziggurat in
the mesopotamian civilization
Answers
A ziggurat (/ˈzɪɡʊˌræt/; Akkadian: ziqquratu,[2] D-stem of zaqāru 'to protrude, to build high',[3] cognate with other semitic languages like Hebrew zaqar (זָקַר) 'protrude'[4][5]) is a type of massive structure built in ancient Mesopotamia. It has the form of a terraced compound of successively receding stories or levels. Notable ziggurats include the Great Ziggurat of Ur near Nasiriyah, the Ziggurat of Aqar Quf near Baghdad, the now destroyed Etemenanki in Babylon, Chogha Zanbil in Khūzestān and Sialk. The Sumerians believed that the Gods lived in the temple at the top of the Ziggurats, so only priests and other highly respected individuals could enter. Society offered them many things such as music, harvest and creating devotional statues to leave in the temple.
Anu ziggurat and White Temple
Anu ziggurat and White Temple at Uruk. The original pyramidal structure, the "Anu Ziggurat" dates to the Sumerians around 4000 BCE, and the White Temple was built on top of it circa 3500 BCE.[1]
The biblical account of the Tower of Babel has been associated by modern scholars to the massive construction undertakings of the ziggurats of Mesopotamia,[6] and in particular to the ziggurat of Etemenanki in Babylon in light of the Tower of Babel Stele[7] describing its restoration by Nebuchadnezzar II.
The design of Egyptian pyramids, especially the stepped designs of the oldest pyramids (Pyramid of Zoser at Saqqara, 2600 BCE), may have been an evolution from the ziggurats built in Mesopotamia.[8][9]
Answer:
Ziggurat is an important building as it housed temples of their God, had an observatory to learn about astronomy, a school, a granary, and a few important offices. It was at the center of the city and was well guarded.
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