Ziggurats+by+David

What is a Ziggurat?
Ziggurats were ancient tower stepped structures made of mud brick. Ziggurat bases were square or rectangular.The ziggurat of Ur is 37meter by 46. Ziggurat were built high so that they can get nearer to the gods.

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Mud brick ziggurat. This is a platforms ziggurat.

What was inside?
Inside there was food and gold offerings for the gods.

Who built them?
The Sumerians built them first in the third millennium B.C. and later the Babylonians and Assyrians built them.

Why were they built?
Archeologists think they were temples built for the gods because they found burnt fish offerings. Sumerians thought that the gods came form the mountains so the ziggurats were built tall like mountains. The Sumerians wanted the ziggurats built higher than their houses so they could show the gods' importance. Their favourite gods' temples were built in the middle of the cities.

The ziggurat at the left is the one that people like the most.

How were they built?
They were built on platforms with mud bricks and they had lots of steps. The platforms were often decorated with mosaics.

What were Ziggurats used for?
They were used for offering gods. Ziggurat of the UR is build for the moon god.

Critical thinking
As an early civilization they thought by builbing ziggurats that gods would be happy. Thay would bring burnt offerings and would hope there life would be better. Today there are still many people offering different food in the temple. They do this because for good luck. Every year my grandmother will take me to a temple and she brings food for my ancestors. So we can let her know we still remember her.