Unit 1: Ancient Near East / Mesopotamians

Ziggurats--Stairways from Heaven

From "Ziggurat of King Urnammu, Ur." Mud Bricks. 2100 B.C.

Click on the image for a larger version.

The construction of ziggurats in Mesopotamia probably originated from an earlier tradition of raising temples on terraces so that they would be higher than any of the surrounding buildings. Many of the surviving ziggurats show signs of having been built over early examples. This ziggurat at Ur was erected in its present form by the King Ur-nammu around 2100 B.C., who dedicated it to the moon-god Nanna. It consists of three terraced stages and rose some 70 feet above the rest of the city. Mesopotamian ziggurats may have inspired the biblical story of the tower of Babel.

	This website was produced by Octagon Multimedia