key term - Ziggurat

Definition

A ziggurat is a massive stepped tower made of mud-brick or stone that served as a religious temple or shrine in ancient Mesopotamia.

Related terms

Sumerians: An ancient civilization that inhabited southern Mesopotamia and built many ziggurats.

Ur-Nammu: The king who constructed one of the earliest known ziggurats called "Ur-Nammu Ziggurat" dedicated to Nanna (the moon god).

Etemenanki: The name given to the famous ziggurat located in Babylon. It was said to have been built by King Nebuchadnezzar II and was dedicated to the god Marduk.