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[[File: Ancient_ziggurat.jpg|300px|thumbnail|left|The Ziggurat of Ur]]__NOTOC__
The people of ancient Mesopotamia practiced a religion that modern scholars are only just now beginning to understand and the . The physical focal point of their religion were was the monumental, triangular structures known as ziggurats. Today, many people like to compare ziggurats – which is derived from the ancient Akkadian word for the structures, <i>ziggurratu</i> – with their counterparts , the pyramids in Egypt. Although both pyramids and ziggurats were constructed during the same time period, they served different functions and were built using different methods and from different materials. Ziggurats were also built over a much longer period than Egyptian pyramids , and most importantly, ziggurats were built by a plethora of different people who inhabited ancient Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia, unlike Egypt, was full of disparate and , at times , warring ethnic groups. Still, but they all followed a similar religion and built ziggurats to appease their gods and as signs of assign temporal power.
The fact that ziggurat construction took place over such a long period – from the third millennium until the sixth century BC<ref> Kuhrt, Amélie. <i> The Ancient Near East: so many different groups of people did c. 3000-330 BC.</i> Volume 2. (London: Routledge, 2010), p. 547</ref> and was done by so many different groups of people is an indicator of the importance of these colossal structures. An examination of the various dynasties that came to rule Mesopotamia shows that ziggurats were important for a number of several reasons: they served as a way for the people to connect to their most important gods, they provided a focal point for the secular community, and they also acted as a visible and tangible sign of a king’s power. Any king worth his salt in ancient Mesopotamia had to build a ziggurat that could be seen for miles around, which would ultimately serve to immortalize him for posterity.
===The Purpose and Construction of How were the Ziggurats=Built? ==[[File: Ziggurats.jpg|300px|thumbnail|right|Map Depicting the Distribution of Known Ziggurats in Ancient Mesopotamia: Note that Most Are in the Fertile Area area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers]]The development of ziggurats, like Like the most monumental building in the ancient world, ziggurats' development was a long process that took hundreds of years to reach its maturity. Unfortunately, there is no known extant text that explains precisely what ziggurats were intended to symbolize. Still, but based on references to the structures in Sumerian and Akkadian language texts, modern scholars have determined that the ancient Mesopotamians believed they were the earthly homes of their many deities' earthly homes. <ref> Mieroop, Marc van de. <i>A History of the Ancient Near East: ca. 3000-323 BC.</i> 2nd ed. (London: Blackwell, 2007), p. 182</ref>
The Sumerians were the first ethnic group to bring civilization to Mesopotamia and they . They were also the first people to build ziggurats in the southern portion of that land, which is generally known as Sumer. It was during what is known as the Uruk Period (ca. 3500-2900 BC) – named for the city where civilization first began in Mesopotamia – when temples began to be built that can be considered “archaic” or proto-ziggurats. Essentially, the first of these ziggurats were comprised of a simple tower built on top of a platform. One of the first proto-ziggurats was known as the “White Temple,” which towered forty feet above aboveUruk'se the city of Uruk. <ref> Frankfort, Henri. <i>The Art and Architecture of the Ancient Orient.</i> (New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1996), p. 20</ref>
Later, true ziggurats would dwarf these early ones in size, but the meaning, style, and construction methods used to make them were established during this early period by the Sumerians. It was also during this early period when the secular, along with and the religious importance of ziggurats was were first solidified. Modern archaeological excavations in Mesopotamia have determined that ziggurats were often the first buildings constructed in a settlement and that they . They, in fact , provided much of the impetus for early urban development in Mesopotamia. <ref> Kuhrt, p. 25</ref> As Mesopotamian cities grew in size, ziggurats were also at the center of the growth.
== What was the purpose of the Ziggurats?==As mentioned above, a ziggurat was believed to be the earthly home of the god or goddess for 's earthly home to whom it was dedicated. The concept was certainly not unique among pre-modern religions, but what ziggurats were meant to symbolize was. The first ziggurats were simple structures; most were built on top of hills or large mounds, which were believed to symbolize a mountain with the top room being the actual abode of the god or goddess. <ref> Frankfort, p. 21</ref> As history progressed and more resources and better building techniques became available, ziggurats became much larger and more intricate. The higher a ziggurat went, the closer one was to god was the belief. A king would take special pride in a ziggurat built during his reign and would often name the monuments. For instance, the Ziggurat of Enlil at Nippur was known as the “House of the Mountain, Mountain of the Storm, and Bond Between Heaven and Earth.” <ref> Frankfort, p. 21</ref>
Besides functioning as the earthly home of a particular deity, ziggurats were part of larger temple complexes where young men would study in scribal schools and some . Some of the world’s first astronomers observed the celestial bodies. <ref> Frankfort, p. 20</ref> Under the shade of the towering ziggurats, Mesopotamian scholars developed advanced math, even formulating the concept of fractions, although all of their math and science was practical and not theoretical as it is today. <ref> Soden, Wolfram von. <i>The Ancient Orient: An Introduction to the Study of the Ancient Near East.</i> (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1994), p. 146</ref>
== How did the Ziggurats advance ancient construction techniques? ==Mesopotamians took the knowledge they learned at ziggurat temple complexes to create bigger and more intricate ziggurats. Although ziggurats were truly impressive awe-inspiring monuments to behold, they have , for the most part , not stood the test of time. Unlike the pyramids, which were made of stone, ziggurats were made primarily of mud , brick , and clay with some stone. <ref> Kuhrt, p. 341</ref> Unfortunately, despite being constructed with sound methods and mathematical precision, the core material of clay and mud brick led to the demise of nearly every ziggurat in Mesopotamia. Today, only the ziggurats that have been preserved by modern antiquities services have survived and oftentimes only the parts made of stone. With that said, the ephemeral nature of ziggurat building material was not enough to stop numerous kings from several dynasties from constructing ziggurats and improving on the techniques of their predecessors.
Unfortunately, despite being constructed with sound methods and mathematical precision, the core material of clay and mud-brick led to the demise of nearly every ziggurat in Mesopotamia. Today, only the ziggurats that have been preserved by modern antiquities services have survived, and oftentimes only the parts made of stone. With that said, the ephemeral nature of ziggurat building material was not enough to stop numerous kings from several dynasties from constructing ziggurats and improving their predecessors' techniques. ===A Chronology of Some Notable When were the Ziggurats=Built? ==
[[File: Sargon_II.jpg|300px|thumbnail|left|Reflief of King Sargon II]]
As noted above, the earliest ziggurats were built by the Sumerians in the southern region of Mesopotamia in the third millennium BC. At that time, Mesopotamia was essentially divided into several independent and often competing city-states until the Third Dynasty of Ur – named for the home city of the dynasty – was established by Ur-Nammu (ruled ca. 2112-2095 BC). <ref> Mieroop, p. 75</ref> Ur-Nammu unified the region through force, but then set about to legitimize his rule, and that of his dynasty, through a variety of various measures, one of which was the construction of the Ziggurat of Ur. The ziggurat was dedicated to the moon-god and stood at the center of a massive temple complex that dominated the Ur's city of Ur. <ref> Frankfort, p. 104</ref> The size of the Ziggurat of Ur was so much more massive than any of its predecessors – its base measures 190 by 130 feet , and although only two levels remain today, scholars believe that there was once a the third level. <ref> Frankfort, p. 104</ref> When the Third Dynasty of Ur collapsed, the Sumerians disappeared as a people by assimilating with their other Mesopotamian neighbors, but the importance of ziggurat building continued with other ethnic groups that came to rule Mesopotamia.
Assurnasirpal II’s Assyrian successors continued the tradition of ziggurat building, but none put forth efforts as impressive as Sargon II’s (reigned 721-705 BC). Like Kurigalzu I in Babylon and Untash-Napirisha in Elam, Sargon II commissioned a new city, Dur-Sharrukin (“Sargonville”), to impress the gods as well as his friends and foes. A brick wall enclosed the city, and the royal palace and the temples, including the ziggurat, were enclosed by yet another wall. Moderns scholars believe that the Ziggurat of Dur-Sharrukin stood 143 feet high and had up to seven different levels. <ref> Frankfort, p. 150</ref> The Ziggurat of Dur-Sharrukin represented a change in ziggurat building style as it was connected directly to the royal palace. The reason for the ziggurat’s connection to the royal palace was related to the increased ritual duties of the Assyrian king, who was the high priest of their religion and the commander in chief of their armies. <ref> Frankfort, p. 149</ref> ===When was The Last Ziggurat=built? ==
[[File: Etemenanki_Berlin.jpg|300px|thumbnail|right|Modern Depiction of the Etemenanki Ziggurat in Babylon]]
The culmination of centuries of ziggurat construction took place during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II (ruled 604-562 BC). Nebuchadnezar Nebuchadnezzar II is known to many as a “bad guy” from the Old Testament book of Daniel. Still, but he was actually a very active king who led a new dynasty, referred to as the Neo-Babylonian Dynasty, to prominence in the Near East. The crowning achievement of Nebuchadnezzar II’s reign was the construction of the Etemenanki Ziggurat in Babylon. Etemenanki is translated from ancient Akkadian as the “House of the Frontier between Heaven and Earth,”<ref> Kuhrt, p. 593</ref> which again demonstrates the connection between ziggurats and the heavens. The ziggurat was dedicated to Marduk, who was the patron god of the city of Babylon. <ref> Frankfort, p. 203</ref> Although nothing remains of the Etemenanki Ziggurat, its greatness inspired awe in people from far outside Mesopotamia. The fifth century BC Greek historian, Herodotus, wrote of it stating, “on the summit of the topmost tower stands a great temple with a fine large couch in it”<ref> Herodotus. <i> The Histories.</i> Translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt. (London: Penguin Books, 2003), The book I, 181</ref>, was more than likely the inspiration for the legendary “Tower of Babel” described in Genesis 11:1-9. After Achaemenid Persians conquered Babylons in 539 BC, the era of ziggurat building came to an end. Despite controlling Mesopotamia for over 200 years, the Persians did not carry on ziggurat building tradition, although they left most of the extant ziggurats intact. Eventually, all of the ziggurats fell into disuse during the Seleucid Dynasty, and the desert claimed most as casualties.
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