The rich lived in large homes, and the poor lived in small homes. Most homes were clustered around the Ziggurat and each other. Most houses shared walls, like townhouses do today.  There was little wood and stone available for building materials. People built their homes of sun-dried brick. Doors led into a small family courtyard. The courtyard, or first floor, in each house was very important. Behind the front door, a visitor might find a tiny garden and domesticated animals such as chickens. Kids played in the courtyard.  Most homes were designed with three stories of living space. The first living space was the courtyard, Stairs led up to the second and third floors, and then to the roof.  Roofs were flat. Roofs provided a fourth living space. People cooked and slept on their roofs, when weather permitted. Some of the fancier roofs were designed with four walls for privacy. Some had grape arbors that provided food, privacy, and shelter from the sun.  As the cities grew, there were rich sections of town and poorer sections of town, but all families had a home of their own.   Free presentations in PowerPoint format  To learn more about Ancient Mesopotamia, click on Gilgamesh