Ziggurats in Ancient Mesopotamia Illustration

Ancient Mesopotamia for Kids
Ziggurats

In the center of each town, was the Ziggurat.  The Ziggurat was a temple.  The ancient Sumerians, believed their gods lived in the sky.  In order for the gods to hear better, you needed to get closer to them.  Ziggurats were huge, with built in steps. Ziggurats had a wide base that narrowed to a flat top. When the Babylonians took over in the south, and the Assyrians in the north, ziggurats continued to be built and used in the same manner as they were in ancient Sumer.

The Ziggurat was the tallest building in the town.  From its top, you could see well into the farmlands that surrounded the city. The largest ziggurat was probably the one built in ancient Babylon. The Assyrians also built ziggurats.

Religious ceremonies were held on top of the Ziggurat.  Each day, people would leave offerings to the gods of food, cloth, and wine on the steps of the ziggurat.  The priests would collect and use these gifts since they were the representatives of the gods on earth.

Explore the Ziggurat of Ur

Your job is to build a Ziggurat game

The Story of Ziggurats

The Ziggurat at Ur

The Ziggurat - Who built it and what was its purpose?

Ziggurats in Ancient Mesopotamia & The Ziggurat Quiz

Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia