Ziggurats were built by the Sumerians, Babylonians, Elamites, Akkadians, and Assyrians for local religions. Each ziggurat was part of a temple complex which included other buildings. The precursors of the ziggurat were raised platforms that date from the Ubaid period during the fourth millennium BC.
High atop of ziggurat, scholars believe there was either a shrine to the greatest god of the location or an area designed for astronomical observation.
One of the largest and best-preserved ziggurats of Mesopotamia is the great Ziggurat at Ur. The famous ziggurat of Ur-is red in colour due to the use of grill wage. It was constructed in three layers and on the top layer the temple was built.
The Great Ziggurat of Ur was built by Ur-Nammu in the 21st century BC in the city of Ur near Nasiriyah. He invented the idea of building high ziggurat. It was dedicated to the moon god Nanna/Sin. It was a structure of the Early Bronze Age, that was restored in the 6th century BC by King Nabonidus.
Assyrian king Sargon II built a ziggurat in Dur Sharukin in the 18th century BC. The city of Dur Sharukin included several temples, the most notable to the god Nabu, and a seven-story ziggurat, with each of the four levels painted a different color.
Ziggurat in Mesopotamia
