Ziggurat



Ziggurats were huge structures, created by the Sumerians and common among Babylonians and Assyrians, built in ancient Mesopotamia valley and Parthia, Media and eastern Persia regions, in the form of stepped pyramids. Its name derives from the Assyrian word ziqqutaru which means "mountain top". Several ziggurats have been excavated with Ur, Assur and Choga Zambil, the three best known.

Almost thirty ziggurats have been identified in Mesopotamia. Nearly all served a religious function. The Tower of Babel is almost certainly one such structure&mdash;and an important one, given the expense of the building materials used.