The Ziggurat In Sumeria
Many years ago in Sumeria, the county now know as Iraq, there stood the great ziggurat. They used the ziggurat to please the gods. Built to please the moon god,Nanna, made to look like the mountains where Nanna lived originally. The 4 tiered ziggurat made of mud bricks, was occasionally used for human sacrifice, for entertainment for god's, also to ensure spiritual wellness. In 2100 BCE the ancient ziggurat was built. The ziggurat at this time was built and dedicated to the moon god Nanna. Built by the king of Ur, this was the first ziggurat built the Sumerians had ever created. The king Nabonidus of Ur replaced the upper two terraces in 600 BCE. Somehow they had to maintain the mud brick ziggurat between 2100 and 600 BCE, so we can infer
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that that was caused by weathering and erosion. After the sumerian population died out the ziggurat was left in the elements. Approximately 4000 years later in the 1920s Sir. Lendored Woolley uncovered the great ziggurat. Around 60 years later in the 1980s, Saddam Hussein replaced the bottom tiers of the temple. Overall you could say that the history of the ziggurat was a lot of breaking down then rebuilding. The ziggurat was a massive mud brick temple that was shaped like a mountain. The ziggurat with 4 separate tiers or terraces. The bottom tier was by far the largest and each terrace after became slightly smaller, and the terrace on top was the smallest. The terraces had stairs that ran from one level to the next . The stairs allowed the king and priest to climb to the top off the terraces, and it allowed the gods to descend from earth. Each level was rectangular and destined ultimately to look like a mountain. The way the mesopotamians built the ziggurat was quite clever. For example, the people actually punched holes into the base off the pyramid to let water from the inner chambers evaporate. The mud of the inner chambers was not dry, so these holes were essential. Another interesting construction detail has to do with the temple at the top; It was made of lapis lazuli. It was brilliant blue color, and it turns into a deep sapphire blue, and it would sparkle in the sumerian sun. Finally, the overall structure was made with millions of mud bricks. The bottom layer alone took 720,000.
The sumerian ziggurat was used for religious purposes, such as, human sacrifice to give entertainment to the gods.
The Sumerians dedicated the temple to the moon god Nanna, who was patron god of the city of Ur. Nanna had her own room at the top called the shrine. Nanna was believed to live the shrine. The sumerians believed that there gods had needs just like normal people.The sumerians gave Nanna a bedchamber in the shrine, that's why they gave Nanna a room for himself. The sumerians also made a staircase on the northwestern side so they could prepare food for Nanna. Furthermore people across the land would do many things to praise the gods. The kings and priests would stand outside the temple to praise the gods. They would also have feasts to after a human sacrifice to please the gods. Statues were built to show them praising the gods. Often with there eyes gazing upward. Those are the purposes the ziggurat was used for.
Overall the ziggurat has been an incredibly important religious center of Sumeria for thousands of years. This temple has been around for thousands of years and will continue to stand for many more. With the mud bricks that shape the temple to look like a mountain has stood through many rebuilds and still will. With the religious purposes off the ziggurat years ago, still stand in the temple today, appreciated by all. So in conclusion, I believe that the ziggurat was an important structure that played an crucial part in sumerian
history.
that that was caused by weathering and erosion. After the sumerian population died out the ziggurat was left in the elements. Approximately 4000 years later in the 1920s Sir. Lendored Woolley uncovered the great ziggurat. Around 60 years later in the 1980s, Saddam Hussein replaced the bottom tiers of the temple. Overall you could say that the history of the ziggurat was a lot of breaking down then rebuilding. The ziggurat was a massive mud brick temple that was shaped like a mountain. The ziggurat with 4 separate tiers or terraces. The bottom tier was by far the largest and each terrace after became slightly smaller, and the terrace on top was the smallest. The terraces had stairs that ran from one level to the next . The stairs allowed the king and priest to climb to the top off the terraces, and it allowed the gods to descend from earth. Each level was rectangular and destined ultimately to look like a mountain. The way the mesopotamians built the ziggurat was quite clever. For example, the people actually punched holes into the base off the pyramid to let water from the inner chambers evaporate. The mud of the inner chambers was not dry, so these holes were essential. Another interesting construction detail has to do with the temple at the top; It was made of lapis lazuli. It was brilliant blue color, and it turns into a deep sapphire blue, and it would sparkle in the sumerian sun. Finally, the overall structure was made with millions of mud bricks. The bottom layer alone took 720,000.
The sumerian ziggurat was used for religious purposes, such as, human sacrifice to give entertainment to the gods.
The Sumerians dedicated the temple to the moon god Nanna, who was patron god of the city of Ur. Nanna had her own room at the top called the shrine. Nanna was believed to live the shrine. The sumerians believed that there gods had needs just like normal people.The sumerians gave Nanna a bedchamber in the shrine, that's why they gave Nanna a room for himself. The sumerians also made a staircase on the northwestern side so they could prepare food for Nanna. Furthermore people across the land would do many things to praise the gods. The kings and priests would stand outside the temple to praise the gods. They would also have feasts to after a human sacrifice to please the gods. Statues were built to show them praising the gods. Often with there eyes gazing upward. Those are the purposes the ziggurat was used for.
Overall the ziggurat has been an incredibly important religious center of Sumeria for thousands of years. This temple has been around for thousands of years and will continue to stand for many more. With the mud bricks that shape the temple to look like a mountain has stood through many rebuilds and still will. With the religious purposes off the ziggurat years ago, still stand in the temple today, appreciated by all. So in conclusion, I believe that the ziggurat was an important structure that played an crucial part in sumerian
history.