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Geography, Citizenship, Personal, Social & Emotional Development, Social Studies, Philosophy
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Nothing exemplified the economic and military power of ancient Mesopotamian rulers more than the construction of ziggurats. These monumental structures, made from unbaked and higher-quality fired bricks, rose like mountains in the flat landscapes of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. The term ziggurat itself originates from an Akkadian word that loosely translates as "to erect" or "to build high." Unlike the more widely recognized Egyptian pyramids, ziggurats were terraced and served both religious and administrative purposes. The topmost platform of the ziggurat typically housed a shrine dedicated to the city's patron deity. The most famous and best-preserved ziggurat, whose partial reconstruction can be seen in the model, was built between 2100 and 2000 BCE in the ancient city of Ur and was dedicated to lunar deities. In Babylon, another prominent ziggurat was dedicated to the god Marduk. This towering structure is thought to have inspired the biblical story of the Tower of Babel.
