Ziggurat Research Paper

Centuries ago in the bleak desert of Samaria, an ancient tribe of people fought to survive, in order to insure thier spiritual nourishment, they built massive structures. This structure was as tall as 8 story buildings, made from mud brick cooked by the sun, and was of legendary proportions. This monumental structure was called the ziggurat. This massive structure was erected to the gods of sumeria. Sacrifices, offerings, and all in between happened in this temple. Let’s delve deep into the ancient history of the ziggurat. 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 the sumerians had ever created. Later in the 6th century BCE, king Nabonidus of Ur replaced the upper two terraces. Because it was built using mud bricks, we can infer that weathering and erosion took its toll on the ziggurat, and it had to be replaced and maintained every couple hundred years. When the sumerian population died out, the ziggurat was left …show more content…
The sumerians dedicated the ziggurat to the moon god Nanna, who was the patron god of Ur. The Shrine at the top served as the moon god Nanna’s room, Nanna was believed to live in the shrine. The sumerians believed that their gods had needs just like normal people. Hence, Nanna had his own bedchamber in the shrine. The sumerians even made a kitchen off of the side stairway on the ziggurats north western part, likely used to prepare food for Nanna. Furthermore, people across the land came to show their love and devotion to the gods in many ways. Humans were often sacrificed to show the gods their loyalty and devotion. Statues were built outside the ziggurat, often of people worshiping the gods, they were pictured often with eyes gazing upward. To visit the ziggurat was to seek physical and spiritual nourishment. The ziggurat was a big part of the sumerian