A word meaning “temple tower.” A ziggurat looked similar to the step pyramid of Egypt and was used for worship.
Ziggurats were often built in the major cities of Mesopotamia. The Tower of Babel is believed to have been based on this kind of building (Genesis 11:1–9).
It was widely believed that gods lived in high places. Therefore, worship was more appropriate on hills or mountains. But there were no hills or suitable building stones in Mesopotamia, so the Mesopotamians built with mud bricks. The ziggurats of mud brick were constructed to be like hills where the worshiper or priest could get closer to the gods.
Like the pyramids of Egypt, these temple towers were square. Instead of having sloping sides, it had a series of terraces that decreased in size as they ascended. Stairways or ramps provided access to each level, and the top level housed a shrine or altar where priests conducted religious ceremonies. The great seven-story ziggurat at Babylon measured nearly 300 feet (91.4 meters) on a side at the base and rose to about the same height.