ziggurat
Other forms: ziggurats
A ziggurat is a rectangular temple or terraced mound built by ancient Assyrians and Babylonians. Visit Iran and you might have a chance to see the Choqa Zanbil, one of the best preserved ancient ziggurats.
Ziggurat comes from the Assyrian ziqquratu meaning "height, pinnacle." Some people believe the top of each ziggurat was used as a shrine. Others believe it was a high place where priests could seek refuge during floods. Today, this tiered rectangular shape still inspires certain architecture, particularly hotels or massive buildings.
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a rectangular tiered temple or terraced mound erected by the ancient Assyrians and Babyloniansexamples:Tower of Babel(Genesis 11:1-11) a tower built by Noah's descendants (probably in Babylon) who intended it to reach up to heaven; God foiled them by confusing their language so they could no longer understand one anothertype of:templean edifice devoted to special or exalted purposes
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Vocabulary lists containing ziggurat
Words selected by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionaries. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
The right words are the foundation for understanding a subject. These architectural terms will help you construct a monumental vocabulary!
This vocabulary list will take you back to the Bronze Age! Learn all about the ancient Mesopotamian civilizations that developed between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. You'll explore the politics, religious traditions, and agricultural practices of the region, as well as the ancient writing known as cuneiform and structures like the stele and the ziggurat.