Ziggurat [ ZIG-uh-rat ]
A rectangular, stepped temple tower, built in tiers with successive terraces, characteristic of ancient Mesopotamian architecture (Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian civilizations), typically crowned with a shrine at the top. Origin: From the Akkadian word "ziqqurratu," meaning "to build high" or "raised area."
Explanation
Technical Meaning: A ziggurat is a massive rectangular stepped tower, with successive terraces decreasing in size as they ascend, built in ancient Mesopotamia and topped with a temple or shrine, serving as a sacred platform between earth and sky.
Simple Meaning: Picture a giant staircase made of stacked rectangular layers, each smaller than the one below — that’s a ziggurat. It’s one of the earliest known forms of monumental architecture, built as a place of worship
Definition in One Word: Terraced
Courtesy - Image1
