Blackwell Reference Online

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[ viii ] The stepped temple tower, built of mud brick, was a notable feature of Mesopotamian cities; the most imposing survival is at Ur ( c. 2113 bce ) [20]. An artificial mountain re-creating the mountains on which the S umerians had worshipped in their northern homelands, the ziggurat sometimes incorporated a shrine on the summit, and was always associated with the city-god's cult. The E lamities [17: 17–22] adopted the ziggurat, and at Susa it followed the pattern at Nippur, Babylon and elsewhere, while at Choga-Zanbil it differed from the Mesopotamian examples in both planning and construction. At Ashur ( see A ssyrians ) the god's T emple , rebuilt in the 13th century bce , combined the temple and ziggurat in a single complex. ... log in or subscribe to read full text