What were ziggurats made of?
Quick answer
Mesopotamian ziggurats were made mainly of mud bricks. The solid core used sun-dried bricks, while the outer layer was made of tougher kiln-fired (baked) bricks, often set in bitumen, a natural tar, to keep out water. Builders also laid reed mats between layers to strengthen the structure.
Why mud brick?
Southern Mesopotamia, in today’s Iraq, had very little stone or timber, but plenty of clay from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Mud mixed with straw was pressed into molds and dried in the sun. Baked bricks, which needed scarce fuel, were saved for the outer surfaces.
How a ziggurat was built
| Layer | Material | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Core | Sun-dried mud bricks | Cheap bulk to build height |
| Reed mats and ropes | Woven reeds every few layers | Bound the bricks together |
| Outer casing | Baked bricks in bitumen | Waterproof shell against rain |
| Drainage holes | Channels through the walls | Let moisture escape from the core |
Ziggurats were solid: unlike pyramids, they had no inner rooms. A temple stood on the top, reached by long stairways.
The Ziggurat of Ur
The best-preserved example is the Great Ziggurat of Ur, built around 2100 BC by King Ur-Nammu and dedicated to the moon god Nanna. Its lower levels were partly rebuilt in the 1980s. Some of its original baked bricks are still stamped with the king’s name.
Ziggurats vs pyramids
| Ziggurat | Egyptian pyramid | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Mud brick | Stone |
| Shape | Stepped terraces | Smooth sides (later ones) |
| Purpose | Temple platform for a god | Royal tomb |
| Inside | Solid | Burial chambers |
The Tower of Babel?
Babylon’s ziggurat, Etemenanki (“House of the foundation of heaven and earth”), rose about 90 m high. Many historians think it inspired the biblical story of the Tower of Babel.
Mesopotamians also invented writing on clay; see the first writing system and the Epic of Gilgamesh.
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