what did ziggurats look like

Ziggurats were massive, stepped structures built in ancient Mesopotamia, characterized by multiple receding terraces or levels, creating a tiered appearance like a step pyramid. They typically had a broad rectangular or square base, with each successive level smaller than the one below it, forming a pyramid-like shape but with distinct steps. The core was made of mud bricks, while the outer layers were often faced with baked bricks, sometimes glazed in various colors. At the top of the ziggurat was a small temple or shrine, considered the earthly home of the gods. These structures did not have large interior chambers like Egyptian pyramids but served as solid platforms with a stairway or ramp leading to the temple at the summit. The walls usually sloped inward slightly, giving an impression of solidity. Ziggurats were part of larger temple complexes and used mainly for religious purposes, providing an elevated place of worship and a symbolic link between earth and the divine. They could be up to about 30 meters (100 feet) high, with famous examples including the Ziggurat of Ur and the Temple of Marduk in Babylon.