what is a ziggurat

A ziggurat is a type of massive structure built in ancient Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq and Iran. It is a pyramid-shaped temple tower that was an architectural and religious structure characteristic of the major cities of Mesopotamia from approximately 2200 until 500 BCE. The word "ziggurat" comes from the Akkadian term "Zighurtu," meaning a multi-storied temple. The ziggurat was always built with a core of mud brick and an exterior covered with baked brick. It had no internal chambers and was usually square or rectangular, averaging either 170 feet (50 meters) square or 125 × 170 feet (40 × 50 meters) at the base. The ziggurat had sloping sides and terraces that were often landscaped with trees and shrubs, hence the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The best-preserved ziggurat is at Ur (modern Tall al-Muqayyar, Iraq) . The construction of ziggurats was common from 4200 to 2500 years ago.