(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

The Pyramids of Egypt and Ziggurats of Mesopotamia

The base perimeter has been interpreted as representative of the distance measured between each degree of latitude at earth's equator. The height represents the polar radius of the earth. (note source) Interior chambers of the pyramids are accessed by a series of ascending interior passageways. With their amazing engineering capabilities, the Egyptians attempted to protect the sacred chambers inside with immense granite slabs that would seal the entryway after the chamber was occupied.
             The design of the ziggurat is not considered to be nearly as complex as that of the pyramids. The ziggurats were temples built atop ascending rectangular tiers of fired clay bricks and rubble. The earliest ziggurats were only slightly elevated above their surroundings. The later versions are estimated to have risen to well above two hundred feet in height. (npte source) The design of the ziggurats is that of a roughly stepped pyramid with terraces on each ascending tier where a garden may have pushed out over its edges. The ziggurats were regularly rebuilt, one on top of the other. The temples would be pushed over and a new structure formed on top of the debris. Along with the ruble, all sorts of items were put into the mound by anyone who sought the favor of the gods. The end result elevated the temple nearer to the gods and set it further apart from the common structures below. The bricks made for each new reconstruction would often be stamped with information about the ruler who had commissioned the renovation. Usually, but not always, a steep staircase on the face of the ziggurat provided access to the temple at the top.
             The tiers of the ziggurat and the temple itself were often decorated with mosaics composed of fired clay cones. These cones would have colored glazes on the bottom of the base and would be inserted, point first, into plastered walls to form a mosaic. In some constructions, the outer bricks were also glazed in color.


Essays Related to The Pyramids of Egypt and Ziggurats of Mesopotamia

1. Temples Of Mesopotamia, Egypt, And Mexico

Temples of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Mexico The pyramids that have made Egypt so famous are truly one of the world's greatest architectural achievements. ... There has been found the remains of approximately 80 pyramids in Egypt. ... This labor was not done by slaves, but in fact was performed by hired labor during the season when agricultural work was not being done Another form of the pyramid is the ziggurat of Mesopotamia. ... Notable examples are the ruins at Ur and Khorsabad in Mesopotamia. ... The Egyptian built Step Pyramids resembling ziggurats. ...

  • Word Count: 861
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Zigguat - Pyramid

Early civilizations that existed in that era were the Ancient Egyptians and Sumerians from historical Mesopotamia. ... The major similarity between the pyramids and ziggurats is their notion of direction. ... Located in North Egypt, slightly west of the Nile River is where the Great Pyramids can be found. ... The ziggurats would have been found in ancient Mesopotamia, mainly in the cities of Ur and Babylon. ... Mesopotamia was located between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. ...

  • Word Count: 776
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Comparing Egypt and Mesopotamia

The Babylonians built temples shaped like pyramids called ziggurats which were intended to bring priests and priestesses closer to heaven. Tablets containing the written language of the Mesopotamia, cuneiform, were kept atop of these ziggurats. ... Much like Mesopotamia, Egypt had a polytheistic belief system but in contrast the gods were kinder and represented natural phenomena. Unlike Mesopotamia, the Egyptians were convinced of life after death and lived their entire life in anticipation of it. ... Much like the ziggurats of Mesopotamia, the ancient Egyptian pyramids were constructe...

  • Word Count: 537
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Comparsion of Mesopotamia and Egypt

The different between ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt: 1. ... Religion: In Mesopotamia Ziggurats were the house of the gods and were used primarily for worship, sacrifices, and ceremonies. ... Egypt is famous of the Great Pyramid located south of Cairo, built around 2560B.C. 12. ... The ziggurats were believed to have been built for religious purposes. ... The greatest architectures in Egypt were pyramids. 14. ...

  • Word Count: 1759
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Egypt and Mesopotamia: 4000 to 3000BCE

Although Egypt and Mesopotamia were on opposite sides of the Nile, they produced their own civilizations with some similarities and many differences. ... They had religious temples called ziggurats and pyramids where pharaohs were buried with all their life belongings for a beneficial afterlife. ... The Mesopotamians also had temples and ziggurats but the priests were their gods. ... Egyptian women had a higher role than women in Mesopotamia and they were equal to men. ... Just as Mesopotamia used the Nile River for fertile soil and trade, the Egyptians took full advantage of the water. ...

  • Word Count: 778
  • Approx Pages: 3

6. Egypt

Both Mesopotamia and Egypt grew in population by the great natural resources that the land provided for them. In Mesopotamia it was the Tigris and Euphrates and in Egypt it was the Nile. ... In Mesopotamia they built ziggurats to show respect to their gods and was a place for priests and the people to pray to the gods. In Egypt the people built large pyramids for their pharos and the upper class and was seen as a sign of favoritism to the gods and allowed for a full rebirth into the afterlife... Overall Egypt and Mesopotamia were a blueprint of life today and without their inventions and cr...

  • Word Count: 743
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

7. Western Civilization

This often resulted in the ruination of crops causing the people of Mesopotamia to move around in search of food. ... The Sumerians would build large temples called Ziggurats for their gods to live in. ... The Egyptians built huge statues of their gods and also preserved stories of them by engraving them into stone walls on pyramids of Egypt to honor them. ... Large pyramids were built to house the dead bodies of the pharaohs. Great sacrifices were made by the Egyptians to please their gods, both food offerings and the hard work of building the pyramids. ...

  • Word Count: 1353
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Prehistoric Man

Which were then analyzed these legacies considering various civilizations such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, and Phoenicians. The Egyptians left us the first masonry stone pyramids, temples. ... With the use of these was lifted palaces, Ziggurats, etc. ... Egypt sums up everything that we learned from the East. Both of Mesopotamia and India and Persia. ...

  • Word Count: 673
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. The Interplay of Religion and Politics in Western Culture

I will discuss the cultures of Western Civilization, starting with Mesopotamia, then Egypt, Persia, the People of the Mediterranean, the Macedonians, Greece, and the Romans. ... In return, the priests built elegant temples, called ziggurats. These ziggurats were the religious centers of the culture, but they also served as economic and administrative centers as well. ... Its laws were very strict, and it made it very clear that the social classes in Mesopotamia, as laws had different penalties for the different social classes. ... The huge pyramids that were built for the religious afterl...

  • Word Count: 1526
  • Approx Pages: 6

Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question