What does zikkurat mean?
Zikkurat, more commonly spelled ziggurat, names a massive terraced religious tower built in ancient Mesopotamia. Unlike the smooth-sided pyramids of Egypt, these structures rose in receding levels, usually enclosing a temple or shrine at the summit. They were made chiefly from mud brick, with some protected by fired-brick facing, and formed important parts of temple complexes. In historical and archaeological writing, zikkurat refers especially to such ancient Mesopotamian buildings, although the term may also be used more broadly for structures resembling them. The word is chiefly learned rather than everyday, and the spelling ziggurat is substantially more common. Calling a ziggurat simply a pyramid can obscure the distinction between Mesopotamian religious towers and Egyptian royal funerary monuments. Recognizing the term helps distinguish ancient sacred architecture from other monumental buildings and gives it a precise place in discussions of Mesopotamian history.
nounA massive, stepped religious tower built in ancient Mesopotamia, with successive levels rising toward a temple or shrine. The term may also refer more broadly to a structure resembling such a terraced tower.
- A monumental stepped tower built in ancient Mesopotamia as a religious platform, with successively narrower levels rising toward a shrine.
- A structure resembling an ancient Mesopotamian stepped temple tower.
"The great zikkurat of Ur was built as the principal monument of a vast temple complex."
"The remains of the zikkurat at Ur reveal its carefully planned sequence of receding terraces."
"The model shows how a zikkurat would have appeared as a vast terraced temple platform."
The standard plural adds -s; the more common spelling has the same plural pattern.
"Many zikkurats have been identified at archaeological sites across ancient Mesopotamia."
Built in receding tiers, a zikkurat transforms mud brick into a sacred mountain made by human hands.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of zikkurat
The English word entered through French in the late nineteenth century from the Akkadian ziggurātu, denoting a stepped temple tower. Zikkurat and ziggurat are variant English spellings reflecting the same source, with ziggurat becoming the predominant modern form.
How zikkurat is actually used
Chiefly historical or archaeological. The spelling ziggurat is substantially more common, while zikkurat is an accepted variant.
Easily confused with zikkurat
Ziggurat is the more common English spelling of the same word; zikkurat is an established variant.
A ziggurat is a terraced Mesopotamian religious tower, whereas an Egyptian pyramid is generally a smooth-sided royal funerary monument.