Ziggurats were first built in the early 3rd millennium BCE by the Sumerians. The earliest known ziggurat is the White Temple at Uruk, which was built around 3200 BCE. Ziggurats were later built by the Babylonians, Akkadians, and Assyrians.
The most famous ziggurat is the Great Ziggurat of Ur, which was built around 2100 BCE. The Great Ziggurat of Ur was one of the largest ziggurats ever built, and it is estimated that it took 3 million workers to build it.
Ziggurats were used for a variety of religious purposes. They were used as temples for worship, as observatories for studying the stars, and as places for performing rituals. Ziggurats were also used as burial places for kings and other important figures.
The construction of ziggurats declined in the late 1st millennium BCE. This was due in part to the rise of Christianity and the spread of monotheism. Ziggurats were eventually abandoned and fell into ruin.
Today, only a few ziggurats remain standing. The most famous ziggurats that are still standing are the Great Ziggurat of Ur, the Ziggurat of Anu in Uruk, and the Ziggurat of Marduk in Babylon. These ziggurats are important reminders of the ancient Mesopotamian civilization.
Here is a timeline of the history of Mesopotamian ziggurats:
* 3200 BCE: The White Temple at Uruk, the earliest known ziggurat, is built.
* 2100 BCE: The Great Ziggurat of Ur, one of the largest ziggurats ever built, is completed.
* Late 1st millennium BCE: The construction of ziggurats declines.
* Present day: Only a few ziggurats remain standing, including the Great Ziggurat of Ur, the Ziggurat of Anu in Uruk, and the Ziggurat of Marduk in Babylon.