Pyramids of Giza
Ziggurat of UrThere are many things that are similar and different about the ziggurats from the ancient near east and the pyramids from Egypt. While they do have some of the same aspects they are very different in the physical aspects and in there purposes.
Both of these amazing structure were made out of mud bricks then white washed. They were made around the same time frame thousands of years before us, though thousands of miles away from each other, ziggurats around Iraq and the pyramids in Egypt. Not all but some of them are still around today even if they are not in there original conditions. They are still however very fascinating to look at even if its just a picture. Besides the time era and the materials used to make them they do not really have anything else in common.
The ziggurats were made to be temples that priest preformed sacrifices. Each ziggurat was dedicated to a different god or goddess and was a major place of worship. They were tall with slightly slanted walls believed to be made that way so the floods that happened every year would not destroy them and so the priest could escape the floods. Also believed to be made that way to rain could slide down the sides. They were made in rectangular shape with three ramps with stairs leading up to the top. They had many different rooms throughout a ziggurat. The ziggurats were very tall ( no where near as tall as the pyramids though), there height was over and one hundred feet tall and the width and length about doubled the height. It towered over the flat plain symbolized things like wealth and stability for the cities ruler. The ziggurat was believed to be the "bond between heaven and earth" where people could go and meet there gods. For example the ziggurat pictured in the book after its reconstitution is the worship temple to the god Nanna which is the god of the moon.
However, the pyramids were funeral structures for the pharaohs and possibly there queens. That was the only purpose of each of these structures. With different compartment to house the mummy's, and all there riches for them to take with them to the afterlife. It is said that the tomb was barricaded with a fifty ton stone after the burial. There were also dead ends put in to get thief's of the tombs lost. The tallest pyramid in Giza is 450 feet tall. Each brick of the pyramids used was 2.5 tons. the base of the pyramid was about 13 acres. Its crazy to imagine people moving them with out machines. These pyramids were made in the shape of a three dimensional triangle that each point signified the point on the compass. The pyramids are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Both of these amazing structure were made out of mud bricks then white washed. They were made around the same time frame thousands of years before us, though thousands of miles away from each other, ziggurats around Iraq and the pyramids in Egypt. Not all but some of them are still around today even if they are not in there original conditions. They are still however very fascinating to look at even if its just a picture. Besides the time era and the materials used to make them they do not really have anything else in common.
The ziggurats were made to be temples that priest preformed sacrifices. Each ziggurat was dedicated to a different god or goddess and was a major place of worship. They were tall with slightly slanted walls believed to be made that way so the floods that happened every year would not destroy them and so the priest could escape the floods. Also believed to be made that way to rain could slide down the sides. They were made in rectangular shape with three ramps with stairs leading up to the top. They had many different rooms throughout a ziggurat. The ziggurats were very tall ( no where near as tall as the pyramids though), there height was over and one hundred feet tall and the width and length about doubled the height. It towered over the flat plain symbolized things like wealth and stability for the cities ruler. The ziggurat was believed to be the "bond between heaven and earth" where people could go and meet there gods. For example the ziggurat pictured in the book after its reconstitution is the worship temple to the god Nanna which is the god of the moon.
However, the pyramids were funeral structures for the pharaohs and possibly there queens. That was the only purpose of each of these structures. With different compartment to house the mummy's, and all there riches for them to take with them to the afterlife. It is said that the tomb was barricaded with a fifty ton stone after the burial. There were also dead ends put in to get thief's of the tombs lost. The tallest pyramid in Giza is 450 feet tall. Each brick of the pyramids used was 2.5 tons. the base of the pyramid was about 13 acres. Its crazy to imagine people moving them with out machines. These pyramids were made in the shape of a three dimensional triangle that each point signified the point on the compass. The pyramids are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
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ReplyDeleteHi! You have some nice ideas here. I want to give a slight correction to one point: the ziggurats actually had a solid brick core. There were no rooms inside a ziggurat. Instead, the shrine (cella) was at the top of the ziggurat. This also helps to explain the construction of the ziggurats, since the ziggurat shape was formed by building on top of rubble.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, the pyramids had passageways, tombs, etc. inside the stone structure.
-Prof. Bowen
Very good use of facts, I never really realized how big they were until I read about them. It makes it quite hard to believe that people back then could construct such remarkable structures with the limited amount of resources.
ReplyDeleteLike Kyle said above you don't realize how big these pieces of work are until you actually take time to read about them. Also the time it took to build these with out machines I could only imagine. I really like the facts that you used to explain these pieces of art to us. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI really like your post, it had great organization and was very easy to read. I also liked how you mentioned the sheer size and weight of the structures, its incredible. I also like how you specifically named Nanna the god one of the ziggurats where built four. Good job!
ReplyDelete