Ziggurats, Axis Mundi And Strong Connection To Religion In Mesopotamia
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - The ancient civilization of Sumer still hides many secrets. Representatives of this unique culture left behind many art pieces, pottery, writing, hydraulic engineering, and monumental ziggurats, artificial mountains of sunbaked brick with exterior staircases that tapered toward a shrine at the top.
The ziggurat at Aqar Quf rises 180 feet above the desert west of Baghdad. Image credit: U.S. Army photo by Spc. David Robbins - CC0 1.0
Other Mesopotamian civilizations, such as the Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians, adopted the Sumerian tradition of building ziggurats.
According to the Sumerians, the ziggurat was a cosmic axis. As Mircea Eliade (1907-1986), a Romanian historian of religion, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago, maintained, the Sumerians tried to live in the presence of the sacred because they "desired access to the ultimate reality and the power of the sacred."
This is a preview of our premium article available only to members of Ancient Pages.
Become a member to read more - Click here
If you are already a member and have logged in to your account, you can access the article here
See also:
Uruk – The Hero Gilgamesh’s City With A Sophisticated, Carefully, And Intentionally Planned Layout
Lost Kingdom Of Mari – Once Important Commercial And Political Center Of Mesopotamia
More From Ancient Pages
-
Why Is Rome Called ‘The Eternal City’?
-
Prehistoric Feces At Stonehenge Reveal The Earliest Evidence For Intestinal Parasites In The UK
-
Mysterious Ancient European Civilization – Puzzling Mysterious Ancient European Civilization – Part 2
-
7,000-Year-Old Native American Underwater Burial Site Discovered Off The Coast Of Florida
-
Wanyūdō The Soultaker – Fearsome Yōkai In Japanese Mythology
-
Sinister Manchac Swamp And The Chilling Curse Of Julia Brown
-
Mysterious Marcahuasi, Peru – One Of The Greatest Puzzles Of Human Prehistory
-
Ancient Mystery Of The Enigmatic ‘Cat Men’ – Advanced Prehistoric Machines Or Humanoids? – Part 2
-
Controversial Hollow Earth Theory – Scientific Facts Presented By Researchers – Part 1
-
Was The Discovery Of Biblical Abel’s Giant Grave In Syria Covered-Up?
-
Drones Discover 25 Never-Before-Seen Geoglyphs Near Famous Nazca Lines
-
Three Unusual Celestial Journeys And The Chosen Ones Initiated Into The Secrets Of The Gods
-
What Are The Most Common Misconceptions About Pirates?
-
What 12 Ancient Skeletons Discovered In A Mysterious Tomb In Petra Could Tell Us About The Ancient City
-
Secrets Of The Two Half Crescent Moons And The Serpent People
-
Mysterious Cucuteni-Trypillia Culture Burned Their Settlements For Unknown Reasons
-
Seshat: Goddess of Astronomy Aligned Sacred Monuments To The Stars Long Before Imhotep
-
Has The Mythical Long-Lost Underwater Ancient Land Of The King With Three Crowns Been Found?
-
Monumental Grave Of Ancient Greek Poet Aratus Located In Mersin- But It Cannot Be Opened
-
Legendary Grianán Of Aileach Built By God Dagda Of Tuatha De Danann Was Once The Royal Seat Of The Kingdom Of Ailech
