Ziggurat of Ur

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ziggurat-of-ur

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How tall is Ziggurat of Ur?Approximately 70 meters (230 feet)
2. What is the location?Ancient city of Ur, Mesopotamia (modern-day Tell el-Muqayyar, Iraq)
3. What is the construction period?Began circa 2100 BCE during the Third Dynasty of Ur
4. Who built the Ziggurat of Ur and when?King Ur‑Nammu of the Third Dynasty of Ur built it around the 21st century BCE.
5. Why did people climb the stairs of the Ziggurat?Priests climbed the steep stairs to reach the temple at the top and perform rituals for the moon god.

Ziggurat: A monumental, tiered structure with a temple at its summit, characteristic of ancient Mesopotamian religious architecture.
Mesopotamia: The region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, considered the cradle of civilization, encompassing Sumer, Akkad, Babylonia, and Assyria.
Sumerian Civilization: The earliest known civilization in southern Mesopotamia, renowned for its innovations in writing, governance, and architecture.
Bitumen: A naturally occurring tar-like substance used as a sealant and adhesive in ancient construction.