Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
zikkurat

zikkurat

9.9
A large stepped rectangular temple with levels that get smaller toward the top
  • noun
  • /ˈzɪkʊræt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : zigurat
  • The ancient city ruins included a massive zikkurat rising above the surrounding landscape.

Examples

  • Archaeologists uncovered inscriptions on the walls of a zikkurat in southern Iraq.

  • A zikkurat was often the center of religious life in Mesopotamian cities.

  • The ancient zikkurat stood tall in the city center.

  • Many zikkurats were built in Mesopotamia.

  • A zikkurat was often the center of religious life in Mesopotamian cities.

  • The ancient city ruins included a massive zikkurat rising above the surrounding landscape.

  • Archaeologists uncovered inscriptions on the walls of a zikkurat in southern Iraq.

Synonyms

ziggurat
vszikkurat
3 9.9

A stepped temple with a flat top built in ancient Mesopotamia

is an alternate spelling that shares the same meaning

Surface Forms

zikkurat singular
zikkurats plural

Etymology

Zikkurat comes from the old Mesopotamian word ziqqurratu, which meant 'temple tower' or 'raised place'. So think of a tall, stepped tower made of stacked levels, and you will remember a zikkurat as the rectangular, terraced temple mound of ancient cities.