A Look at the ZIggurats and the Pyramids of Giza

The Ziggurats of the Ancient Near East were built using brick and tar-like structure to hold the bricks together. The structures were large and blocky, consisting of stairs and terraces. The Ziggurat temples would be whitewashed or made white once they were finished being built. Many of the temples were even built on top of rubble. The Ziggurats stood about 170 feet tall and resembled mountains through their large shape and height. Mountains were known as spiritual plains and had spiritual imagery to the people. The sole purpose for the building of the Ziggurats was to worship. Names such as "the House of the Mountains" and "Bond Between Heaven and Earth" were given to the Ziggurats because they represented the middle ground between Heaven and civilization. On top of the Ziggurats were shrines where people could go and worship as well as take offerings to the gods and goddesses.  

The Pyramids of Giza were comprised of 2.5 ton stones and the ground had to of been made flat before building. Each pyramid began with a Mastaba, which was a rectangular structure with a flat top and underneath the mastaba was a tomb. Within the mastaba was a room called a Serdab where the statue of the deceased was kept. Bodies were mummified and placed in the mastabas. The reasoning behind the mummifications and statues were to preserve the Ca of the deceased or in other words, their soul. The Pyramids were then built on top of the mastabas. The Pyramids of Giza were built West of the Nile, also known as the land of the setting sun, symbolizing death. They were given a white limestone casing with a gold cap. Today the white limestone is no longer there because it wore away. The three main pyramids dedicated to Pharaoh's were Khufu, Khafe, and Menkaure. The pyramid Khufu is the oldest and the tallest standing at 450 feet tall. Pharaoh Khufu was placed within his pyramid instead of below. Blocks had to push on the sides of the pyramids to keep them from collapsing on the Pharaoh's tomb. The pyramids were often raided by thieves because of the art and treasures that were within. 

When comparing the Ziggurats and the Pyramids of Giza, it's clear that they were both used to worship. The Ziggurats were used to get closer to gods and goddesses and show appreciation for them and the pyramids were used to worship and appreciate the pharaohs. To many people in our culture today, the ZIggurats the Pyramids were like a church. Both structures stand tall and show greatness in their height as well as their all around large structure. They were both also given the color of white, which could symbolize peace and purity. The pyramids as well as the Ziggurats were given names dedicated to those whom they worshipped or treasured. Both structures were purposely built for important figures and were meant to carry on the names of either their gods and goddesses or their pharaohs. Both structures were very successful with their dedications and carrying on the names of those whom they worshipped. 

There are also many differences within each of these structures. The Ziggurats were meant to be climbed and for people to stand on top of them to get closer to their gods and goddesses, where as the pyramids held their important figures within. The shapes of both of these figures are very different. The Ziggurats were more blocky where as the pyramids were obviously shaped as pyramids with a triangular structure. When it came to the structure of the pyramids, having a flat ground was very important. When it came to building the Ziggurats, they were just built on top of rubble. 

Overall, the Ziggurats and the Pyramids of Giza are both very intriguing structures and the physical features, as well as the meaning behind them, both make them the important structures that they were and continue to be today.