(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

The Pyramids of Egypt and Ziggurats of Mesopotamia

            Pyramids and ziggurats both provide archeologists with a great deal of information about the ancient cultures that constructed them. When comparing The Great Pyramids of Egypt with The Ziggurats of Mesopotamia, the differences between them are more apparent than the similarities that they share. The two structures actually only appear to be similar. Both have the general form of a pyramid. Some other similarities shared by these two types of structures can be interpreted from the context of the religions of those who had them erected and what role they served for the society. Among the differences are their intended usage, how they were decorated, their designs, and the materials used in their construction. In order to clearly describe how different these two structures are, I have summarized some information about their designs and the materials used to build them. Contrasts in the decorations of the two types of structures are then discussed. The intended uses of these structures then introduces some similarities in relation to the religious symbolism of the structures.
             Considered to be among the greatest wonders of the known world, The Pyramids of Egypt were built with exacting precision from granite blocks. The pyramids of the early dynasties were of a more stepped pyramid form, similar in appearance to the ziggurats of Mesopotamia. Advancements in available technologies and construction techniques in the later dynasties of ancient Egypt allowed for pyramids to be constructed with less of a stepping slop. A pyramid has four triangular sides that come together at point on top. It may sound simple, but the designs of the pyramids represent a complex understanding of mathematical principles, such as trigonometry and the Fibonocci series, by the ancient Egyptians. It is believed that in addition to the mathematical understandings represented in the geometric form of the pyramids, an impressively accurate understanding of the earth is depicted in the dimensions of the Great Pyramid of Gizah.


Essays Related to The Pyramids of Egypt and Ziggurats of Mesopotamia

1. Temples Of Mesopotamia, Egypt, And Mexico

Temples of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Mexico The pyramids that have made Egypt so famous are truly one of the world's greatest architectural achievements. ... There has been found the remains of approximately 80 pyramids in Egypt. ... This labor was not done by slaves, but in fact was performed by hired labor during the season when agricultural work was not being done Another form of the pyramid is the ziggurat of Mesopotamia. ... Notable examples are the ruins at Ur and Khorsabad in Mesopotamia. ... The Egyptian built Step Pyramids resembling ziggurats. ...

  • Word Count: 861
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Zigguat - Pyramid

Early civilizations that existed in that era were the Ancient Egyptians and Sumerians from historical Mesopotamia. ... The major similarity between the pyramids and ziggurats is their notion of direction. ... Located in North Egypt, slightly west of the Nile River is where the Great Pyramids can be found. ... The ziggurats would have been found in ancient Mesopotamia, mainly in the cities of Ur and Babylon. ... Mesopotamia was located between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. ...

  • Word Count: 776
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Comparing Egypt and Mesopotamia

The Babylonians built temples shaped like pyramids called ziggurats which were intended to bring priests and priestesses closer to heaven. Tablets containing the written language of the Mesopotamia, cuneiform, were kept atop of these ziggurats. ... Much like Mesopotamia, Egypt had a polytheistic belief system but in contrast the gods were kinder and represented natural phenomena. Unlike Mesopotamia, the Egyptians were convinced of life after death and lived their entire life in anticipation of it. ... Much like the ziggurats of Mesopotamia, the ancient Egyptian pyramids were constructe...

  • Word Count: 537
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Comparsion of Mesopotamia and Egypt

The different between ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt: 1. ... Religion: In Mesopotamia Ziggurats were the house of the gods and were used primarily for worship, sacrifices, and ceremonies. ... Egypt is famous of the Great Pyramid located south of Cairo, built around 2560B.C. 12. ... The ziggurats were believed to have been built for religious purposes. ... The greatest architectures in Egypt were pyramids. 14. ...

  • Word Count: 1759
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Egypt and Mesopotamia: 4000 to 3000BCE

Although Egypt and Mesopotamia were on opposite sides of the Nile, they produced their own civilizations with some similarities and many differences. ... They had religious temples called ziggurats and pyramids where pharaohs were buried with all their life belongings for a beneficial afterlife. ... The Mesopotamians also had temples and ziggurats but the priests were their gods. ... Egyptian women had a higher role than women in Mesopotamia and they were equal to men. ... Just as Mesopotamia used the Nile River for fertile soil and trade, the Egyptians took full advantage of the water. ...

  • Word Count: 778
  • Approx Pages: 3

6. Egypt

Both Mesopotamia and Egypt grew in population by the great natural resources that the land provided for them. In Mesopotamia it was the Tigris and Euphrates and in Egypt it was the Nile. ... In Mesopotamia they built ziggurats to show respect to their gods and was a place for priests and the people to pray to the gods. In Egypt the people built large pyramids for their pharos and the upper class and was seen as a sign of favoritism to the gods and allowed for a full rebirth into the afterlife... Overall Egypt and Mesopotamia were a blueprint of life today and without their inventions and cr...

  • Word Count: 743
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

7. Western Civilization

This often resulted in the ruination of crops causing the people of Mesopotamia to move around in search of food. ... The Sumerians would build large temples called Ziggurats for their gods to live in. ... The Egyptians built huge statues of their gods and also preserved stories of them by engraving them into stone walls on pyramids of Egypt to honor them. ... Large pyramids were built to house the dead bodies of the pharaohs. Great sacrifices were made by the Egyptians to please their gods, both food offerings and the hard work of building the pyramids. ...

  • Word Count: 1353
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Prehistoric Man

Which were then analyzed these legacies considering various civilizations such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, and Phoenicians. The Egyptians left us the first masonry stone pyramids, temples. ... With the use of these was lifted palaces, Ziggurats, etc. ... Egypt sums up everything that we learned from the East. Both of Mesopotamia and India and Persia. ...

  • Word Count: 673
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. The Interplay of Religion and Politics in Western Culture

I will discuss the cultures of Western Civilization, starting with Mesopotamia, then Egypt, Persia, the People of the Mediterranean, the Macedonians, Greece, and the Romans. ... In return, the priests built elegant temples, called ziggurats. These ziggurats were the religious centers of the culture, but they also served as economic and administrative centers as well. ... Its laws were very strict, and it made it very clear that the social classes in Mesopotamia, as laws had different penalties for the different social classes. ... The huge pyramids that were built for the religious afterl...

  • Word Count: 1526
  • Approx Pages: 6

Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question