Post 4: Pyramids and Ziggurats.

                Coming from a similar time period more than four thousand years ago, the pyramids of Giza and the near eastern ziggurats are both examples of monumental architecture. Both the pyramids and ziggurats are immense but have distinct differences when it comes to actual structure and purpose of the structures.

The physical structure of the Pyramids of Giza consists of four sloping faces which form a triangle. They are made of blocks which weigh in at 2.5 tons, which is massive when you think of people hand making the structure. The largest of the three pyramids, build for Khufu, consisted of a 13 acre base and raised to a height of 481 ft. This is massive, and visually someone would be able to see this from great distance. The original outer structure consisted of limestone with a golden cap, which would have glistened in the Egyptian sun. There seems to be a very specific mathematical calculation when it comes to the creation of the structures not only that, the placement with the sunset, seems to suggest that their placement was for a specific purpose.  

The ziggurats on the other hand, are massive hill like structures build in the near east. The ziggurat at Ur in particular consisted of a massive base almost 2/3 of a acre but when compared to the largest pyramid at Giza it seems small. The ziggurat rises to over 100 feet similar to the base, a huge number which would tower over everyone who gazes upon it, but significantly smaller than the largest pyramid at Giza as well. It consists of sets of stairs which ascend to the cella as the top. Similar to the Pyramids, it is a massive structure which would appear with a great distance. The ziggurat at Ur also has a slanted portion of it similar to the Pyramids; however the purpose of this seems to be related to rain runoff rather than actually serving a symbolic purpose. The slants at the Pyramids seem to serve to connect to the heavens. The ziggurats are built of a mud brick structure, with an earthly look to them but also are distinct with the stairs built up the temple on top. The Pyramids seems to be a part of a large complex while the ziggurat is a standalone structure.

The purposes of the structures were also very diverse. The pyramids served as a resting place for the dead pharos, the pyramid being a semi hallow structure which served as a tomb for the pharaoh to make their trip to the afterlife. The ziggurat however, was a solid internal structure and all of its purpose occurred on the outside as a place of worship. The large complex of the pyramids served the long journey of a body in a funeral procession and embalming to final burial then reunites the dead with the gods in the afterlife. The ziggurat would be a place where people would gather in life to worship gods. The ziggurat at Ur for example was dedicated to the moon god Nanna, the large structure served to get the people closer to the heavens. What is similar about the two when it comes to purpose is that both serve a major religious role in a polytheistic society.