The famous ancient civilization known for the ziggurat is Mesopotamia, particularly in regions such as Sumer, Akkad, Babylonia, and Assyria. Ziggurats were massive, terraced structures built as religious temples, serving as a bridge between the earth and the divine. These monumental constructions typically featured a rectangular base, multiple levels, and a shrine at the top, where priests conducted rituals to honor the gods. They were central to the cultural and spiritual life of the city-states in Mesopotamia, symbolizing both the political power of the rulers and the religious significance attributed to their deities.