A ziggurat is a massive terraced structure built in ancient Mesopotamia, typically serving as a temple complex dedicated to a specific deity. Characterized by a stepped design, ziggurats were constructed with mud bricks and often featured a shrine at the summit. They symbolized the connection between the earth and the heavens, playing a central role in the religious and cultural life of the societies that built them, such as the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. The most famous ziggurat is the Great Ziggurat of Ur, located in modern-day Iraq.