a type of rectangular temple tower or tiered mound erected by the Sumerians, Akkadians, and Babylonians in Mesopotamia. The tower of Babel is thought to be one of these
Word origin
C19: from Assyrian ziqqurati summit, height
ziggurat in American English
(ˈzɪgʊˌræt)
noun
a temple tower of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, in the form of a terraced pyramid with each story smaller than the one below it