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Architecture
A Sumerian Ziggurat
The first signs of architecture were in Sumer and it began with the constrution of religious buildings. They used mud bricks. The Sumerians were highly developed in planning and decorating their buildings.
On inner walls, the Sumerians created patterned mosacis of terracotta cones embedded in the walls, colouring the exposed points brightly or covering in bronze. On the walls of the temples the Sumerians painted murals of mythical scenes.
The Sumerians built two types of temples, the Ziggurat, a temple built up in layers, and temples built at ground level. Early Ziggurats were walled, contained accomodation for priests and were oval shaped.
A ground-level temple
The ground-level temples were designed as rectangular sanctuaries.
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To find out more about Sumerian Architecture, follow one of the links below
Sumerian Art and Architecture The Sumerian Legacy