ANCIENT NEAR EAST

Ziggurats were structures in ancient Mesopotamia that were more massive than any other structures of time. It is basically a step pyramid. The sheer size of the structures is the most impressive aspect of the wonders. Countries such as Iran and Iraq are home to these massive buildings.
While theories of purposes of these towers vary, it is clear that these were places of security, protection from flood, as well as sacred areas for high priests to enter into. Unlike the majority of large entities, ziggurats were not places of public worship or allowance. Also, sacrifices were not a main purpose for the ziggurats. The idea of them was that they were homes for gods. "Patrons of God" were appointed over each city. They would then be permitted to enter the lower rooms, like the High Priests.
Shrines dotted the very peaks of these structures, symbolizing that their reason for being built was to bond with the gods. The massive beauty of the step pyramids was to honor, please, serve, and meet with the deities.
Structures of worship in the Mesopotamian age oftens included niches and flying buttresses. The interesting part about the ziggurats was the fact that the architecture was new, unique, and creative. Just as the majority of temples in the area, a rectangle room in the lower chambers of one of the structures.
God was evidently a large part of the lives and thoughts of the people of the ancient near east. The most famous buildings in the old Mesopotamian land could easily be the ziggurats- proving them to be universally recognized and a deity-centered society of people.