ziggurat

ziggurat [MC].
Literally, the ‘high point’. A temple-tower with a square or rectangular ground-plan and a stepped profile built as a series of superimposed platforms. There are sometimes steps for access up one or more sides. Mainly found in Mesopotamia (especially Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian sites) and Mesoamerica. The platform on the top usually supports a building or temple dedicated to a particular deity.