<P> The form of a Sumerian temple is manifestation of Near Eastern cosmology, which described the world as a disc of land which was surrounded by a salt water ocean, both of which floated on another sea of fresh water called apsu, above them was a hemispherical firmament which regulated time . A world mountain formed an axis mundi that joined all three layers . The role of the temple was to act as that axis mundi, a meeting place between gods and men . The sacredness of' high places' as a meeting point between realms is a pre-Ubaid belief well attested in the Near East back the Neolithic age . The plan of the temple was rectangular with the corners pointing in cardinal directions to symbolize the four rivers which flow from the mountain to the four world regions . The orientation also serves a more practical purpose of using the temple roof as an observatory for Sumerian timekeeping . The temple was built on a low terrace of rammed earth meant to represent the sacred mound of primordial land which emerged from the water called dukug,' pure mound' (Sumerian: du - ku Cuneiform:) during creation . </P> <P> The doors of the long axis were the entry point for the gods, and the doors of the short axis the entry point for men . This configuration was called the bent axis approach, as anyone entering would make a ninety degree turn to face the cult statue at the end of the central hall . The bent axis approach is an innovation from the Ubaid temples which had a linear axis approach, and is also a feature of Sumerian houses . An offering table was located in the center of the temple at the intersection of the axes . </P> <P> Temples of the Uruk Period divided the temple rectangle into tripartite, T - shaped, or combined plans . The tripartite plan inherited from the Ubaid had a large central hall with two smaller flanking halls on either side . The entry was along the short axis and the shrine was at the end of the long axis . The T - shaped plan, also from the Ubaid period, was identical to the tripartite plan except for a hall at one end of the rectangle perpendicular to the main hall . Temple C from the Eanna district of Uruk is a case - study of classical temple form . </P> <P> There was an explosion of diversity in temple design during the following Early Dynastic Period . The temples still retained features such as cardinal orientation, rectangular plans, and buttresses . Now however they took on a variety new configurations including courtyards, walls, basins, and barracks . The Sin Temple in Khafajah is typical of a this era, it was designed around a series of courtyards leading to a cella . </P>

The mesopotamians built their ziggurats and temple from the available stone