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How did ziggurats develop from earlier raised temple platforms?

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The Great Ziggurat of Ur in Iraq, a massive ancient brick structure with broad staircases and terraced levels, stands alone in a barren landscape. — Mesopotamian art and architecture Ziggurat at Ur (modern Tall al-Muqayyar, Iraq), constructed c. 2100 bce.

The development of the ziggurat from earlier platform temples represents the culmination of architectural traditions that began in the early Sumerian period.

During the Ubaid period (c. 5200–3500 BCE), temples were already being constructed of mud brick on raised plinths or platform bases. These early structures established the fundamental characteristics of Mesopotamian religious architecture, including the use of buttresses and recesses to ornament exterior surfaces. Throughout the subsequent Protoliterate and early dynastic periods, two distinct temple forms persisted: those built at ground level and those elevated on platforms.

By the time of the Sumerian revival (beginning in the late 3rd millennium BCE), these architectural concepts evolved into the monumental, stepped ziggurat. These structures expanded upon the earlier platform design by becoming massive, multi-tiered towers that rose above walled temple enclosures. While the earlier platform temples served as the foundation for this evolution, the later ziggurats were distinguished by their colossal scale, the use of kiln-baked brick for exterior facing, and the inclusion of summit sanctuaries.123