Sitting high above the town of Crestone is a ziggurat that provides guests with stunning views of the town and surrounding area.

The Crestone Ziggurat stands tall on a rocky hill on the southeast edge of the Baca Grande. According to reporting from The Gazette, the structure stands at about 30 feet tall and is made of concrete blocks. It is visible for miles in the San Luis Valley.

According to Atlas Obscura, Syrian-American businessman Najeeb Halaby commissioned the ziggurat as a private place for prayer and meditation after purchasing the land in 1978.

Ziggurats are large, ancient Mesopotamian structures that, according to Atlas Obscura, were “typically constructed as shrines atop large complexes of buildings, with either a series of ramps on one side or a single spiral ramp leading to the top.” The ancient structures were designed as dwelling places for the gods and not for public worship.

The Crestone ziggurat, however, welcomes the public, encouraging guests to climb the spiral ramp to the top. Atlas Obscura also says that visitors are invited to arrange rocks in a personal design at the base of the building as a way of meditation and intention setting.

Crestone is known as a spiritual hub and is home to several world religions, including Hinduism, Zen, Catholicism, Tibetan Buddhism, and New Age. Visitors of the town will find a Hindu temple, a Zen center, a coed Carmelite monastery, several Tibetan centers, and more when exploring Crestone.

Although Crestone is home to plenty of spiritual structures, the ziggurat stands out as the most noticeable and scenic.