Babylon

Babylon
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Babylon is the archaeological site of what once was one of the largest and oldest settlements in Mesopotamia.  

It comprises the – largely unexcavated - remains of the ancient Neo-Babylonian city, its city walls and temples. Particularly during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II (604–561 BC)  the complete reconstruction of the imperial grounds, including the Etemenanki ziggurat, and the construction of the Ishtar Gate took place.

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Site Info

Full Name
Babylon
Unesco ID
278
Country
Iraq
Inscribed
2019
Type
Cultural
Criteria
3 6
Categories
Archaeological site - Near Eastern
Link
By ID

Site History

2019 Inscribed

2016 Incomplete - not examined

1983 Deferred

Deferred as conditions under which recommendation made not yet fulfilled

Site Links

Unesco Website
Babylon
In the News

In beleaguered Babylon, doing battle against time, water and modern civilisation (14.02.21)

Locations

The site has 1 locations

Babylon

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Architecture
Brick architecture
Constructions
Tell: The remains of the city are in present-day Hillah, Babil Governorate, Iraq, about 85 kilometres (53 mi) south of Baghdad, comprising a large tell of broken mud-brick buildings and debris. wiki)
Ziggurat: Etemenanki ziggurat (now in ruins)
Theatres: Hellenistic Theatre
Gates depicting Lions: Ishtar Gate
Damaged
Destroyed during invasion: Babylon was severely damaged during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the occupation by military units of the Coalition Forces: "The use of Babylon as a military base was a grave encroachment on this internationally known archeological site".
History
Mesopotamia: Babylon was a key kingdom in ancient Mesopotamia from the 18th to 6th centuries BC. (wiki)
Excavated by the Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft: DOG undertook excavations in Babylon from 1899 to 1917, directed by Robert Koldewey, uncovering the Ishtar Gate, the palaces of Nebuchadnezzar, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Koldewey also claimed to have discovered the Tower of Babel. (wiki)
Babylonian Empire
Achaemenid Empire: Under Cyrus and the subsequent Persian king Darius I, Babylon became the capital city of the 9th Satrapy, as well as a centre of learning and scientific advancement. In Achaemenid Persia, the ancient Babylonian arts of astronomy and mathematics were revitalized, and Babylonian scholars completed maps of constellations. The city became the administrative capital of the Persian Empire and remained prominent for over two centuries.
Amarna Letters: Karduniaš, ... is a Kassite term used for the kingdom centered on Babylonia and founded by the Kassite dynasty. It is used in the 1350-1335 BC Amarna letters correspondence. (wiki)
Individual People
Gertrude Bell: In January 1909, Bell left for Mesopotamia. She visited the Hittite city of Carchemish, mapped and described the ruin of Ukhaidir, and continued to Babylon ... (wiki)
Alexander the Great: According to a Babylonian astronomical diary, Alexander died between the evening of June 10 and the evening of June 11, 323 BC, at the age of thirty-two. This happened in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon. (wiki)
Religion and Belief
Mentioned in the Bible: Various places, including Genesis 10:10 "The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar."
Goddesses: Ishtar Gate: dedicated to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar
Science and Technology
Excavated by Centro Scavi Torino
Archaeological potential: the large majority of the property remains unexcavated and retains a significant potential to provide knowledge based on the yet unaltered and unexcavated remains (AB ev)
Astronomy and Astrology
Timeline
Built in the 7th century BC: "The key period of Babylon, however, began in 626 BCE, when Nabopolassar rose to power (626–605 BCE) and especially under his successor, Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BCE), who created a vast empire, making Babylon a significant capital." (AB ev)
Trivia
Former Largest Cities: It has been estimated that Babylon was the largest city in the world c. 1770 – c. 1670 BC, and again c. 612 – c. 320 BC (wiki)
Located in a Former Capital: Babylon was the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
In the Pergamon museum: Ishtar Gate
In the Istanbul museum: The Istanbul Archaeology Museum has lions, dragons, and bulls from the Processional Way to the Ishtar Gate (wiki)
In the British museum: Babylonian Map of the World
Location for a classic movie: Intolerance (film, 1916)
Underground Boundaries: • " In response, the State Party submitted a new, three-dimensional boundary concept on 25 February 2019. In this revised delimitation, the outer boundaries remain identical while a number of 20th century constructions have been excluded above-ground – thereby becoming islands of buffer zone within the property – while potential or known archaeological resources below these remain explicitly within the property. Excluded are numerous areas including the three artificial hills with Saddam Hussein’s palace located on the westernmost side, the contemporary village housing located within the property, individual government buildings such as the police headquarters and conference centre, as well as manifold others..." (Advisory Body Evaluation, 2019)
WHS on Other Lists
Seven Wonders of the World: The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, although a number of scholars believe these were actually in the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. (wiki)
Part of Our Top 50 Missing: As "The Sacred Complex of Babylon" (no. 32)
World Monuments Watch (past): As part of 'Cultural Heritage Sites of Iraq'(2006, 2008)
U.S. Ambassadors Fund : 2 million USD grant in 2010
World Heritage Process
Ten years or more to inscribe: 1983-2019
Reconstruction regarded as unsatisfactory by UNESCO or ICOMOS

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