Building Civilisation

Babylon was surrounded by double walls. The outer wall had several gates, the largest and most magnificent of which was the Ishtar Gate. The legendary gate was completed during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II. The approx. 14 m tall structure was covered with characteristic, blue-glazed tiles.

In the 18th century BC, under Hammurabi’s reign, the city had become the centre of
the Babylonian Empire. The Code of Ham­murabi, considered one of the oldest
codes of law in history, was carved on a 2.25-meter-tall basalt slab.

The ancient city of Babylon was built on the banks of the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia. A settlement may have existed there as far back as the 4th millennium BC. The city was first mentioned in a 24th century BC historical source
as a place of worship of the god Marduk. The name of the city had been changed from the earlier Bāb-ili, meaning “Gate of God”. The biblical name Babel originates from Babylon’s Hebrew name.

The Garden was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Although Greek scholars called the gardens the “Gardens of Semiramis”, attributing them to the legen­dary Assyrian queen, they might have been commissioned by king Nebuchadnezzar II, around 600 BC.

The ziggurat

One of the most famous ancient ziggurats,
the one dedicated to Marduk, was located in the temple district. According to historical sources, it consisted
of seven storeys and measured 91 metres in height. The biblical ‘Tower of Babel’ is thought by many to be associated with the Temple of Marduk. Marduk was the chief god of Babylon; the shrine built atop the ziggurat of the city was the most important place of his worship.

Babylon

Foundation: 4th–3rd millenia BC

Location: Mesopotamia
(territory of present-day Iraq)

Area (max.): approx. 9 km2

Population (max.): 200,000