Iraq Day 06: Ancient City of Babylon

“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown...” - Anthony Bourdain

(Ishtar Gate - The main entrance to the city of Babylon)

Day 06: 18 Dec 2023 (Monday)

Route: Karbala - Babylon - Karbala

Distance: 113km +

Hotel: Hotel Atta Al-warith, Karbala

We had a hearty breakfast by 7.00 am. Boarded the bus by 8.00 am and headed towards the Ancient City of Babylon, the city both desired and despised. There once stood the magical Hanging Garden of Babylon, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

(Yeay! ticking off one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World!)

Ancient City of Babylon

The city of Babylon is located about 50 miles south of Baghdad. Babylon was an ancient city located on the lower Euphrates River in southern Mesopotamia. Babylon functioned as the main cultural and political centre of the Akkadian-speaking region of Babylonia, with its rulers establishing two important empires in antiquity, namely the 18th century BC Old Babylonian Empire and the 7th–6th century BC Neo-Babylonian Empire, and the city would also be used as a regional capital of other empires, such as the Achaemenid Empire. On 5 July 2019, the site of Babylon was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

(Blue-glazed tiles featuring mosaics of lions, bulls, and dragons) 

(Over 70% of Babylon is unexcavated)

(The many private palaces of Nebuchadnezzar)

(The reconstructed Processional Way of Babylon)

(The original part of the processional way in Babylon)

(The brick relief of animals, symbols of the goddesses)

(Babylon withstood the challenges of time, weather and men)

(Famous for its impenetrable walls)

Babylon was one of the most important urban centres of the ancient Near East until its decline during the Hellenistic period. Hanging Gardens of Babylon is one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World and thought to have been located near the royal palace in Babylon. By the beginning of the 21st century, the site of the Hanging Gardens had not yet been conclusively established. Traditionally, they were thought to be the work of King Nebuchadnezzar II reigned c. 605 – c. 561 BCE, who built them to console his Median wife, Amytis, because she missed the mountains and greenery of her homeland.

(Babylon wide walls where chariots could ride around)

(The Ninmakh Temple dedicated to the Goddess)

(The double wall surrounding the city)

(3000-year-old inscriptions on the wall) 

(Bricks inscribed with Sadam's name)

(The pathway to the remains of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon)

The “Lion of Babylon”, a national symbol of Iraq, is a 2600-year-old statue depicting a lion lying over a human. It is unsure if this was also constructed under Nebuchadnezzar II. Historians believe that originally there was a saddle on the back of the lion with God Ishtar standing or sitting on that.

(Ruins of Babylon, the remnants of the palace of Nebuchadnezzar)

(The Lion of Babylon, a national symbol of Iraq)

Saddam's Palace

The grand building situated on a faraway hill that we saw from the ancient city of Babylon once belonged to the deposed Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein. The palace was built during the 1991 Gulf War. 

(Saddam’s Palace overlooking the ancient ruins)

(A winding ramp leads up to the palace)

The palace and surrounding gardens were long neglected and vandalised and left in state of despair. Special date palm tree designs adorn the ceiling of this four-story palace and still be seen. the ceilings are painted with symbols of Iraqi civilization, ranging from Babylonian lions to towers that Saddam built in Baghdad. The walls of Saddam’s palace are covered with his initials in traditional Arabic calligraphy but now covered with drawings and graffities.

(Sadam's palace became the HQ of US troops between 2003 and 2011)

(Sadam owned over 100 palaces scattered around Iraq)

(Reliefs depict Sadam leading soldiers on the battlefield

(The palace reflects the the megalomaniac lifestyle Saddam)

(Broken glass and graffiti are scattered through palace halls)

(Most palaces were damaged and looted during the wars)

( The marble columns and the ceiling frescos are still intact)

(One of the colourful ceiling frescos in the palace)

(The multi-storey palace and the semi-circle swimming pool) 

(The palace guards and a man at the broken windows)

(Saddam’s palace balconies, overlooking the city of Babylon)

(The palace overlooking the Euphrates River)

(The sand-colored walls of the Maze seen from Saddam's Palace)

The Greek Amphitheatre

Before we left Babylon, we visited the Greek Theatre, a reconstructed and preserved remains of a semi-circular amphitheatre building that has been built to hold sports and cultural events. The theatre is semi-circular and its stands consisted of three stages: the first level includes 6 rows of seats, the second has 9 rows of seats, and the third level contains 12 rows of seats.

(The Babylonian Theatre is the biggest amphitheatre in the city)

(The amphitheatre was reconstructed with modern bricks on top of the original)

(One of the oldest cultural edifices in Iraq)

(The theater existed before Alexander the Great visited Babylon)

(A site to host artistic, theatrical and cultural performances)

By noon we were back in our hotel. Lunch was served at the hotel restaurant. The whole afternoon was spent resting and napping in the room. After Maghrib, we strolled along the walking streets in the bazaar to search for souvenirs and ended up buying scarves, caps and stockings. By 7.30 pm we were back in the hotel for dinner.

Iraq Day 07: Karbala - Baghdad👉

👈Iraq Day 05: Karbala - Najaf - Kufa