Babylone

Babylone, also known as Babylon, was an ancient city-state and later empire in southern Mesopotamia, on the banks of the Euphrates near the modern town of Hillah in Iraq. It rose to prominence as a political and cultural center in the early second millennium BCE and became a symbol of Mesopotamian civilization.

In the Old Babylonian period, under the Amorite dynasty and especially Hammurabi (roughly 18th century BCE), Babylon established itself as a major political power and culture center. Hammurabi’s Code, one of the best-known legal texts from antiquity, originated in this era. The city’s influence continued to grow under later rulers, and by the Neo-Babylonian Empire (c. 626–539 BCE) Nabopolassar and his son Nebuchadnezzar II expanded fortifications, temples, and palaces, notably building the Ishtar Gate and parts of a grand ceremonial complex that included the Processional Way. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are traditionally attributed to Nebuchadnezzar II, though their historic existence remains a matter of debate. The Great Ziggurat, Etemenanki, and other temple precincts were central to the city’s religious life.

Babylon fell to the Persian king Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE, marking the end of its political independence. The city continued as a provincial center under successive empires, but it gradually declined and was largely abandoned in the ensuing centuries.

Archaeological investigations began in the 19th century, with German-led teams under Robert Koldewey uncovering substantial remains, including the Ishtar Gate, parts of the Etemenanki complex, and other temple ruins. Today the site near Hillah is recognized as a significant archaeological and cultural heritage site and is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.