Iruni Kalupahana JadeTimes Staff
I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Travel
Introduction to Ancient Babylon
Babylonia was an ancient cultural region located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in present day southern Iraq, which was part of the cradle of civilization. The capital, Babylon, rose to prominence about 1850 BCE and became synonymous with wealth, culture, and power. Despite continuous warfare between Sumer in the southeast and Akkad in the northwest, the area fostered a rich culture. The early achievements of the civilization included an invention of the potter's wheel, the first writing system of cuneiform, and monumental architecture. This was a very beautiful and great city with tales being given of its stunning structures which included the Hanging Gardens celebrated as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The Rise and Golden Age
During the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II, it became preeminent in the seventh and sixth centuries BCE, becoming the most extensive city in the contemporary world. The building plans of Nebuchadnezzar were very ambitious, he ordered the construction of the Ishtar Gate, faced with glazed blue bricks and decorated with bulls and dragons a feast for the eyes of every visitor to its reconstructed site in Berlin's Pergamon Museum. With its dazzling tiles and monumental building, the Processional Way was a way of furthering the reputation of Babylon as beautiful. For the people of Babylon, the city was paradise, a cosmic center of harmony under the protection of its supreme god, Marduk.
Myths, Legends, and Cultural Beauty
Besides its physical structures, the cultural beauty of Babylon is steeped in legend the Tower of Babel is thought to have its origins in the Etemenanki, a huge ziggurat dedicated to Marduk, reaching toward the heavens, however, it only reached a height of about 61 meters. The Hanging Gardens, as the popular imagination has it, were a series of lush rooftop gardens with their harvest of exotic plants, a symbol of the city's imaginative and artistic achievement. It is these tales, along with the rich traditions in literature, art, and religion which spoke about the place, that have kept the beauty of Babylon alive in the human mind for millennia.
Babylon’s Enduring Legacy and Modern Reflections
Even in decline, Babylon’s beauty and significance did not fade. In the 1980s, Saddam Hussein attempted to reconstruct parts of the city, including the royal palace, in a bid to revive its former glory and associate himself with Nebuchadnezzar II. While modern materials were used, and some historical integrity was compromised, the reconstructed structures, such as the Ishtar Gate and Processional Street, still evoke the city’s ancient grandeur. The Lion of Babylon statue, standing in the ruins, reflects the timeless majesty of the city. Despite its turbulent history, Babylon remains a symbol of human ambition, creativity, and the quest for beauty, inspiring awe and wonder across the ages.
