-1 101 z Capital of a city state since Sumerian times, Babylon became the principal city of southern Mesopotamia under Hammurabi in the 18th century BC, a position it held until the foundation of Seleucia-on-the-Tigris in the 3rd century BC. Its heyday was under the Neo-Babylonian rulers of the 7th and 6th centuries. Centre of the cult of the principal god Marduk, it was generally respected by conquerors of the Kingdom of Babylon, and its sack by Sennacherib in 689 BC was regarded by contemporaries as sacrilege, for which Sennacherib's subsequent violent death was divine retribution.
# Babylon
1 0 13 14
# IW Babylon City
3 102 A This diorite statue of a god or deified king, made around 2040 BC and bearing an inscription of Puzar-Ishtar, a ruler of Mari, was found in the northern citadel. It was probably one of the ancient curiosities and objects of interest assembled in a 'museum' by Babylon's last ruler, Nabonidus.
# Northern citadel
6 101 x The city was divided into two by the Euphrates river, with a bridge linking them built on boat-shaped piers. The western part of the city contained a number of temples, including the Temple of Bellit Nina, the Temple of Adad, and the Temple of Shamash.
# Western City
9 101 x The principal structures in the eastern city were Esagila (the Temple of Marduk) and Etemenanki (the Ziggurat of Marduk). Marduk was the god of the city and Esagila, his dwelling place, the most important temple of the city. Etemenanki, 'the house that is the foundation of heaven and earth', became known to posterity as the 'Tower of Babel'.
# Ziggurat and Temple of Marduk, Reconstruction of Etemenanki and Esagila
2 101 x The eastern part of the inner city was surrounded by a moat fed by the Euphrates river. Within this most of the structures were private housing, but there was also a Greek theatre built just after the time of Alexander the Great, who died in Babylon in 323 BC.
# Greek Theatre, Photo of the Greek theatre
5 102 E An unfinished basalt figure of a lion trampling on a man was found in the ruins of the Northern Palace. Of unknown origin, it is strikingly different in style to typical Mesopotamian sculpture.
# Basalt Lion, Photo of basalt lion and man figure
11 103 H The Processional Way (called 'May the enemy not cross')was decorated with magnificent glazed relief figures. It led from the temple of Marduk through the Ishtar Gate to the outer city. During the New Year Festival, statues of the gods were carried in procession along this route to the 'akitu' temple where they received offerings.
# Processional Way, Picture of glazed lion figure on the Processional Way
7 101 x The Temple of the New Year Festival ('Akitu'). This festival was the main religious event of the Babylonian year, and lasted for eleven days. During this time the temple of Marduk was purified and the king's authority renewed. Sacrifices, prayers and other ritual activities occurred and the epic story of the Creation was recited.
