Babylon Definition
Ancient city capital of Babylonia; 89 km South of Baghdad near the Euphrates (Firat).Babylon was one of the most famous cities in antiquity. Probably first settled in the 3rd millennium BC, it came under the rule of the Amorite kings around 2000 BC. It became the capital of Babylonia and was the chief commercial city of the Tigris and Euphrates river system. Destroyed by Sennacherib in 689 BC, it was later rebuilt. It attained its greatest glory as capital of the Neo-Babylonian empire under Nebuchadrezzar II (605–561 BC). Babylonians opened its gates to the liberation army of Cyrus the Great who set slaves, including displaced Jews free. Macedonian Alexander, who took the city in 331 BC, died there. The largest city in the world at the time, Babylon contained many temples, including the great temple of Marduk with its associated ziggurat, which was apparently the basis for the story of the Tower of Babel. The Hanging Gardens, a simulated hill of vegetation-clad terracing, was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. (Wikipedia) - Babylon For other uses, see Babylon (disambiguation). Babylon
| بابل |
| A partial view of the ruins of Babylon from Saddam Hussein''s Summer Palace |
| Shown within Iraq |
Location | Hillah, Babil Governorate, Iraq |
Region | Mesopotamia |
Coordinates | 32°32′11″N 44°25′15″E / 32.53639°N 44.42083°E / 32.53639; 44.42083Coordinates: 32°32′11″N 44°25′15″E / 32.53639°N 44.42083°E / 32.53639; 44.42083 |
Type | Settlement |
Area | 9 km2 (3.5 sq mi) |
History
Builder | Amorites |
Founded | 1894 BC |
Abandoned | 141 BC |
Site notes
Condition | Ruined |
Ownership | Public |
Public access | Yes |
Babylon (/ˈbæbələn, -ˌlɒn/; Akkadian: Bābili(m); Sumerian logogram: KÁ.DINGIR.RAKI; Hebrew: בָּבֶל, Bavel; Ancient Greek: Βαβυλών Babylṓn; Old Persian:
Tags:Akkadian, Babylon, Babylonia, Baghdad, Cyrus, Cyrus the Great, Euphrates, Greek, Hanging Gardens, Hebrew, Iraq, Macedonian Alexander, Mesopotamia, Old Persian, Persian, Saddam, Saddam Hussein, Tigris, Wikipedia