The Ancient City of Babylon

The city of Babylon is situated about(90) kilometers south of Baghdad. It was a small settlement during the Summerian reigns about(4000 B.C). It was known as (KA-DINGIR- RA-K3), i.e. the god. In the Akadian reign(3000 B.C),the city of Babylon became civilized and known as (Bab-ilu) in the Akadian language, i.e. the door of god-in the Old Testament, it is known as Babil whereas the Greeks; named it Babylonia

Babylon is considered as a city in the modern Summerian reign(2004-2112 B.C) and it be became famous during the Amorian reign (the first Babylon). It became the capital of the first Babylonian city during the reign of its most famous King Hammurabi (1792-1750) who is considered a great judge and a man of state in that he united the Rafidayn state. After the death of Hamurabi, Babylon weakened and it was invaded by the Hittites :ing (Morsils the first) in (1595 B.C.) who left it because of the bad inner condition in his kingdom, paving the way for the Kashian people to enter the city of Babylon.

They ruled it for about four centuries in which they made use of horses and there was what might be called(Kodooro), and the cuneiform script was commonly used. After the end of the Kassites rule, Elamites entered Babylon and they were dismissed by the King Nebuchadnezzar(1103-1124 B.C.). Then the struggle continued between the Assyrians on the one hand and the Aramaen and the chaldean tribes,on the other hand, to capture Babylon, until the chaldeans founded their state(modern Babylonian state) (539-626 B.C.), where Babylon became prosperous, especially in the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar the second (562-604 B.C.). Then Babylon became the largest city in the old world and it was well-known by means of its religious high buildings, the reason by which it attracted the attention of the great leaders in the old world.

In(539 B.C.) the Achaemenids conquered Babylon by their leader Cyrus(Kurash) because of the role of the jew in Babylon and the treason that occurred in the Babylon army. In(331 B.C.) Babylon was conquered by Alexander the Great who planned to make it a capital to his empire, but he died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar the second on the thirteenth of June, 323 B.C. .

The Seleucid Dynasty ruled Babylon and they made Seleucia their new capital after Babylon had been deserted . In the time of Parthiann and Sassanain occupation, Babylon lost its importance and became a small village in the Islamic reign after it had been political and cultural centre for the old world

The excavations done by the German mission lead by Gold Fay in Babylon between(1899) and(1917) formed the right scientific beginning in the field of excavations, but such a beginning was accompanied by illegal activity in which many of the precious Babylonian antiquities, especially the famous Gate of Ishtar were transferred to th Berlin Museum .