In ancient Babylonian art, the mušḫuššu is the dragon-like creature shown on the Ishtar Gate and associated with the god Marduk.
The mušḫuššu is a composite animal with a long neck, horned head, scaly body, lion-like forelegs, bird-like hind legs, and a serpent-shaped tail. Its image became one of the recognizable symbols of Babylonian royal and religious art.
The creature appears repeatedly on the Ishtar Gate, built during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II in the sixth century BCE. The gate formed part of Babylon’s monumental processional way and was decorated with blue glazed bricks and rows of animals, including lions, bulls, and mušḫuššu figures.
The mušḫuššu is sometimes called a Babylonian dragon, but it is not the same as Tiamat, the primordial sea being defeated by Marduk in the Enūma Eliš. The animal’s precise earlier history is debated, though its Babylonian association with Marduk is well established.