The ancient city of Babylon was located in present-day Iraq. Its ruins lie near the modern town of Hillah, about 85 kilometres south of Baghdad, in the historical region of Mesopotamia.
Babylon became a major city under Hammurabi, who ruled the Old Babylonian Empire in the eighteenth century BCE. Hammurabi is especially associated with a written collection of laws known as the Code of Hammurabi. Centuries later, Babylon reached another peak under Nebuchadnezzar II, who expanded its walls, temples, and processional avenues.
Ancient writers linked Babylon with the Hanging Gardens, although their exact location and even historical existence remain debated. The Ishtar Gate, one of the city's best-known architectural features, was decorated with glazed blue bricks and animal reliefs. Babylon's political importance declined after later conquests, but its name remained influential in biblical, classical, and modern culture.