Babylon’s famous processional entrance was called the Ishtar Gate. It was constructed during the reign of the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II in the sixth century BCE.
The gate formed part of Babylon’s monumental inner-city defenses and stood along the Processional Way. Its surfaces were decorated with vividly colored glazed bricks, including images of lions, bulls, and dragons. The lion was associated with Ishtar, while the bull and dragon represented other important deities.
The Ishtar Gate is often described as a single surviving building, but the structure displayed in Berlin is a reconstructed portion using excavated materials and modern restoration. The original gate stood in Babylon, in present-day Iraq. It should not be confused with a different Babylonian city gate or with the city’s temple complexes, including the Esagila temple of Marduk.