Iraq is the Asian country home to the ancient city of Babylon, famous for the Ishtar Gate.
Babylon stood near the modern Iraqi town of Hillah, south of Baghdad, beside the Euphrates River. It became one of the most important cities of ancient Mesopotamia, especially under King Nebuchadnezzar II in the sixth century BCE.
The Ishtar Gate was built during Nebuchadnezzar II’s reign and decorated with vivid blue glazed bricks, lions, bulls, and dragons. The gate formed part of Babylon’s ceremonial way and honored Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess associated with love and war.
Babylon is often confused with the Hanging Gardens, traditionally listed among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Ancient writers associated the gardens with Babylon, but archaeologists have not established their location with certainty. The surviving Ishtar Gate in Berlin is a reconstructed section, while the original remains at the Iraqi archaeological site.