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The ancient city of Babylon stretches along both banks of the Euphrates river. It gained prominence at approximately 2300 BC and was the capital of Hammurabi's empire in the 18th century BC. The "Code of Hammurabi" may have been the earliest known written law - it was inscribed on a black rock which is today on display at the Louvre in Paris. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II built a large palace as well as the Ishtar gate. The gate, covered by glazed tiles, is exhibited at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin today. In 1985, parts of the palace were reconstructed using bricks of which some were stamped with inscriptions like "This was built by Saddam Hussein, son of Nebuchadnezzar, to glorify Iraq". Nebuchadnezzar II was also credited with the creation of the "Hanging Gardens of Babylon", considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. At its peak, Babylon may have had over 200 000 inhabitants. The Procession road - possibly the world's first bituminized road - lead visitors to the 2600 year old "Lion of Babylon" statue.

Ctesiphon

Ctesiphon rose to prominence during in the first century BC and is referred to in the Old Testament of the Bible. It was captured and ransacked by Rome in the second and third century. In 637, a large battle between losing Persian troops and the Muslim army took place here. It was almost abandoned when the capital moved North to Baghdad in the 8th century and is said to be mentioned in "Thousand and one Nights" . The ruins of Ctesiphon were the site of a British defeat during World War I in 1915.


Babylon The ancient city of Babylon stretches along both banks of the Euphrates river. It gained prominence at approximately 2300 BC and was the capital of Hammurabi's empire in the 18th century BC. The "Code of Hammurabi" may have been the earliest known written law - it was inscribed on a black rock which is today on display at the Louvre in Paris. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II built a large palace as well as the Ishtar gate. The gate, covered by glazed tiles, is exhibited at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin today. In 1985, parts of the palace were reconstructed using bricks of which some were stamped with inscriptions like "This was built by Saddam Hussein, son of Nebuchadnezzar, to glorify Iraq". Nebuchadnezzar II was also credited with the creation of the "Hanging Gardens of Babylon", considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. At its peak, Babylon may have had over 200 000 inhabitants. The Procession road - possibly the world's first bituminized road - lead visitors to the 2600 year old "Lion of Babylon" statue. Ctesiphon Ctesiphon rose to prominence during in the first century BC and is referred to in the Old Testament of the Bible. It was captured and ransacked by Rome in the second and third century. In 637, a large battle between losing Persian troops and the Muslim army took place here. It was almost abandoned when the capital moved North to Baghdad in the 8th century and is said to be mentioned in "Thousand and one Nights" . The ruins of Ctesiphon were the site of a British defeat during World War I in 1915.