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111-517: The city is located adjacent to the ancient city of Babylon , and close to the ancient cities of Borsippa and Kish . It was once a major centre of Islamic scholarship and education. The tomb of the Abrahamic prophet Ezekiel is reputed to be located in a nearby village, Al Kifl . It became a major administrative centre during the rule of the Ottoman and British Empires . In the 19th century,

222-460: A World Heritage Site in 2019. The site receives thousands of visitors each year, almost all of whom are Iraqis. Construction is rapidly increasing, which has caused encroachments upon the ruins. The spelling Babylon is the Latin representation of Greek Babylṓn ( Βαβυλών ), derived from the native ( Babylonian ) Bābilim , meaning "gate of the god(s) ". The cuneiform spelling

333-648: A hot desert climate ( BWh ) in the Köppen–Geiger climate classification system . Most rain falls in the winter. The average annual temperature in Hillah is 23.1 °C (73.6 °F). About 114 mm (4.49 in) of precipitation falls annually. Babil governorate has ten hospitals with 1,200 beds. At the beginning of 2005, the local health department announced some plans to build two hospitals with 50 beds each near Al-Khifil and Al-Shomaly. Major hospitals in Hillah, will also receive major renovations. Staff master plan

444-695: A better understanding of that era. The early Persian kings had attempted to maintain the religious ceremonies of Marduk , who was the most important god, but by the reign of Darius III , over-taxation and the strain of numerous wars led to a deterioration of Babylon's main shrines and canals, and the destabilization of the surrounding region. There were numerous attempts at rebellion and in 522 BC ( Nebuchadnezzar III ), 521 BC ( Nebuchadnezzar IV ) and 482 BC (Bel-shimani and Shamash-eriba) native Babylonian kings briefly regained independence. However, these revolts were quickly repressed and Babylon remained under Persian rule for two centuries, until Alexander

555-562: A book titled Al-Bashara , which he presented to Hulagu. This action led Hulagu to restore local governance in the Euphrates region to Sayyid ibn Tawus and to ensure the safety of the two revered shrines and Hillah itself. As a result, Hillah continued to serve as a center of cultural and religious vitality, safeguarding treasures of Islamic knowledge and literary heritage without the upheaval experienced by other cities in Iraq. After Baghdad fell,

666-495: A chieftain named Sumu-abum , who declared independence from the neighboring city-state of Kazallu . Sumu-la-El , whose dates may be concurrent with those of Sumu-abum, is usually given as the progenitor of the First Babylonian dynasty . Both are credited with building the walls of Babylon. In any case, the records describe Sumu-la-El's military successes establishing a regional sphere of influence for Babylon. Babylon

777-400: A crowded outdoor market, killing at least 45 people and wounding approximately 150. On March 6, 2007, 114 people were killed and at least 147 people were wounded in two car bomb attacks targeting Shia pilgrims . On May 10, 2010, a series of three to four suicide car bombs at the 'State Company for Textile Industries' in the city killed a total of 45 people and left 140 wounded. On March 6, 2016,

888-544: A large quantity of cuneiform tablets and other finds. The zealous excavation methods, common at the time, caused significant damage to the archaeological context. Many tablets had appeared on the market in 1876 before Rassam's excavation began. A team from the German Oriental Society led by Robert Koldewey conducted the first scientific archaeological excavations at Babylon. The work was conducted daily from 1899 until 1917. A major problem for Koldewey

999-400: A larger force and more advanced weaponry in 1916 from his camp at Al-Kifl. During this second assault, he bombarded the city, resulting in the destruction of three neighborhoods: Al-Taq, Al-Jamain, and Al-Wardiya. The campaign led to the execution of 126 men from Hillah, while many women were captured and taken as slaves to Anatolia, forcing the remaining residents to flee. The British occupied

1110-632: A letter from religious authority Shirazi urging Iraqis to demand their legitimate rights peacefully. Following his reading, Ra'uf al-Amin and Sayyid Abdul Salam al-Hafiz addressed the crowd, delivering passionate speeches calling for Iraq's independence and proclaiming Prince Abdullah as its king. The British response to this public gathering was swift, resulting in the arrest of Ra'uf al-Amin, Sayyid Abdul Salam al-Hafiz, Sayyid Ahmad al-Salim al-Tawut, Baqir al-Ali al-Khafaji, Jabbar Ali al-Hassani, Ali al-Hammadi, and Khairi al-Hindawi. They were transported by train to Basra and subsequently exiled to Hengam Island in

1221-525: A local dignitary and mayor of Hillah, secured their release. It was said that they faced the death penalty were it not for this intervention. Following the revolutionaries' victory at the Battle of Raranjah on July 24, which exemplified bravery and sacrifice, they launched an assault on Hillah at the end of July. However, this effort was ultimately unsuccessful due to various factors, including British superiority in numbers, equipment, and fortifications, as well as

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1332-543: A major city and declared himself its king. Southern Mesopotamia became known as Babylonia , and Babylon eclipsed Nippur as the region's holy city. The empire waned under Hammurabi's son Samsu-iluna , and Babylon spent long periods under Assyrian , Kassite and Elamite domination. After the Assyrians destroyed and then rebuilt it, Babylon became the capital of the short-lived Neo-Babylonian Empire , from 626 to 539 BC. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were ranked as one of

1443-476: A map of Babylon which includes the location of several villages. William Loftus visited there in 1849. Austen Henry Layard made some soundings during a brief visit in 1850 before abandoning the site. Fulgence Fresnel , Julius Oppert and Felix Thomas heavily excavated Babylon from 1852 to 1854. Much of their work was lost in the Qurnah Disaster , when a transport ship and four rafts sank on

1554-502: A medical clinic. On May 30, 2005, two suicide bombers killed 31, and wounded 108, Shia police. On September 30, 2005, a car bomb exploded in a vegetable market in Hilla, killing 10 and wounding 30 others. On January 2, 2007, at least 73 people were killed and more than 160 were injured when two suicide bombers blew up themselves at a gathering of Shia militias. On February 1, 2007, a pair of suicide bombers detonated explosives among shoppers at

1665-607: A number of mounds, the most prominent of which are Kasr, Merkes (13 meters; 43' above the plain), Homera, Ishin-Aswad, Sahn, Amran, and Babil. It is roughly bisected by the Shatt Al-Hillah, a branch of the Euphrates river , which has shifted slightly since ancient times. The local water table has risen, making excavation of lower levels difficult. Prior to the heavy use of baked bricks in the reign of Neo-Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II (605–562 BC), construction at Babylon

1776-727: A place name. Archibald Sayce , writing in the 1870s, postulated that the Semitic name was a loan-translation of the original Sumerian name. However, the "gate of god" interpretation is increasingly viewed as a Semitic folk etymology to explain an unknown original non-Semitic placename. I. J. Gelb in 1955 argued that the original name was Babilla , of unknown meaning and origin, as there were other similarly named places in Sumer , and there are no other examples of Sumerian place-names being replaced with Akkadian translations. He deduced that it later transformed into Akkadian Bāb-ili(m) , and that

1887-489: A reference to Homer . Following the pronouncement of Archibald Henry Sayce in 1883, Herodotus' account of Babylon has largely been considered to represent Greek folklore rather than an authentic voyage to Babylon. However, recently, Dalley and others have suggested taking Herodotus' account seriously. According to 2 Chronicles 36 of the Hebrew Bible , Cyrus later issued a decree permitting captive people, including

1998-663: A restoration of ancient Babylon on part of the site. A modern palace was restored on Nebuchadnezzar ancient palace. A reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate is displayed in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. In the 10th century, the town of Al Jami'ayn was founded on the eastern bank of the Euphrates. The location of that town is in modern-day Hillah now. In 1101 AD a new town was founded near Al Jami'ayn. Bricks were taken from Babylon to build houses and so Hillah expanded. During

2109-543: A result, Kassite Babylon began paying tribute to the Pharaoh of Egypt , Thutmose III , following his eighth campaign against Mitanni. Kassite Babylon eventually became subject to the Middle Assyrian Empire (1365–1053 BC) to the north, and Elam to the east, with both powers vying for control of the city. By 1155 BC, after continued attacks and annexing of territory by the Assyrians and Elamites,

2220-609: A review of the stratigraphical position of the main monuments and reconsideration of ancient water levels, by the Turin Centre for Archaeological Research and Excavations in the Middle East and Asia, and the Iraqi-Italian Institute of Archaeological Sciences. The focus was on clearing up issues raised by re-examination of the old German data. Additional work in 1987–1989 concentrated on the area surrounding

2331-511: A short period after the Assyrian sack of Babylon. From the accounts of modern travellers, I had expected to have found on the site of Babylon more, and less, than I actually did. Less, because I could have formed no conception of the prodigious extent of the whole ruins, or of the size, solidity, and perfect state, of some of the parts of them; and more, because I thought that I should have distinguished some traces, however imperfect, of many of

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2442-596: A small town appears on a clay tablet from the reign of Shar-Kali-Sharri (2217–2193 BC), of the Akkadian Empire . Babylon was merely a religious and cultural centre at this point and neither an independent state nor a large city, subject to the Akkadian Empire. After the collapse of the Akkadian Empire, the south Mesopotamian region was dominated by the Gutian Dynasty for a few decades, before

2553-605: A truck bomb hit a military checkpoint in Hillah, killing at least 60 people and wounding more than 70. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the bombing. A detailed scientific study at the University of Babylon proved that Babil province is rich with natural untapped oil, gas and minerals of economic and industrial rocks and sediments of rivers and groundwater that can be exploited to intensify studies, geophysical surveys and mining. Hillah has

2664-469: A vast succession of mounds of rubbish of such indeterminate figures, variety and extent, as to involve the person who should have formed any theory in inextricable confusion. Claudius J. Rich , Memoir on the Ruins of Babylon (1815), pp. 1–2. The site covers an area of about 1,000 hectares (3¾ sq. mi.), with about 450 hectares (1¾ sq. mi.) within the several kilometer (mile) long city walls, containing

2775-444: Is called Al-Zahawi medical lab. and it is run by the well-known Dr. Anmar D. Ghazalah Hillah has a rich cultural history and is widely mentioned in history books, literature, geography, and biographies. The single most famous medieval Shia theologian, Allamah Jamāl ad-Dīn al-Hasan al-Hilli was a native of Hillah. It was chosen as the cultural capital of Iraq in 2008 because of its large cultural gatherings and art galleries, as well as

2886-400: Is to raise the level of training of personnel in the field of nursing and re-construction of new health centers across the province. Hillah contains four major government hospitals and they are: Hillah General Teaching Hospital, Babylon Hospital for Women and Children, Merjan Teaching Hospital, and Al Noor Hospital for Children. Since 2008, Hillah has hosted an annual medical conference under

2997-457: The Code of Hammurabi . He conquered all of the cities and city states of southern Mesopotamia, including Isin , Larsa , Ur , Uruk , Nippur , Lagash , Eridu , Kish , Adab , Eshnunna , Akshak , Shuruppak , Bad-tibira , Sippar , and Girsu , coalescing them into one kingdom, ruled from Babylon. Hammurabi also invaded and conquered Elam to the east, and the kingdoms of Mari and Ebla to

3108-546: The Bible , descriptions in other classical writing, especially by Herodotus , and second-hand descriptions citing the work of Ctesias and Berossus —present an incomplete and sometimes contradictory picture of the ancient city, even at its peak in the sixth century BC. Babylon was described, perhaps even visited, by a number of classical historians including Ctesias , Herodotus , Quintus Curtius Rufus , Strabo , and Cleitarchus . These reports are of variable accuracy and some of

3219-611: The Book of Genesis to mean " confusion ", from the verb bilbél ( בלבל , "to confuse"). The modern English verb, to babble ("to speak foolish, excited, or confusing talk"), is popularly thought to derive from this name but there is no direct connection. In Pali and Sanskrit literature, the name appears as Bāveru . Ancient records in some situations use "Babylon" as a name for other cities, including cities like Borsippa within Babylon's sphere of influence, and Nineveh for

3330-769: The Ishtar Gate and hundreds of recovered tablets, were sent back to Germany, where Koldewey's colleague Walter Andrae reconstructed them into displays at the Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin . The Koldewey expedition recovered artifacts from the Old Babylonian period . These included 967 clay tablets, with 564 tablets from the Middle Babylonian period , stored in private houses, with Sumerian literature and lexical documents. The German archaeologists fled before oncoming British troops in 1917, and again, many objects went missing in

3441-527: The Jews , to return to their own lands. The text found on the Cyrus Cylinder has traditionally been seen by biblical scholars as corroborative evidence of this policy, although the interpretation is disputed because the text identifies only Mesopotamian sanctuaries but makes no mention of Jews, Jerusalem, or Judea. Under Cyrus and the subsequent Persian king Darius I , Babylon became the capital city of

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3552-687: The Kassite period . Another attested spelling for the city of Babylon is TIN.TIR.KI, attested sparsely in the Old Babylonian period but grew in popularity in the Late 2nd Millennium BC and was in widespread usage in the 1st Millennium BC. The spelling E.KI also appears in the 1st Millennium BC. In the Hebrew Bible , the name appears as Babel ( Hebrew : בָּבֶל Bavel , Tib. בָּבֶל Bāḇel ; Classical Syriac : ܒܒܠ Bāwēl , Imperial Aramaic : בבל Bāḇel; in Arabic : بَابِل Bābil ), interpreted in

3663-784: The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World , allegedly existing between approximately 600 BC and AD   1. However, there are questions about whether the Hanging Gardens of Babylon even existed, as there is no mention within any extant Babylonian texts of its existence. After the fall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, the city came under the rule of the Achaemenid , Seleucid , Parthian , Roman , Sassanid , and Muslim empires. The last known habitation of

3774-708: The Tigris river in May 1855. They had been carrying over 200 crates of artifacts from various excavation missions, when they were attacked by Tigris river pirates near Al-Qurnah . Recovery efforts, assisted by the Ottoman authorities and British Residence in Baghdad, loaded the equivalent of 80 crates on a ship for Le Havre in May 1856. Few antiquities from the Fresnel mission made it to France. Subsequent efforts to recover

3885-807: The University of Babylon offers education in fine arts, law, engineering, science, education, medicine, management, economy, literature, agriculture, science for girls dentistry, veterinary medicine, and nursing. The university includes several scientific centers: Center for Studies Babylonian Center, documents and studies Hillah, electronic calculators, Teaching Methods Development Center, and Continuing Education Center. The province of Babylon contains five universities: Babylon University , Alqasim Green University (introduced in 2012 in Al-Qasim), Al-Nahrain University , Almostaqbal University College, and Hillah University College. Located just 5 km (3.1 mi) north of

3996-677: The short chronology , had built Babylon "in front of Akkad" (ABC 19:51). A later chronicle states that Sargon "dug up the dirt of the pit of Babylon, and made a counterpart of Babylon next to Akkad". (ABC 20:18–19). Van de Mieroop has suggested that those sources may refer to the much later Assyrian king Sargon II of the Neo-Assyrian Empire , rather than Sargon of Akkad. Ctesias , quoted by Diodorus Siculus and in George Syncellus 's Chronographia , claimed to have access to manuscripts from Babylonian archives, which date

4107-529: The 18th century, the town became an administrative centre in the Ottoman Empire. In the 19th century, the flow in the al-Hillah stream decreased, and that led to worsening conditions for agriculture, which affected them greatly. To solve the problem, al-Hindiya Barrage was built. According to some researchers, based on eyewitness accounts, the area where Hillah was established was not devoid of military and civilian construction for habitation. Instead, it

4218-463: The 1920 Revolution began on June 30, 1920, during a peak of conflict regarding governance with British occupying forces, who had abandoned their promises to the Iraqi people. Hillah was not isolated from the political climate in Iraq that preceded the uprising; the atmosphere was marked by widespread public rejection of the secretive referendum on the nature of governance held on November 30, 1918. Hillah

4329-565: The 19th–16th century BC Old Babylonian Empire , and the 7th–6th century BC Neo-Babylonian Empire . Babylon was also used as a regional capital of other empires, such as the Achaemenid Empire . Babylon was one of the most important urban centres of the ancient Near East , until its decline during the Hellenistic period . Nearby ancient sites are Kish , Borsippa , Dilbat , and Kutha . The earliest known mention of Babylon as

4440-539: The 9th Satrapy (Babylonia in the south and Athura in the north), as well as a center of learning and scientific advancement. In Achaemenid Persia, the ancient Babylonian arts of astronomy and mathematics were revitalized, and Babylonian scholars completed maps of constellations. The city became the administrative capital of the Persian Empire and remained prominent for over two centuries. Many important archaeological discoveries have been made that can provide

4551-519: The Arabian Gulf, where they remained for five months; during this time, Sayyid Ahmad al-Salim al-Tawut passed away. In her memoirs, Miss Bell noted that the exiling of these individuals helped ease tensions in Hillah. It is noteworthy that prior to the outbreak of the 1920 Revolution, the British made Hillah a military center, reinforcing it with additional troops. Following a series of victories by

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4662-759: The Assyrians, in which ethnic groups in conquered areas were deported en masse to the capital. According to the Hebrew Bible, he destroyed Solomon's Temple and exiled the Jews to Babylon. The defeat was also recorded in the Babylonian Chronicles . In 539 BC, the Neo-Babylonian Empire fell to Cyrus the Great , king of Persia , with a military engagement known as the Battle of Opis . Babylon's walls were considered impenetrable. The only way into

4773-544: The Ba'ath Party from the city. However, this control was short-lived, as the Republican Guard, supported by army units, launched a significant counter-offensive against Hillah. Utilizing air strikes and tank assaults, they ultimately regained full control of the city and quashed the rebellion. Hillah was the scene of relatively heavy fighting in the 2003 invasion of Iraq on and around April 1, 2003. Iraqi casualties from

4884-662: The British High Commissioner in Iraq on November 26, 1920, announced the end of hostilities with the Shami tribes. Following the conclusion of the Gulf War in 1991 and the withdrawal of the Iraqi army, the Popular Uprising erupted in the southern regions of Iraq, reaching the city of Hillah. The uprising began on March 3, when the insurgent forces managed to seize control of Hillah and expel members of

4995-663: The Deputy MEF Chaplain, CDR Emilio Marrero, to establish contact with the staff at the Babylonian ruins site. The staff conveyed a need for assistance and requested protection against looters. General Conway approved a plan, derived by his Chief of Staff Colonel John C. Coleman, to incorporate the ancient site into the encampments perimeter in order to protect the ancient site and to support the local curators and archaeological staff. This included making Chaplain Marrero

5106-658: The Great Hillah Mosque, built in 1125 AH (1713 CE) in the Al-Jabran neighborhood, a notable historical landmark. One of the most significant events in Hillah during the late Ottoman period, particularly during World War I, was the “Dakka Akif” uprising. Hillah raised the banner of rebellion against the oppressive Ottoman authority, leading to two assaults by the Turkish commander Akif Bey. His first campaign did not yield significant success; however, he returned with

5217-545: The Hilla branch of the Euphrates started to silt up and much agricultural land was lost to drought, but this process was reversed by the construction of the Hindiya Barrage in 1911–1913, which diverted water from the deeper Hindiya branch of the Euphrates into the Hilla canal. It saw heavy fighting in 1920 during an uprising against the British , when 300 men of the Manchester Regiment were defeated in

5328-482: The Iraq MultiNational Force during the occupation of Iraq After the initial invasion, Hilla was relatively peaceful, but it then became the scene of numerous bomb attacks. In February, 2004, insurgents tried but failed to blow up a camp run by Hungarian troops with truck bombs. February 28, 2005 saw the deadliest single insurgent attack up till then, when a car bomb killed 125 people outside

5439-558: The Iraqi State Organization for Antiquities and Heritage conducted extensive research, excavation and clearing, but wider publication of these archaeological activities has been limited. Most of the known tablets from all modern excavations remain unpublished. The main sources of information about Babylon—excavation of the site itself, references in cuneiform texts found elsewhere in Mesopotamia, references in

5550-641: The Ishara and Ninurta temples in the Shu-Anna city-quarter of Babylon. A number of Iraqi excavations have occurred at Babylon, the earliest in 1938. From 1979–1981 excavation and restoration work was conducted at the Ninmah Temple, Istar Temple, and the Southern Palace. Occasional excavations and restorations continued in the 1970s and 1980s. During the restoration efforts in Babylon,

5661-586: The Jalairid state chose Hillah as its capital around 812 AH (1410 CE) during the reign of the Qarakarunlu dynasty. During the Ottoman period, Hillah became a district (qaimmaqam) within the Diwaniya province, eventually being elevated to a mutasarrifate. Under the governance of the Ottoman official Yusuf Bey, the city underwent significant development, including the construction of public facilities, such as

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5772-691: The Kassites were deposed in Babylon. An Akkadian south Mesopotamian dynasty then ruled for the first time. However, Babylon remained weak and subject to domination by Assyria. Its ineffectual native kings were unable to prevent new waves of foreign West Semitic settlers from the deserts of the Levant, including the Arameans and Suteans in the 11th century BC, and finally the Chaldeans in the 9th century BC, entering and appropriating areas of Babylonia for themselves. The Arameans briefly ruled in Babylon during

5883-694: The Medina Division of the Republican Guard were unknown but casualties reached in the several hundreds for the United States Army 's 2-70th Armor . Following the invasion, 1st Battalion 4th Marines had its headquarters at the abandoned Tariq Pistol Factory for 6 months in 2003. In April 2003, following the fall of Baghdad to U.S. Forces, the Headquarters for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (1st MEF) commanded by Lieutenant General James T. Conway, USMC established its command center on

5994-423: The Qaramita in the 4th century AH and repeated raids by the Khafaja tribes in the early part of the 5th century AH. Historical texts confirm that Al-Jamain had a significant urban, economic, and social presence long before the establishment of Hillah. Hillah was founded by Sayf al-Dawla Sadqa ibn Mansur in 495 AH (1101 CE) on the western bank of the Hillah River, having relocated from the city of Nile, which had been

6105-401: The Sea of Najaf. Babylon Babylon was an ancient city located on the lower Euphrates river in southern Mesopotamia , within modern-day Hillah , Iraq , about 85 kilometres (55 miles) south of modern day Baghdad . Babylon functioned as the main cultural and political centre of the Akkadian-speaking region of Babylonia . Its rulers established two important empires in antiquity,

6216-447: The Sumerian name Kan-dig̃irak was a loan translation of the Semitic folk etymology, and not the original name. The re-translation of the Semitic name into Sumerian would have taken place at the time of the "Neo-Sumerian" Third Dynasty of Ur . ( Bab- Il ). A fragmentary inscription dating to the Early Dynastic Period , likely in the Akkadian language, refers to an unknown lord who was the governor (ENSI) of BAR.KI.BAR and constructed

6327-453: The adjacent grounds to Saddam Hussein’s palace in Babylon. From here General Conway coordinated all Marine Corps operations in southern Iraq. The 1st MEF was colocated adjacent to the ancient site of Babylon that included the ruins of Nebuchadnezzar’s palaces, the museum staff, the foundation for the Tower of Babylon, Marduk’s temple and a coliseum constructed by Alexander the Great. In the first week of their encampment General Conway dispatched

6438-413: The allied Medo-Babylonian armies destroyed the Assyrian Empire between 626 BC and 609 BC. Babylon thus became the capital of the Neo-Babylonian (sometimes called the Chaldean) Empire. With the recovery of Babylonian independence, a new era of architectural activity ensued, particularly during the reign of his son Nebuchadnezzar II (604–561 BC). Nebuchadnezzar ordered the complete reconstruction of

6549-549: The city of Babylon can be found in Akkadian and Sumerian literature from the late third millennium BC. One of the earliest is a tablet describing the Akkadian king Šar-kali-šarri laying the foundations in Babylon of new temples for Annūnı̄tum and Ilaba . Babylon also appears in the administrative records of the Third Dynasty of Ur , which collected in-kind tax payments and appointed an ensi as local governor. The so-called Weidner Chronicle (also known as ABC 19 ) states that Sargon of Akkad , c.  23rd century BC in

6660-554: The city of Hillah on March 9, 1917 (15 Jumada al-Awwal, 1335 AH). Three years later, the famous 1920 Revolution erupted, in which prominent scholars and notables from Hillah played significant roles. After the 1920 Revolution, the literary sentiment evolved into a national political feeling against the British, leading to the establishment of various cultural and political associations. Hillah's writers and intellectuals engaged in manuscript writing, as there were no opportunities for publishing or creating periodicals at that time. The events of

6771-402: The city of Hillah, Babylon was a marveled city of the ancient world, especially under the rule of king Nebuchadnezzar (605–562 BC). It was the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and its walls and hanging gardens were considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Kish is located 13 km (8 mi) from city of Hillah and 6 km (3.7 mi) east of the ancient city of Babylon. The ruins including

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6882-440: The city was through one of its many gates, or through the Euphrates River. Metal grates were installed underwater, allowing the river to flow through the city walls while preventing intrusion. The Persians devised a plan to enter the city via the river. During a Babylonian national feast, Cyrus' troops upstream diverted the Euphrates River, allowing Cyrus' soldiers to enter the city through the lowered water. The Persian army conquered

6993-405: The city. Hillah is located near the ruins of ancient Babylon. It is likely that Babylon was founded in the third millennium BC and rose to prominence over the next thousand years. By the 18th century BC the city was the centre of the empire of Hammurabi . Various empires controlled Babylon over the following centuries. Babylon briefly regained independence during the Neo-Babylonian empire towards

7104-426: The consonant r with l. The earliest unambiguous mention to the city Babylon came from one of Shar-Kali-Sharri's year names, spelled as KA.DINGIR.KI, indicating that the folk etymology was already widely known in the Sargonic period . However, the original form of the name (Babbar/Babbir) was not forgotten, as seen from the phonetic spelling ba-ab-bí-lum in the Ur III period , and the spellings Pambalu and Babalu in

7215-419: The content was politically motivated, but these still provide useful information. Historical knowledge of early Babylon must be pieced together from epigraphic remains found elsewhere, such as at Uruk , Nippur , Sippar , Mari , and Haradum . The earliest known mention of Babylon as a small town appears on a clay tablet from the reign of Shar-Kali-Sharri (2217–2193 BC) of the Akkadian Empire. References to

7326-568: The destruction of ancient Babylon ( https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704013004574519354014954972 ) NMCB 15 was assigned duties by 1st MEF to secure and repair some of the buildings until private contracts were initiated to begin renovating the damage done by looters. Shortly after the invasion a mass grave site was reported by locals to be in the area around Hillah. Local citizens and members of ORHA, and NMCB-15 (Naval Mobile Construction Battalion) worked together to exhume thousands of Iraqis who had been killed by Iraq's security forces during

7437-416: The end of the 7th century BC, most notably under the reign of king Nebuchadnezzar II , but came under Persian occupation in the 6th century BC. The name "Babylon" translates to "Gate of the God." Following the fall of the Sumerians, Babylon emerged as the center of the Babylonian Empire, established by King Hammurabi around 2100 BCE. The empire spanned from the Arabian Gulf in the south to the Tigris River in

7548-421: The fall of the Abbasid Caliphate and the Mongol invasion of Baghdad, the Mongols prepared to conquer other regions of Iraq. However, Hillah managed to avoid the devastation inflicted by the Mongols due to the wisdom of its scholars. They understood the catastrophic consequences that the Mongol forces would bring upon any city they entered, including destruction, pillaging, and violations of local laws. In response,

7659-427: The following years. Further work by the German Archaeological Institute was conducted by Heinrich J. Lenzen in 1956 and Hansjörg Schmid in 1962, working the Hellenistic, Parthian, Sasanian, and Arabic levels of the site. Lenzen's work dealt primarily with the Hellenistic theatre, and Schmid focused on the temple ziggurat Etemenanki . A topographical survey at the site was conducted in 1974, followed in 1977 by

7770-426: The founding of Babylon to 2286 BC, under the reign of its first king, Belus . A similar figure is found in the writings of Berossus , who, according to Pliny, stated that astronomical observations commenced at Babylon 490 years before the Greek era of Phoroneus , indicating 2243 BC. Stephanus of Byzantium wrote that Babylon was built 1002 years before the date given by Hellanicus of Lesbos for

7881-463: The gardens actually existed is a matter of dispute. German archaeologist Robert Koldewey speculated that he had discovered its foundations, but many historians disagree about the location. Stephanie Dalley has argued that the hanging gardens were actually located near the Assyrian capital, Nineveh . Nebuchadnezzar is also notoriously associated with the Babylonian exile of the Jews, the result of an imperial technique of pacification, used also by

7992-407: The great religious festival area outside the city. Ancient sources refer to Babylon by various names, including "Babylonia," meaning the land of Babylon, as well as "Mesopotamia" and "the land of the two rivers." The ruins of Babylon have suffered greatly due to looting and destructive policies. Parts of Nebuchadnezzar's palace and some of the old city walls still remain. Saddam Hussein commissioned

8103-678: The imperial grounds, including the Etemenanki ziggurat , and the construction of the Ishtar Gate —the most prominent of eight gates around Babylon. A reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate is located in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin . Nebuchadnezzar is also credited with the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon , one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World , said to have been built for his homesick wife, Amytis . Whether

8214-520: The late 11th century BC. During the rule of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911–609 BC), Babylonia was under constant Assyrian domination or direct control. During the reign of Sennacherib of Assyria, Babylonia was in a constant state of revolt, led by a chieftain named Merodach-Baladan , in alliance with the Elamites , and suppressed only by the complete destruction of the city of Babylon. In 689 BC, its walls, temples and palaces were razed, and

8325-556: The lost antiquities from the Tigris, including a Japanese expedition in 1971–72, have been largely unsuccessful. Henry Rawlinson and George Smith worked there briefly in 1854. The next excavation was conducted by Hormuzd Rassam on behalf of the British Museum . Work began in 1879, continuing until 1882, and was prompted by widespread looting of the site. Using industrial scale digging in search of artifacts, Rassam recovered

8436-527: The majority of students leave these schools to study at the seminary. The first secondary school in Hillah, established in 1927, was Al-Hillah Secondary School. Another school was Moderiat Alm'arif, founded in year 1931. University education in Hillah started with the founding of the Institute of Management in 1976 and the foundation of the Department of Technology and Management Branch Stores. In 1980 it

8547-767: The many talents in all fields of culture and art, particularly poetry, writing, music and vocals. Many well known Iraqi writers have written about the city, including: Mr. Abdul-Razzaq al-Husseini, Abd al-Qadir al-Zahawi, Mohammad Mehdi Aljawahiri, Rusafi , Sahtia AlHasri, Dr. Fadel Aljamali, Thi Alnun Ayoub, Dr Ali Jawad Tahir, and Ahmad al-Safi al-Najafi . Many writers, poets, and artists have also come from Hillah, including: Dheyaa Hamio, Saifuddin Al-Hilly, Mohammed Mahdi Albasir, Ali Jawad Tahir, archaeologists Ahmed Sosa, Taha Baqir , and Ahmed Saeed. Other medieval scholars native to Hillah are Muhaqqiq al-Hilli and Ibn Tawus . The Ottomans established modern schools, including

8658-508: The movement on May 23, 1920, which served to prepare and gauge the sentiments of the Euphrates region regarding the impending revolution. The impact of these activities and the prevailing national sentiment among Hillah's residents became clear during a large national meeting held at the Great Mosque (in Hillah's market) just days before the revolution, on June 19, 1920, which was the second day of Eid al-Fitr. Sheikh Muhammad al-Shuhayb read

8769-529: The native Sealand Dynasty , and the Elamites appropriated territory in eastern Mesopotamia. The Amorite dynasty remained in power in Babylon, which again became a small city state. After the destruction of the city the Kassites rose to control the region. Texts from Old Babylon often include references to Shamash , the sun-god of Sippar, treated as a supreme deity, and Marduk , considered as his son. Marduk

8880-608: The north. Hammurabi's rule lasted 43 years, during which the Babylonian civilization flourished, marking his reign as a golden age. Among Babylon's wonders were the Hanging Gardens, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, constructed by the Chaldean king Nebuchadnezzar II. The city featured eight gates, with the grandest being the massive Ishtar Gate, and housed the Temple of Marduk within its walls, located in

8991-509: The northwest. After a conflict with the Old Assyrian period king Ishme-Dagan , he forced his successor to pay tribute late in his reign. After the reign of Hammurabi, the whole of southern Mesopotamia came to be known as Babylonia . From this time, Babylon supplanted Nippur and Eridu as the major religious centers of southern Mesopotamia. Hammurabi's empire destabilized after his death. The far south of Mesopotamia broke away, forming

9102-544: The official point of contact for all matters thus earning him the moniker, “Mayor of Babylon” amongst the staff. Chaplain Marrero authored a personal memoir of his experiences in Babylon, “A Quiet Reality: A Chaplains Journey with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq.” His book was later used for an opinion piece by Melli Kaylan in the Wall Street Journal to counter charges that the Marines contributed to

9213-643: The outlying areas of the city while the majority of Babylonians at the city center were unaware of the breach. The account was elaborated upon by Herodotus and is mentioned in parts of the Hebrew Bible. Herodotus also described a moat, an enormously tall and broad wall, cemented with bitumen and with buildings on top, and a hundred gates to the city. He writes that the Babylonians wear turbans and perfume and bury their dead in honey, that they practice ritual prostitution, and that three tribes among them eat nothing but fish . The hundred gates can be considered

9324-429: The principal structures of Babylon. I imagined, I should have said: "Here were the walls, and such must have been the extent of the area. There stood the palace, and this most assuredly was the tower of Belus." – I was completely deceived: instead of a few insulated mounds, I found the whole face of the country covered with vestiges of building, in some places consisting of brick walls surprisingly fresh, in others merely of

9435-488: The prominent scholars of Hillah convened, including Sheikh Yusuf ibn Ali ibn Muthahir al-Hilli (father of the renowned scholar Al-Hilli), Sayyid Majd al-Din ibn Tawus, and Ibn Abi al-Ghar al-Hilli. They agreed to send a letter to Hulagu Khan, expressing their willingness to submit to his authority. This strategic decision preserved their city and the two holy shrines. Subsequently, Sayyid Majd al-Din Muhammad ibn Tawus authored

9546-469: The reluctance of some tribal leaders to support the revolutionaries. One of the revolution's leaders, Sayyid Muhammad Ali Kamal al-Din, expressed regret in his memoirs about the failure to achieve their goals, lamenting that the revolution's direction had shifted, and the Euphrates was almost entirely under the control of British forces, as they sought to quash the uprising and dominate the rural areas of Hillah and central Euphrates. The last communiqué issued by

9657-531: The residence of the Banu Mazid family since 405 AH (1014 CE). However, prior to Sadqa's establishment of Hillah, the site had already been home to the city of Al-Jamain. From the historical texts and information presented, it can be inferred that the site of Hillah on the right bank of the Hillah River witnessed the emergence of two adjacent cities, each differing in their founding dates and founders. One

9768-429: The revolutionaries, most British forces stationed in the Euphrates region withdrew to Hillah, which became the last British stronghold in central Euphrates by August 1920. Sheikh Abdul Karim al-Mashita and several family members were arrested amid the events of the revolution, facing accusations of inciting rebellion and firing at a British aircraft. They were detained until the intervention of Hajj Abdul Razzaq al-Sharif,

9879-541: The rise of the Third Dynasty of Ur , which encompassed the whole of Mesopotamia, including the town of Babylon. The town became part of a small independent city-state with the rise of the first Babylonian Empire, now known as the Old Babylonian Empire , in the 17th century BC. The Amorite king Hammurabi founded the short-lived Old Babylonian Empire in the 16th century BC. He built Babylon into

9990-488: The rubble was thrown into the Arakhtu, the sea bordering the earlier Babylon on the south. The destruction of the religious center shocked many, and the subsequent murder of Sennacherib by two of his own sons while praying to the god Nisroch was considered an act of atonement. Consequently, his successor, Esarhaddon hastened to rebuild the old city and make it his residence for part of the year. After his death, Babylonia

10101-587: The school Al-Rashidiya where material was taught in Turkish . The first elementary school in Hillah was Madrasat Al-Sharqia, which was founded in 1918 with one class and twenty students. It was located in the top floor of the Grand Mosque and the first director of it was Mr. Abdul Mahdi al-Hilali. Later the school moved to a building on the Shatt al-Hilla with four classes, but this school was not stable because

10212-473: The siege of Troy (1229 BC), which would date Babylon's foundation to 2231 BC. All of these dates place Babylon's foundation in the 23rd century BC . However, cuneiform records have not been found to correspond with these classical, post-cuneiform accounts. The first attested mention of Babylon was in the late 3rd millennium BC during the Akkadian Empire reign of ruler Shar-Kali-Sharri one of whose year names mentions building two temples there. Babylon

10323-401: The site itself, references in cuneiform texts found elsewhere in Mesopotamia, references in the Bible , descriptions in other classical writing, especially by Herodotus , and second-hand descriptions, citing the work of Ctesias and Berossus —present an incomplete and sometimes contradictory picture of the ancient city, even at its peak in the sixth century BC. UNESCO inscribed Babylon as

10434-477: The site of the ancient city of Nile, which was settled by the Banu Mazid tribe around 405 AH (1014 CE). At that time, the land where the city of Nile was located was a large, populated village along the river, which had been excavated by Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. In contrast, Al-Jamain was a thriving city during the 4th century AH, with notable leaders such as Ali ibn Dawood al-Tanukhi serving as judges. Throughout its history, Al-Jamain faced invasions, including attacks by

10545-461: The slogan "Babylon .. cultural capital of Iraq .. the future of medicine in scientific research". The conference offers a number of scientific presentations that address the medical health and education in the country and projects to support health and medical research in the future. There is also an exhibition of modern medical devices and electric vehicles for people with disabilities, in addition to medicines and treatments. The bast medical laboratory

10656-595: The temple for Marduk , indicating that the city could very well be Babylon. During the ED III period, sign placement was relatively fluid and so the KI sign could be seen as the determinative, with the name of the city as BAR.BAR, perhaps pronounced Babbar. Paul-Alain Beaulieu proposes that the original name could mean "shining" "glowing" or "white". It would be likely that it was later read as Babbir, and then Babbil by swapping

10767-508: The town dates from the 11th century, when it was referred to as the "small village of Babel". It has been estimated that Babylon was the largest city in the world c.  1770  – c.  1670 BC , and again c.  612  – c.  320 BC . It was perhaps the first city to reach a population above 200,000. Estimates for the maximum extent of its area range from 890 (3½ sq. mi.) to 900 ha (2,200 acres). The main sources of information about Babylon—excavation of

10878-618: The uprising against the government in 1991. The 1st Marine Division had established a base at one of Saddam Hussein 's palaces about one mile north of Hillah. The 372nd Military Police Company had performed law and order and Iraqi Police training in the city from June 2003 to October 2003 prior to moving on to Abu Ghraib prison . The city was part of the Polish military zone after the US Marines left in August 2003 and turned control over to

10989-465: The ziggurat "Inner Cdermh", a ziggurat structure of "Baba deer", god of war. Alberes is situated south of Hillah, approximately 24 km (14.9 mi) away. It has a tower found between Hillah and Al-Khifil. Its current name is a distortion of the name Old Babylonian "بورسيا" (which is now a newspaper) and its Sumerian meaning is "sword of the sea", because it was located on the Ghadeer edge along the banks of

11100-461: Was 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 ( KÁ.DIG̃IR.RA ). This would correspond to the Sumerian phrase Kan dig̃irak . The sign 𒆍 ( KÁ ) is the logogram for "gate", 𒀭 ( DIG̃IR ) means "god", and 𒊏 ( RA ) represents the coda of the word dig̃ir (-r) followed by the genitive suffix -ak . The final 𒆠 ( ) is a determinative indicating that the previous signs are to be understood as

11211-407: Was Al-Jamain, whose founder remains unknown but is believed to have been established in the first half of the 1st century AH. The other was the city founded by Prince Sayf al-Dawla Sadqa in 495 AH, known as Hillah al-Sayfiyah, which became a significant center in its own right, encompassing a vast area of what is now Iraq, dominated politically and militarily by foreign elements at the time. Following

11322-504: Was among the few Iraqi cities to establish a branch of the Independence Guard Association shortly after its founding in Baghdad in late February 1919. It included prominent local figures in political activism, such as the poet Muhammad Mahdi al-Basir, who was appointed to lead the branch, along with Ra'uf al-Amin and Muhammad Baqir al-Hilli. A representative from Hillah attended a meeting in Baghdad with leaders of

11433-420: Was besieged by the Assyrians, starved into surrender and its allies were defeated. Ashurbanipal celebrated a "service of reconciliation", but did not venture to "take the hands" of Bel . An Assyrian governor named Kandalanu was appointed as ruler of the city. Ashurbanipal did collect texts from Babylon for inclusion in his extensive library at Ninevah. Under Nabopolassar , Babylon escaped Assyrian rule, and

11544-781: Was called the Technical Institute; today it is called the Technical Institute in Babylon and includes the following fields: scientific (civil and space and electrical and electronic devices, computers and mechanics, machinery and equipment), administrative (accounting, management, and computer systems), and medical (community health and nursing). In 1959 the Technical Institute established a project Musayyib that included these disciplines: technological (Irrigation and mechanics, machinery and equipment), administrative (accounting, warehouse management), and agricultural (plant production, soil and land reclamation, machinery and agricultural equipment, and production of life). Starting in 1991,

11655-612: Was governed by his elder son, the Assyrian prince Shamash-shum-ukin , who eventually started a civil war in 652 BC against his own brother, Ashurbanipal , who ruled in Nineveh . Shamash-shum-ukin enlisted the help of other peoples against Assyria, including Elam , Persia , the Chaldeans , and Suteans of southern Mesopotamia, and the Canaanites and Arabs dwelling in the deserts south of Mesopotamia . Once again, Babylon

11766-400: Was initially a minor city-state, and controlled little surrounding territory. Its first four Amorite rulers did not assume the title of king. The older and more powerful states of Elam , Isin , and Larsa overshadowed Babylon until it became the capital of Hammurabi 's short-lived empire about a century later. Hammurabi (r. 1792–1750 BC) is famous for codifying the laws of Babylonia into

11877-487: Was later elevated to a higher status and Shamash lowered, perhaps reflecting Babylon's rising political power. In 1595 BC, the city was sacked by Mursili I , ruler of the Hittite Empire . Thereafter, the Kassite dynasty took power in the city of Babylon, renaming it Karduniash, ushering in a dynasty that lasted for 435 years, until 1160 BC. Babylon was weakened during the Kassite era, and as

11988-431: Was previously home to a city known as Al-Jamain. An eyewitness, who passed away about a century and a half before the founding of Hillah by Sadqa, described it as a small platform surrounded by a very fertile settlement. This description aligns with information from Ibn Hawqal, who lived in the 4th century AH (10th century CE), noting that the land of Al-Jamain stretched along both banks of the Hillah River. This area included

12099-607: Was primarily of unbaked brick, with the occasional use of baked bricks or bitumen. Subsequent excavation, looting, and reconstruction have reduced these original heights found by the German excavators. Claudius Rich , working for the British East India Company in Baghdad, excavated Babylon in 1811–12 and again in 1817. Captain Robert Mignan explored the site briefly in 1827. In 1829, he completed

12210-460: Was ruled by ensi (governors) for the empire. Some of the known governors were Abba, Arši-aḫ, Itūr-ilum, Murteli, Unabatal, and Puzur-Tutu. After that nothing is heard of the city until the time of Sumu-la-El. After around 1950 BC Amorite kingdoms will appear in Uruk and Larsa in the south. According to a Babylonian king list, Amorite rule in Babylon began ( c.  19th or 18th century BC ) with

12321-485: Was the large scale mining of baked bricks, which began in the 19th century and which were mainly sourced from the time of Nebuchadnezzar II. At the time, excavations for brick mining, for various building projects, including the Hindiya dam were under way. The primary efforts of the dig involved the temple of Marduk and the processional way leading up to it, as well as the city wall. Artifacts, including pieces of

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