Built about 575 BC by Nebuchadnezzar II, the Ishtar Gate was one of the eight gates of the inner city of Babylon, capital of the Babylonian Empire (now in
Iraq). It is one of the most impressive
monuments rediscovered in the ancient Near East.
The Ishtar Gate high more than 38 feet (12 meters) was made of brick glazed with a copper turquoise glaze alternating with unglazed brick (about 120 of them) covered with gold leaf. Covered with dragons, lions and bulls, Nebuchadnezzar dedicated the huge, ceremonial gate to the goddess Ishtar.
Babylon, the legendary city, is the most famous ancient city in the whole World. It was the capital of ten Mesopotamian dynasties starting with the dynasty of King Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC). Babylon was renowned for its high, well-fortified walls and for the magnificence of its temples and palaces. Its famous Hanging Gardens, built by King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife Amytas, were one of the
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Parts of the gate and lions are in various
museums around the world. The foundations of the gate, going down some 45 feet, were discovered between 1899 and 1914, including numerous glazed bricks and unglazed figures. The gateway has been reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum,
Berlin, from the glazed bricks found, so its original height is different in size. Reconstructed height is 47 feet.
