Babylon historical site, and forbidden photographys of Saddam`s palace.
Most people have heard about Babylon from religious lessons at school. Today’s one is just a cheap replica built by Saddam Hussain. Babylon has a long history and has been built up at least three times. All that remains of the original ancient city today is a mound (or count) of broken clay bricks from buildings and other rubble on the fertile plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This was our stop after Baghdad on the trip through Iraq and Kurdistan.
Impressing gate to Babylon
If this gate were original, it would have been imposing. However, it was built in the 1980s under Saddam’s command. I do not know if they know what the original gate looked like, but in the Iraq Museum, you find a part of the tiled wall meant to come from one of Babylon’s gates. You can see that the animal symbols are very similar but on a different scale.
The ground of Babylon
All that remains of the original city from ancient times today is a mound of crushed clay bricks from buildings and other fragments on the fertile plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This dates back to about 2000 years before our time. After being abandoned for years, Babylon again became the seat of the Neo-Babylonian Empire from 612 to 539 f. Kr. Nebuchadnezzar II carried out an extensive rebuilding of Babylon in the 500s f. Kr.
To be perfectly honest, Babylon, as it is today, may not be the most exciting place. The ancient stuff is still underground, and we walk through mostly newly erected walls above what was originally there. It was Saddam’s idea to rebuild this site, to show what a great man he was, and to be remembered forever like Nebucanesar from biblical history. One example is that in some of the old parts, you find bricks imprinted that Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt this city, among other things. In the new parts, you find bricks imprinted with similar text about how the great Saddam rebuilt it for the third time.
Historical stories
Even though I did not find this site the most exciting, it is fantastic to know you are walking on the grounds that once hosted The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World listed by Hellenic culture. It was also here that The Tower of Babylon, an origin myth and parable in the Book of Genesis, was meant to explain the existence of different languages and cultures. I am privileged and thankful to have been there.
A ghost house
It is said that Saddam Hussain built around 150 palaces in Iraq during his rule. This was one of them, and the saying is that he did not spend more than two or three nights in it. I have wanted to visit this palace since I saw Michael Pailins in the Iraq series. Unfortunately, our guide could tell it had been closed to tourists because they would eventually restore the house and maybe make it into a hotel or something. But that will take some time.
There is a hole in the fence.
While walking around on the grounds of Babylon, one man could tell us that there was a hole in the fence, so entering was easy. It was not difficult to see that this gap and stamped-down fence had been like this for a long time, and it would have been an easy job to fix it if they wanted people to stay out. However, nobody told us that there could be guards on the premises.
The palace is built on an artificial hilltop, overlooking the river on one side and the restored Babilon on the other. I was keen on getting up there, and I was maybe one of the more fit in our group, so I ran up the hill. There were no doors or windows, so it was open to enter the rooms on the ground floor. I came into some of the most bizarre settings. All the walls were full of graffiti, as far up as people could reach. But the details in the buildings, all the arches and entrances, were just so unique. And the ceiling and the frescoes were beautifully produced, even if it was kitsch.
Keep your mouth shut.
As I said, I was the first inside the building and quickly discovered that the rooms had fantastic acoustics. I couldn’t help but sing one aria loudly while walking and taking pictures. I could still not hear my fellow travellers have entered the building. When I came in from one terrace, I could see the opposite side of the house. There came a man quickly awarded me, and I could see him wearing a uniform. He waved to me to come back. As we met in the middle, I could see my friends entering the door.
I was led out, and my friends were prohibited from entering the rooms. The guard was very polite but quite strict. If I hadn’t been singing, the guard would not have discovered us so fast, and my fellow travellers could have also seen it. They had not heard my singing. I was so embarrassed and kept my mouth shut about the singing. I did, of course, share all my pictures with them, but I know that is not the same. When I came home, I wrote to them all and admitted what I had done, and I felt so embarrassed. Most of them have forgiven me, and I must live with that.
