Babylon, Iraq, and the forbidden photographs of Saddam’s palace
After leaving Baghdad, our next stop on the journey through Iraq and Kurdistan was Babylon, one of the most famous names in history. Most people know it from the Bible or from school, but what visitors see today is not quite what they might expect.
Babylon has been rebuilt several times throughout history. Much of the ancient city still lies buried beneath the ground, while many of the walls and structures visible today were reconstructed during Saddam Hussein’s rule. That makes Babylon a fascinating place, but also a slightly strange one.
A gate to the past
The first thing we encountered was a replica of one of Babylon’s famous gates.
If this gate were original, it would be one of the most impressive ancient monuments in the world. Whether you find that impressive or artificial is a matter of personal taste.
In the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, I had seen fragments of the original glazed brick reliefs that once decorated Babylon. The animal figures on the reconstructed gate clearly take their inspiration from those ancient designs, although on a very different scale.
Walking on history
The original city beneath our feet dates back thousands of years. Babylon flourished under the Neo-Babylonian Empire, and it was during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II that the city reached its greatest glory.
Today, however, much of what visitors see consists of reconstructed walls built above the archaeological remains. Saddam Hussein wanted to associate himself with Babylon’s great rulers, particularly Nebuchadnezzar. In some areas, bricks from ancient times carry inscriptions praising Nebuchadnezzar. Nearby, modern bricks bear similar inscriptions celebrating Saddam’s own rebuilding of the city.
To be honest, I did not find Babylon itself as exciting as I had expected. The truly ancient remains are mostly hidden underground, and the reconstructed sections often felt more like a political statement than an archaeological site.
Yet it was still remarkable to stand on ground connected to some of history’s most famous legends. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, were believed to have stood here. Babylon is also associated with the story of the Tower of Babel, the biblical tale explaining the origin of different languages.
That alone made the visit worthwhile.
Saddam’s palace on the hill
What interested me far more than the reconstructed city was the abandoned palace overlooking it.
Saddam Hussein reportedly built around 150 palaces during his rule, and this was one of them. I had wanted to visit it ever since seeing Michael Palin’s television series about Iraq.
Our guide told us that the palace was officially closed to visitors because there were plans to restore it someday, perhaps as a hotel or museum. Judging by its condition, that day still seemed far away.
There is a hole in the fence
While exploring the grounds, a local man casually informed us that there was a hole in the fence and that entering was easy.
The gap was impossible to miss. The fence had clearly been flattened for a long time, making it difficult to believe that anyone was seriously trying to keep people out.
What nobody mentioned was that there might still be guards on the property.
The palace sits on an artificial hill overlooking both the Euphrates River and Babylon itself. I was one of the fitter people in our group and hurried up the hill ahead of everyone else.
The building had no doors or windows left, so it was completely open.
Inside, I found one of the strangest places I have ever visited.
The walls were covered with graffiti. Every surface within reach seemed to have been claimed by visitors. Yet despite the vandalism, the palace still displayed remarkable craftsmanship. The arches, doorways, carved ceilings, and decorative details were surprisingly elaborate. It was undeniably kitsch, but also strangely beautiful.
The singing incident
As the first person inside, I quickly discovered that the rooms had extraordinary acoustics.
As an old choirboy, I could not resist.
While wandering through the empty halls and taking photographs, I sang an aria at full volume just to hear the echo.
Apparently, the acoustics were not the only thing carrying my voice.
At one point, I stepped onto a terrace and noticed a man in uniform walking briskly towards me from the other side of the building. He motioned for me to come back.
As we met in the middle, I could see the rest of my travel companions arriving at the entrance.
The guard escorted me outside and politely but firmly stopped everyone else from entering.
Only then did I realise what had happened.
Had I not been enthusiastically performing my private concert, the guard might never have noticed us. My fellow travellers could have explored the palace as well.
None of them had heard me singing.
I was mortified.
Naturally, I kept quiet about the real reason we had been discovered. I shared all my photographs afterwards, but that was hardly the same thing.
Eventually, after returning home, I confessed the whole story to the group.
Most of them have forgiven me.
I am still not entirely sure that I have forgiven myself.
The Lion of Babylon
Before leaving, we stopped by the Lion of Babylon, one of the few surviving ancient monuments still visible at the site.
Unlike much of what surrounds it today, this sculpture is genuinely ancient.
In a place where history, reconstruction, politics, and legend are so tightly intertwined, it felt like an appropriate final reminder of the Babylon that once existed here.
Part of my Iraq and Kurdistan series
Start with the overview article:
