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Ishtar Gate
The Ishtar Gate was constructed by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II circa 575 BCE. It was the eighth gate of the city of Babylon (in present-day Iraq) and was the main entrance into the city. The Ishtar Gate was part of Nebuchadnezzar's...
Definition
Ishtar
Ishtar (Inanna in Sumerian sources) is a primary Mesopotamian goddess closely associated with love and war. This powerful Mesopotamian goddess is the first known deity for which we have written evidence. While largely unknown in the modern...
Interview
Author Interview: Son of Ishtar by Gordon Doherty
Today we sit down with Gordon Doherty to discuss his new book Empires of Bronze: Son of Ishtar. Based in the dark and cold north (i.e. Scotland), Gordon has written extensively on ancient Greece and Rome. His new novel, however, takes us...
Article
The Mesopotamian Pantheon
The gods of the Mesopotamian region were not uniform in name, power, provenance or status in the hierarchy. Mesopotamian culture varied from region to region and, because of this, Marduk should not be regarded as King of the Gods in the same...
Image
Dragon from the Ishtar Gate
Detail from the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, built in 6th century BCE by king Nebuchadnezzar II; part of the Gate is now reconstructed in Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
Image
Dragon of the Ishtar Gate
A Babylonian mušḫuššu dragon from the Ishtar gate, made of glazed tiles. The Ishtar Gate was constructed by Nebuchadnezzar II in about 575 BC. Displayed in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, Turkey.
Image
Aurochs from Ishtar gate
Aurochs from Ishtar Gate at Babylon, constructed in about 575 BCE by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II.
On display in Istanbul Archaeology Museum in Istanbul, Turkey.
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Lion from Ishtar Gate
Detail from the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, built in 6th century BCE by king Nebuchadnezzar II; part of the Gate is now reconstructed in Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
Definition
Babylon
Babylon is the most famous city from ancient Mesopotamia whose ruins lie in modern-day Iraq 59 miles (94 km) southwest of Baghdad. The name is derived from bav-il or bav-ilim, which in Akkadian meant "Gate of God" (or "Gate of the Gods"...
Definition
Nebuchadnezzar II
Nebuchadnezzar II (r. 605/604-562 BCE) was the greatest King of ancient Babylon during the period of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (626-539 BCE), succeeding its founder, his father, Nabopolassar (r. 626-605 BCE). He is best known from the biblical...