Babylon


World Heritage Identification Number: 278

World Heritage since: 2019

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇮🇶 Iraq

Continent: Asia

UNESCO World Region: Arab States

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Babylon: The Ancient City that Influenced Empires

Babylon, situated approximately 85 kilometers south of Baghdad, is a significant archaeological site that offers a unique glimpse into one of the most influential empires of the ancient world. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, the property encompasses the remnants of the city that served as the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire from 626 to 539 BCE. This article delves into the history, significance, and enduring influence of Babylon.

More to come…

UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Situated 85 km south of Baghdad, the property includes the ruins of the city which, between 626 and 539 BCE, was the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. It includes villages and agricultural areas surrounding the ancient city. Its remains, outer and inner city walls, gates, palaces and temples, are a unique testimony to one of the most influential empires of the ancient world. Seat of successive empires, under rulers such as Hammurabi and Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon represents the expression of the creativity of the Neo-Babylonian Empire at its height. The city's association with one of the seven wonders of the ancient world—the Hanging Gardens—has also inspired artistic, popular and religious culture on a global scale.

Encyclopedia Record: Babylon

Babylon was an ancient city located on the lower Euphrates river in southern Mesopotamia, within modern-day Hillah, Iraq, about 85 kilometres 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, 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.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 1,054.3 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions

Coordinates: 32.5419694444 , 44.4208333333

Image

Image of Babylon

© Mohamm3dfadil, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

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Nearby World Heritage Sites

Samarra Archaeological City
208 km — Iraq
The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities
324 km — Iraq
Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat)
341 km — Iraq
Cultural Landscape of Hawraman/Uramanat
343 km — Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Bisotun
347 km — Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Country Information: Iraq

Flag of Iraq

Official Name: Republic of Iraq

Capital: Baghdad

Continent: Asia

Population (2024): 46,042,015

Population (2023): 45,074,049

Population (2022): 44,070,551

Land Area: 434,130 sq km

Currency: Iraqi dinar (IQD)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Babylon are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Babylon, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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