Facts about Ishtar Gate

1. 05

   Babylon's Ishtar Gate formed part of a processional way used during the Akitu, the Babylonian New Year festival honoring the god Marduk.

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2. 04

   Excavation of the Ishtar Gate was led by German archaeologist Robert Koldewey, who began work at Babylon in 1899.

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3. 03

   Reconstructed sections of the Ishtar Gate are now housed in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, where they have been on display since the early 20th century.

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4. 02

   Glazed blue bricks decorated with dragons and bulls adorn the Ishtar Gate, which was dedicated to the Babylonian goddess of love and war.

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5. 01

   The Ishtar Gate was the eighth gate of the inner city of Babylon, constructed during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II.

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