intriguing facts about the ishtar gate of babylon
Intriguing Facts about the Ishtar Gate of Babylon
The Ishtar Gate is one of the most striking discoveries from ancient Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar II constructed and named this gate in honor of goddess Ishtar. This Buzzle article reveals a plethora of intriguing facts about the Ishtar Gate of Babylon.
In Vain
In the 1980s, Saddam Hussein ordered for a reconstruction, a smaller replica, of the Ishtar Gate, as an entrance to a museum. However, the reconstruction was never finished completely as it was damaged during war.
The splendid gates of Babylon are a depiction of their glorious culture. Their construction demonstrates the power they held. The sculptures depict their aestheticism. All this came into perfect harmony for the construction of the Ishtar Gate and gave it a look that was out of this world.
Dimensions: Height – 47 ft; Width - 32 ft
Inscription: Akkadian
Date of Excavation: 1899 - 1914
Excavated by: Robert Koldewey
Reconstructed in: Pergamon Museum, Berlin
Material used: Remains of the original gate; glazed bricks
History
During the late 7th century, the Babylonians gained power and dominated the Near East, which was earlier ruled by the Assyrian Empire. The period was, hence, called Neo-Babylonian, during which even Babylon wasn't left far behind and became an independent city-state.
Neo-Babylonians are acknowledged for their architectural designs, and it was Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II who rebuilt the entire Babylon city including its walls and seven gates. The king also built the Ishtar Gate in 575 BCE, the eight gate and the main entrance to the city of Babylon (now present-day Iraq). So outstanding was the construction of the gate that it made it into the initial list of the seven wonders of the ancient world, but later on, it was put back by the Lighthouse of Alexandria. It underwent excavation and is now present in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
◈ Babylon came to be known as one of the majestic cities of ancient times under king Nebuchadnezzar's (605 BC-562 BC) reign.
◈ He wished to build a city with a purpose to reflect the power that a king held, display his love for the public, and prove that his subjects were happy with him.
◈ He arranged for the reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate, apart from rebuilding the Etemenanki and the imperial grounds.
◈ He fortified the city with great walls and eight gates; the walls were about 50 ft tall (15.2 m). The Ishtar Gate, the eighth gate that circulated around the perimeter of Babylon, was, thus, was of great importance.
◈ The king was also credited for constructing the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World.How Did the Gate Get its Name?
The gate derived its name from Goddess Ishtar, the goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex, depicting both masculine as well as feminine traits. The naming depicts that the city of Babylon is prosperous due to a boon given by goddess Ishtar and is protected by her strength. Apart from dedicating the name to Goddess Ishtar, King Nebuchadnezzar paid tribute to other deities they worshiped by having carvings of animals, mere representation of the gods and goddess they believed in, on the walls of the gate.
Construction
◈ The gate is covered by lapis lazuli (blue, turquoise, white and yellow)-glazed blocks that gleams and provides the façade with a beautiful shine.
◈ The gate is adorned with alternating rows of dragons and bulls. The beasts are represented in yellow and brown slabs with the surroundings in blue.
◈ The gate is adorned with a brick-paved corridor called the Processional Way that is more than half a mile long. The walls are 50 ft tall on either side.
◈ The walls are beautified with flowers, 120 sculptural lions moving in a procession, and yellow tiles.
The animals on the gate and walls represent the deities worshiped. The lions represent goddess Ishtar, the bulls (aurochs) stand for Adad (God of storms), and the dragons (sirrush) for Marduk (chief of gods). These structures act as a warning to the enemy that, it'll be foolish to encroach upon a city protected by the almighty. Though the bull and lion are real, they are symbols of religious veneration.
Reconstruction
It was during 1902 to 1914 CE that the original foundation of the gate was discovered. The excavation was carried out by Robert Koldewey, and the material from there was used in the reconstruction of the gate and the Processional Way. The reconstruction was completed in 1930 CE and is now found at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
◈ Although it was a double gate initially, due to size constraints, only the frontal part was used.
◈ The original gate had a door and gate made of bronze and cedar, which was not utilized while reconstructing.
◈ Many museums the world over have obtained portions of this gate. Among them are the Louvre, Munich's State Museum of Egyptian Art, the Royal Ontario Museum, etc.
◈ Saddam Hussein's government requested the Pergamon Museum in 2002 to return the original gate to Iraq, believing it to be removed illegally.