Walls of Babylon

The Walls of Babylon were completed by Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BCE) to display the power of Babylon, his capital city.
He may have also built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. However, already by 300 BCE, the Walls lay in a state of decay.

Babylon was located on the east bank of the Euphrates, 53 miles (85km) south of modern Baghdad.
The walls enclosed Babylon in a square, with the Euphrates passing inside, with great quays along the riverfront.

Estimates of the dimensions of the Walls vary widely according to the accounts of various Ancient Historians.
The most detailed description was given by Herodotus:
- Construction: Fired Bricks, not Stone, from clay removed to create the Moat.
- Height: 100-330 feet (30-100m)
- Width: 32-85 feet (10-26m)
- Length: 40-80 miles (64-128km), but probably only 20 miles (32km) long. The actual Ruins are 2-3 miles (3-5 km) long.
- Towers: Around 250: they rise 10-15 feet (3-4.5m) above the height of the Walls.
- Gates: 25 Gates in each of the four walls, with Bronze Doors, according to Herodotus.
- Road: A road ran along the top, wide enough for a four horse chariot to turn according to Herodotus.
- Moat: The Walls were surrounded by a 260 (80m) wide Moat, from which the clay bricks were made.

This was the eighth gate in the Inner Wall of Babylon. All the bricks were glazed blue.

Babylon, Iraq