The ancient city of Babylon, first referenced in a clay tablet from the 23rd cen...
RUINS OF BABYLON, Iraq - The ancient city of Babylon, first referenced in a clay tablet from the 23rd century B.C., was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Friday, after a vote that followed decades of lobbying by Iraq.
Iraqi President Barham Salih said the city, now an archaeological ruin, was returned to its “rightful place” in history after years of neglect by previous leaders.“Mesopotamia is truly the pillar of humanity’s memory and the cradle of civilization in recorded history,” he said.Babylon, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad, was once the center of a sprawling empire, renowned for its towers and mudbrick temples.
“This is very important, because Babylon will now be a protected site,” said Marina al-Khafaji, a local who was hopeful the designation would boost tourism and the local economy. In the 1970s, under President Saddam Hussein’s restoration project, the southern palace’s walls and arches were shoddily rebuilt on top of the existing ruins, causing widespread damage.
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