The Ishtar Gate: Babylon’s Magnificent Heritage

The Architectural Wonder of Nebuchadnezzar II and the Cultural Richness of Mesopotamia

Ishtar Gate was discovered during the excavations carried out by German archeologist Robert Koldewey in 1902, in the ancient city of Babylon, located in present-day Iraq, near Baghdad. As is known, Baghdad was then an Ottoman Province. The archeological finds, which appeared to belong to this magnificent gate, were sent to Berlin for restoration and were meant to be returned after a temporary period of time. [1]

However, since then, the Ishtar Gate has been exhibited in the Pergamon Museum as one of its most important artifacts. Composed of thousands of bricks coated with enamel and glaze,  it is a fascinating beauty with its aesthetics and splendor.

The Ishtar Gate was built at the entrance of the city in 575 BC by Nebuchadnezzar II, the renowned leader of the Babylonians, a Mesopotamian civilization. Erected to strengthen the city’s defenses and emphasize the power and wealth of the king, this gate served as the venue for the Babylonians’ religious and special occasions. The New Year festivities called Akitu are a good example of these ceremonies.

The construction of such an extraordinarily large and architecturally superior gate inevitably arouses great curiosity about Mesopotamian civilization during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II.

General Overview of the Mesopotamian Civilization

The Mesopotamian civilization, the first known autonomous civilization and considered the founding civilization of world history, was settled between the Euphrates-Tiglis rivers starting from BC 4000.

It is rightly considered the “Cradle of Civilizations” due to its highly developed cities, complex institutions, the government buildings, large worship centers, the invention of writing, the keeping of records of important events, the invention of the wheel, and the use of irrigation systems. 

Across Mesopotamia, the people used to believe that gods and goddesses ruled the universe and they should obey them through prayer, worship and offerings. It was a common belief in  different kingdoms within the Mesopotamian civilization. 

The temples were the center of religious ceremonies. Statues of gods and goddesses adorned all temples. In addition, Mesopotamians, who believed in life after death, sometimes buried the dead with their belongings and food that they believed they would need later.

Babylonians (2004-1595 BC and 625-539 BC)

The Babylonians emerged as the third civilization after the Sumerians and Akkadians. They founded the city of Babylon, which became the most influential city in Mesopotamia. The recording of the first legal system in history was another important feature of the kingdom.

The Babylonian King Hammurabi prepared these laws—known as the first laws of history—in 2000 BC, consisting of 282 articles. They covered important issues such as theft, trade, rent, inheritance, divorce, adoption, salary rates, compensation for loss and injury. 

Hammurabi implemented these laws to maintain control over society, ensuring that when a king annexed other cities, the people there also obeyed the laws and lived in peace. [2]

Architectural and Cultural Developments in the Reign of Nebuchadnezzar II

Nebuchadnezzar II realized large-scale construction and aesthetic projects during his reign. Among the most important of these are the Ishtar Gate, the accompanying Processional Way and the lion statues symbolizing the goddess Ishtar. 

These architectural beauties were built to symbolize the power of the king and the splendor of the city and were used in religious ceremonies. They were dedicated to Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love and war.

Architectural Features of Ishtar Gate

One of the most important features of this magnificent gate is its bright blue bricks. These bricks are decorated with depictions of dragons (representing Marduk, the chief god of the Babylonians) and bulls (symbolizing Adad, the god of storms). The lion motifs arranged in a row, especially on the Processional Way, are also identified with the goddess Ishtar. 

The Babylonians originally built the city using air-dried mudbricks typical of Mesopotamia, but these stones could only last 50-70 years without regular renewal or maintenance. For this reason, Nebuchadezzar II used durable baked bricks for the construction of all the gates and other monumental buildings instead of using air-dried mudbricks. [3]

The bright blue color on these bricks was created by a special glazing process. The glaze was obtained by combining silica (sand or quartz), alkali (from plant ash), and a colorant. They used copper as the primary colorant, which produced a vibrant blue color when baked at high temperatures.

The Processional Way accompanying the Ishtar Gate was decorated with similar imagery and was constructed large enough to accommodate big parades. As can be seen in the photo below, the size of the gate played an important role in social and religious activities:

The Ishtar Gate was part of a massive double gate, about 14 meters high and 30 meters wide. It was one of the largest and most magnificent entrances to any ancient city. Designed both for the performance of the Babylon’s rituals and as a political center, it was one of the five gates into the city.

Akitu: Babylonian New Year Festival 

The most important festival celebrated by the Babylonians was Akitu, known as the New Year’s festival. It was a multi-day festival celebrated following the first new moon after the equinox towards the end of March, to honor the rebirth of the natural world.

During Akitu celebrations, statues of Babylonian gods and goddesses were paraded through the city streets. These rituals were believed to cleanse the earth and prepare for the new year and the arrival of spring. [4]

Inscription of Nebuchadnezzar II on the Ishtar Gate

Through the monuments, we observe that Nebuchadnezzar II wanted the importance of his kingdom and his deeds to be immortalized in his name for generations to come. Leaving a dedication plague on the Ishtar Gate is also an example of this attitude.

This cuneiform inscription describes his contribution to the infrastructure and rebuilding of the city of Babylon. In his own words, this inscription reads as follows:

“Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, the faithful prince appointed by the will of Marduk, the highest of princely princes, beloved of Nabu, of prudent counsel, who has learned to embrace wisdom, who fathomed their divine being and reveres their majesty, the untiring governor, who always takes to heart the care of the cult of Esagila and Ezida and is constantly concerned with the well-being of Babylon and Borsippa, the wise, the humble, the caretaker of Esagila and Ezida, the firstborn son of Nabopolassar, the King of Babylon.”

“I pulled down these gates and laid their foundations at the water table with asphalt and bricks and had them made of bricks with blue stone on which wonderful bulls and dragons were depicted.”  [5]

Archaeological Journey of the Ishtar Gate

During the excavations in the ruins of Babylon within the Baghdad Province, thousands of enameled, glazed and colored bricks were found. With the belief that it would not be possible to reassemble and restore them in the place where they were found or in Istanbul, the officials decided to take the bricks to Berlin. 

The Ishtar Gate finds were temporarily sent to Berlin in 1902 with the approval of the Ottoman Sultan. Upon completion of this process, a petition was submitted by the then Director of Museums in Berlin to return them to the Muze-i Hümayun. [6]

However, Osman Hamdi, who was in charge of historical monuments at the time, did not demand this important work back to the museum for eight years until his death. Due to the difficult war years that followed, they could not deal with this issue. And this glorious artifact is still on display at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. 

Transfer of Turkish Artifacts Abroad

There are many precious artifacts that were excavated in Turkey and subsequently sent to other countries. Yaşar Yılmaz, a researcher and writer who is devoted to this issue, has visited museums all over the world one by one, listed and photographed our artifacts. With this important work published under the title Anatolia’s Tears, he announced this to the entire world and mobilized history lovers by creating a serious awareness. 

In his last book, The Other Side of Osman Hamdi Bey, he coincidentally saw in the documents he came across during his research in the Ottoman Archives that the Ishtar Gate was sent to Berlin on condition that it was repaired and returned, and published that it was forgotten for 122 years and was not demanded back. He also notified the Ministry of Culture in writing that we should ask for the artifact back immediately. [7]

Although these valuable artifacts contribute to the worldwide recognition of our history, it is extremely important that they are exhibited in the lands where they belong in order to preserve our cultural identity and pass it on to future generations. 

We Must Protect Our Cultural Heritage

The Babylonians, an important kingdom of Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization, built magnificent architectural works 2500 years ago, which are extremely difficult to construct even with today’s technology and facilities, and left them as a legacy to the next generations. 

I have talked, in particular, concerning the bright blue and gigantic Ishtar Gate, which was one of the works of Nebuchadnezzar II’s initiatives in this regard. The Babylonians, who were very advanced in medicine, astronomy, mathematics, law and architecture, were also the architects of “the Hanging Gardens of Babylon”, which are now considered one of the seven wonders of the world. It will come as no surprise that these gardens were also built during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II. 

It’s encouraging to learn that, as research shows, the Ishtar Gate was sent to Berlin under a written agreement that remains valid to this day. It is essential that this important artifact is brought back to its rightful place with the initiative of our Ministry. 

Some pieces of the Gypsy Girl mosaic, one of Turkey’s most impressive artifacts, exhibited in the Zeugma Museum in Gaziantep, were smuggled by the US in 1960 and returned to their rightful place in 2019 after five years of negotiations between the two countries. 

References:

1- Yaşar Yılmaz, Osman Hamdi Bey’in Öteki Yüzü (The Other Side of Osman Hamdi Bey), Kültür Sanat Yayıncılık, June 2023, p: 82

2- Dr. Andrew Targowski, Introduction to World Civilizations, Anadolu Üniversitesi, Octob er 2017, Chapter 2, p: 32

3- Helen Gries, Ancient Near East Today, The Ishtar Gate of Babylon: One Monument, Multiple Narratives, April 2023, Vol:11, No:4

4- Evan Andrews, History, Five Ancient New Year’s Celebrations, 31 December 2012

5- Brittany Garcia, World History Encyclopedia, 23 August 2013

6- Yaşar Yılmaz, Osman Hamdi Bey’in Öteki Yüzü (The Other Side of Osman Hamdi Bey), Kültür Sanat Yayıncılık, June 2023, p: 82

7- Ibid, p: 83