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Photo: LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
While the original gate was dismantled and reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin, this replica is similar in looks but smaller than the original.
The Ishtar Gate was the eighth gate to the inner city wall of Babylon. It was constructed c. 569 BC by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II on the north side of the city. It was part of a grand walled processional way leading into the city.
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Ridiculously over sized and out of place, the palace is one of the best examples of the former dictator's hubris. Situated on a hill overlooking the archaeological site, it provides excellent views. Visitors are free to wander within the palace and while some parts are covered in graffiti, many exquisite details such as ornaments remain intact.