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Photo: David Stanley, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Built by the Chaldean Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC).
Lion of Babylon is a stone sculpture, over 2,600 years old, that was found in the ancient city of Babylon, Iraq. Its discovery was first documented in 1817 by Claudius Rich, although it may have been seen as early as 1790 by Joseph de Beauchamp.
While the original gate was dismantled and reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin, this replica is similar in looks but smaller than the original.
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.