The Nebuchadnezzar Palace was an ancient, grandly decorated palace that once stood in the city of Babylon and was constructed by a Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar II. To learn about the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II and his famous palace, the ruins of which can still be visited today, simply continue reading.
A guide to Nebuchadnezzar Palace:
It was built by King Nebuchadnezzar II:
King Nebuchadnezzar II was also known as Nebuchadnezzar the Great and was named after his grandfather, the founder of the Neo Babylonian empire, King Nebuchadnezzar. King Nebuchadnezzar was a highly successful warrior king who ruled the Neo Babylonian empire from 605 to 562 BC. Some of the areas that King Nebuchadnezzar conquered during his reign include Syria and Palestine. One of his most heralded accomplishments was founding the ancient city of Babylon. His grandson King Nebuchadnezzar was also a successful ruler and ordered the construction of one of the most famous structures in Babylon, the grand Nebuchadnezzar Palace.
King Nebuchadnezzar was obsessed with rebuilding the city which his grandfather founded and spent a lot of his wealth on restoring buildings in Babylon and constructing brand new buildings that would increase the prestige of his city. One of which was the Nebuchadnezzar Palace which will also home to one of the ancient wonders of the world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Which, unfortunately, no longer exist. Except in history books.
It’s still possible to visit the ruins of the Nebuchadnezzar Palace:
While the palace is now in ruins, visitors to modern day Iraq are still able to visit the ancient ruins of the Nebuchadnezzar Palace. Although, if you’d like to visit the ruins, it’s important to plan your trip when it’s safe to visit Iraq as it’s located in the south of Baghdad. An area that is known for its political unrest and may be unsafe to visit during certain periods of time.
The discovery of the lost Nebuchadnezzar Palace:
You may be surprised to read that the Nebuchadnezzar Palace, which was once lost, was rediscovered by an infamous character, Saddam Hussein. Interestingly Hussein claimed that he was a direct descendent of the ancient kings of Babylon such as King Nebuchadnezzar and his grandson King Nebuchadnezzar II. During his rule, Saddam Hussein actually commissioned a reconstruction project, to restore the ruins of the Nebuchadnezzar Palace to their former glory in 1995. However, due to instability in Baghdad, the reconstruction project was never fully realized. Although Hussein did manage to build his own grand palace, overlooking the ancient ruins of the ancient Nebuchadnezzar Palace.
Military camp:
During the United States occupation of Baghdad, the US Army set up camp next to the ruins of the Nebuchadnezzar Palace.
Future:
Once Baghdad is safe for tourists to visit again, it’s thought that the ancient palace may become a drawcard for tourism and will help attract foreign money to revitalize the city of Baghdad. While you may never be able to visit the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, it may be possible to view the ruins of the Nebuchadnezzar Palace in the future.
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