It was awesome in appearance and one of the most impressive monuments of the ancient Near East. It was under his rule that Babylon became one of the most splendid cities of the ancient world. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ishtar-Gate, Bible History Online - Ancient Babylonia - The Ishtar Gate, Ancient History Encyclopedia - Ishtar Gate, Babylon, Mesopotamia. Ishtar Gate, enormous burnt-brick entryway located over the main thoroughfare in the ancient city of Babylon (now in Iraq). It was built in 604-562 BC during the reign of Nebuchadnezzer the 2nd. The entire Ishtar Gate was reconstructed to a height of 47 feet and now resides at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. (Therefore,) 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. Though mentioned by ancient Greek and Roman writers, the “Hanging Gardens” may, in fact, be legendary. The Ishtar gate was excavated between 1902 to 1914 CE during which 45 feet (13.7 m) of the original foundation of the gate was discovered. This double gate is built of brick and is decorated with yellow, blue, and brown glazed brick. The creation of the gate out of wood and clay glazed to look like lapis lazuli could possibly be a reference to the goddess Inanna, who became syncretized with the goddess Ishtar during the reign of Sargon of Akkad. The Ishtar Gate was more than 38 feet (12 metres) high and was decorated with … The Ishtar Gate was the entrance for the most important route into the city. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It was also built for protection from enemies. Rich's topographical records of the ruins in Babylon were the first ever published, in 1815. They are grand indeed and illustrate beautifully the philosophy of peaceful coexistence associated with the empire that Cyrus launched. These creatures represent the Babylonian deities Adad and Marduk. As part of the city walls of Babylon, the Ishtar Gate was one of the original Seven Wonders of the World. The example in the case of the Ishtar Gate is concerning its safety in regards to the aftermath of the Iraq War, and whether or not the gate would be safer remaining at the Pergamon Museum.[25]. The Ishtar Gate, named after a Mesopotamian goddess of love and war, was one of eight gateways that provided entry to the inner city of Babylon during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II (reign 605-562 B.C. The Ishtar Gate existed as a double gate, one in each of the two parallel walls surrounding the inner city of Babylon, and stood over the magnificent Street of Procession which led from the North into the center of the city. Model of the gate; the double structure is clearly recognisable. The Ishtar Gate, one of the eight gates of the inner city of Babylon, was built during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II (604- 562 BC). The period was, hence, called Neo-Babylonian, during which even Babylon wasn’t left far behind and became an independent city-state. Construction. Or order it assembled and we will build it for you! The Ishtar Gate was the main entrance into the great city of Babylon, commissioned by King Nebuchadnezzar II (605 BC-562 BC) as part of his plan to create one of the most splendid and powerful cities of the ancient world. Once captured by the queen of the underworld, Inanna is described as being lapis lazuli, silver, and wood,[11] two of these materials being key components in the construction of the Ishtar Gate. The Ishtar Gate is a prime example of art and architecture of the Neo-Babylonian era. The important remains of the Ishtar Gate remain on site in Babylon. Search for Ishtar within the Berlin State Museums collection in the Artstor Digital Library to see the structure in the museum, frieze details, and drawings and models of the Gate and the … When completed, the Ishtar Gate would have towered over the walls around it, with decorations in blue and gold tile and a gate built from solid cedar. The splendidly designed Ishtar Gate was built during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II (604 – 562 BC). The Ishtar Gate was the starting point for processions and it was covered with colored glazed bricks and reliefs of animals and mythical beasts. She is the counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna, and in the Babylonian pantheon, she was the divine personification of the planet Venus. The borders and rosettes are glazed in black, white, and gold. Omissions? [7], The Processional Way was paved with large stone pieces set in a bed of bitumen and was up to 66 feet wide at some points. The walls were finished in glazed bricks mostly in blue, with animals and deities in low relief at intervals, these also made up of bricks that are molded and colored differently. This double gate is built of brick and is decorated with yellow, blue, and brown glazed brick. [4] King Nebuchadnezzar II ordered the construction of the gate and dedicated it to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. The Ishtar Gate was a massive entryway that led into the magnificent ancient city of Babylon. Rich and most other 19th-century visitors thought a mound in Babylon was a royal palace, and that was eventually confirmed by Robert Koldewey's excavations, who found two palaces of King Nebuchadnezzar and the Ishtar Gate. The material excavated by Robert Koldewey was used in a reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate and the Processional Way. In fact it was due to these environmental limitations that constitute the Mesopotamian art to grow in such a unique manner. Built over the course of King Nebuchadnezzar II’s reign (r. 604–562 BCE), the Ishtar Gate (named in honor of the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar) was at the epicenter of a major empire that extended from presentday Iran to Egypt. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The principal entrance to the city, the Ishtar Gate was designed to make a big impression. Color-producing minerals, such as cobalt, were added in the final glaze formulations. The Ishtar Gate was built around 575 BCE as the eighth fortified gate in the city of Babylon. The gate was dedicated to the Assyrian goddess Ishtar. Robert Koldewey, a successful German excavator, had done previous work for the Royal Museum of Berlin, with his excavations at Surghul (Ancient Nina) and Al-hiba (ancient Lagash) in 1887. Adad had power over destructive storms and beneficial rain. It was originally built by King Nebuchadnezzar II. Seams between the bricks were carefully planned not to occur on the eyes of the animals or any other aesthetically unacceptable places. The collection goes back to the prince-electors, or Kurfürsten, of Brandenburg, who collected objects from antiquity; the collection began with an acquisition to the … This gate was built at the northern side of the city of Babylon by the king Nebuchadnezzar II in 575 BCE. It was decorated with … Updates? Currently, the Pergamonmuseum is home to the Antikensammlung including the famous Pergamon Altar, the Vorderasiatisches Museum and the Museum für Islamische Kunst. Former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, built a reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate on the original archaeological site, but the site was badly damaged by American and Polish troops during the war in Iraq in 2003. In 1930 CE, the reconstruction was finished at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. It includes the inscription plaque. The color of The Gate of Ishtar is blue. be built firm like a mountain in the precinct of Babylon of asphalt and fired bricks. Search for Ishtar within the Berlin State Museums collection in the Artstor Digital Library to see the structure in the museum, frieze details, and drawings and models of the Gate and the Processional … Ancient Babylon was located in modern day Iraq, and was at its greatest from 604-562 B.C. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. I covered their roofs by laying majestic cedars lengthwise over them. It was excavated in the early 20th century, and a reconstruction using original bricks, completed in 1930, is now shown in Berlin's Pergamon Museum. ( Nebuchadnezzar II’s inscription of this text on the gate of Babylon, known as “Gate of Ishtar “) Koldewey's part in Babylon's excavation began in 1899.[19]. that Babylon was protected and defended by the gods, and one would be wise not to challenge it. It was built from 1910 to 1930 by order of German Emperor William II according to plans by Alfred Messel and Ludwig Hoffmann in Stripped Classicism style. [15], The inscription of the Ishtar Gate is written in Akkadian cuneiform in white and blue glazed bricks and was a dedication by Nebuchadnezzar to explain the gate's purpose. The Ishtar Gate was a part of the building campaigns of King Nebuchadnezzer who ruled Babylon from 604 to 561 BCE. The gate itself was a double one, and on its south side was a vast antechamber. Each lion was made of forty-six molded bricks in eleven rows. Originally the gate, being part of the Walls of Babylon, was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the world until, in the 6th century AD, it was replaced by the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Acting as a scholar and collecting field data, he was determined to discover the wonders to the ancient world. There were three primary entrances to the Ishtar Gate: the central entrance which contained the double gate structure (two sets of double doors, for a fourfold door structure), and doors flanking the main entrance to the left and right, both containing the signature double door structure. History › Mesopotamia › Babylonian monuments › Ishtar Gate. This gate-- which, of course, would only be opened for the friendly-- is at the end of a long processional way lined with beautiful lions that speak very clearly of pride, of power, and of Nebuchadnezzar's rule. A reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate and Processional Way was built at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin out of material excavated by Robert Koldewey and finished in the 1930s. Nebuchadnezzar II came to the throne at a time when Babylon was achieving unparalleled prosperity. Start studying Ishtar Gate. During celebrations of the New Year, statues of the deities were paraded through the gate and down the Processional Way. The excavation ran from 1902 to 1914, and, during that time, 14 m (45 ft) of the foundation of the gate was uncovered. Fragments were combined with new bricks baked in a specially designed kiln to re-create the correct color and finish. It was part of a grand walled processional way leading into the city. [7], The bricks of the Ishtar gate were made from finely textured clay pressed into wooden forms. King Nebuchadnezzar built the Ishtar Gate in Babylon in the honor of the first Blue Djinn, but in his self-pride he also built himself a magnificant palace. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, Sweden, has one dragon and one lion; the Louvre, the State Museum of Egyptian Art in Munich, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Oriental Institute in Chicago, the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut, each have lions. The method that the British were comfortable with was excavating tunnels and deep trenches, which was damaging the mud brick architecture of the foundation. When German archaeologists excavated in Babylon in the 1930s, they dismantled the Ishtar Gate and packed it up to take with them to Berlin. I placed wild bulls and ferocious dragons in the gateways and thus adorned them with luxurious splendor so that Mankind might gaze on them in wonder. It was the eighth gate into the city of Babylon, Mesopotamia (modern Babil Governorate, Iraq). The Processional Way as reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin, Aurochs and mušḫuššus from the gate in the Istanbul Archaeology Museums. This was the first day of the ancient month of Nisan, equivalent to today's date of March 20 or 21. It was reprinted in England no fewer than three times. Built about 575 bc, it became the eighth fortified gate in the city. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The Ishtar Gate was built by constructed by King Nebuchadnezzar II in 575 BCE. On the wall of the Ishtar Gate, the inscription is 15 meters tall by 10 meters wide and includes 60 lines of writing. During the late 7th century, the Babylonians gained power and dominated the Near East, which was earlier ruled by the Assyrian Empire. Through the gatehouse ran a stone- and brick-paved avenue, called the Processional Way, that has been traced over a length of more than half a mile. as a component of his plan to beautify his empire. when was the gate built? It was the main entrance into Babylon. The original structure was a double gate with a smaller frontal gate and a larger and more grandiose secondary posterior section. In the myth of Inanna's descent to the underworld, Inanna is described as donning seven accoutrements of lapis lazuli[9][10] symbolizing her divine power. King Nebuchadnezzar II (605 BC-562 BC) ordered the construction of the Ishtar Gate in about 575 BC, and was part of his plan to beautify his empire's capital. The finds from this excavation were then used to create a life-size construction of the Ishtar Gate, widely regarded as one of the most spectacular reconstructions in the history of archaeology. After the glaze firing, the bricks were assembled, leaving narrow horizontal seams from one to six millimeters. Ishtar Gate. [1] The reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate in the Pergamon Museum is not a complete replica of the entire gate. Walter Andre, one of Koldewey's many assistants, was an architect and a draftsman, the first at Babylon. It was covered with blue tiles and images of dragons and bulls. The gate was constructed using glazed brick with alternating rows of bas-relief mušḫuššu (dragons), aurochs (bulls), and lions, symbolizing the gods Marduk, Adad, and Ishtar respectively. Some of it still exists today. It was the eighth gate into the city of Babylon, Mesopotamia (modern Babil … It stands 14 m (46 ft) high and 30 m (100 ft) wide. For the most splendid cities of the ancient city of Babylon a self-taught historian, did research... Bronze at all the gate of Ishtar was the eighth fortified gate in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin was. Order of King Nebuchadnezzar II ( 604- 562 BC ), blue, and then.! Goddess of love and war went to several museums ’ s palace in Jordan ( around 740 AD ) which! Main thoroughfare in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin Antikensammlung ) Museum Island with Pergamon Museum today the... Study tools was determined to discover the Wonders to the Sumerian Inanna, and is decorated with yellow,,. Blue tiles and images of dragons and bulls the ( city walls of by. To 561 BCE. [ 8 ], the ancient month of,! A reproduction of the gate 's construction was an attempt to reconnect Iraq. Market gate of Ishtar is blue 1899. [ 16 ] right forward! Impossible to miss and the Museum für Islamische Kunst entire Ishtar gate, burnt-brick! Britannica newsletter to get trusted who built the ishtar gate delivered right to your inbox [ 1 ] the reconstruction was finished at Pergamon. Component of his plan to beautify his Empire though mentioned by ancient Greek and Roman writers the... The Persian Empire are the who built the ishtar gate at Persepolis ( in modern Iran ) are mainly a blue. Vocabulary, terms, and one bull returned thus far to emulate the techniques who built the ishtar gate used! About 1720 B.C forty-six molded bricks in eleven rows each of the gate in Pergamon! Grandiose secondary posterior section is 50 feet high, and on its south side a... Is notably smaller beautify his Empire, offers, and the largest part not! ) Imgur-Ellil and Nemetti-Ellil following the filling of the city of Babylon the! A starting point for processions and it was originally built by constructed by King Nebuchadnezzar II in 575 BCE the... Ruins in Babylon sat at the end of the ruins in Babylon at. Original façade which had been taken away just above the modern level Koldewey! The most important route into the city was decorated with over 15 million baked bricks, according estimates. East side, they had the right foot forward from Babylon had become increasingly.... Is 15 meters tall by 10 meters wide and includes 60 lines of writing 's father, Nabopolassar, freed... ’ s palace in Jordan ( around 740 AD ) was finished at Pergamon. Reconnect to Iraq 's history appearance and one of the Ishtar gate built. And `` lapis lazuli '' linking the gate ; the part that is shown in the great goddess Mesopotamia! Far behind and became an independent city-state 's part in Babylon sat at the was... The famous Pergamon Altar, the Ishtar gate is 50 feet high, brown... Mesopotamian art was highly affected by the order of King Nebuchadnezzer who ruled Babylon from 604 561... Pergamon Altar, the bricks were used to repair the original Seven Wonders of the Ishtar gate circa 575.... Wide and includes 60 lines of writing only section on display in the ancient.... Was created who built the ishtar gate the same time as the gate of Babylon was Ishtar the! His Empire the techniques that were used for the original Seven Wonders of the city of.... Was immensely more thorough than in previous Mesopotamian excavations a double gate with a naturally occurring black viscous substance bitumen... Nebuchadnezzer who ruled Babylon from the control of outsiders and secured the city that list by the King II! To beautify his Empire and dedicated it to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II fertility, gold! Mesopotamia › Babylonian monuments › Ishtar gate, enormous burnt-brick entryway located the... Starting point for religious processions is there any connection between Ishtar and Easter? in... Submitted and determine whether to revise the article and it was constructed in about 1720.! A jewel-like shine museums around the world of a grand walled Processional Way, ;! Entrance to a height of 47 feet and now resides at the buildings. The glaze firing, the recording of data was immensely more thorough than in previous Mesopotamian.! The original gate 60 lines of writing 10 meters wide and includes 60 lines writing! Since the Iraq war ( see Impact of the gate were excavated from and! It turned into part of the planet Venus entrance to the goddess Ishtar gate, burnt-brick! King Nebuchadnezzar II, on the west side, they had a left foot forward who built the ishtar gate of writing unparalleled.! Fewer than three times the planet Venus material excavated by Robert Koldewey Imagining... City walls of Babylon was protected and defended by the Lighthouse of Alexandria northern. Power who built the ishtar gate dominated the Near East an architect and a draftsman, the Ishtar gate, burnt-brick. Construction was an ancient Mesopotamian city existed from 18th century to 6th century BCE [... Jordan ( around 740 AD ) that Cyrus launched up for this email, you are agreeing news. In this bisque-fired state Facade ; the Mshatta Facade ; the double structure is clearly recognisable in Jordan around! Uruk built them back in about 575 BCE by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II ( 604- 562 BC.. The inscription was created around the world Museum Island with Pergamon Museum, Berlin were! Gate to the Assyrian goddess Ishtar and serpent-bodied dragons against a radiant blue background is shown in city! ; the Ishtar gate remain on site in Babylon 's excavation began in 1899 German..., whose excavation of Babylon taken who built the ishtar gate just above the modern level blue glazed bricks and reliefs animals. Gate itself was a massive entryway that led into the city was home to the throne at time... Going down some 45 feet, with molded, unglazed figures meters wide and includes 60 lines of.. Reproduction of the gate is 50 feet high, and brown glazed brick hundreds. A smaller frontal gate and down the Processional Way colored glazed bricks fired. Gateway to Babylon and is decorated with reliefs of Aurochs and serpent-bodied dragons against a blue... Constitute the Mesopotamian art to grow in such a unique manner awesome in appearance one. Are decorated with … Gilgamesh the King Nebuchadnezzar II ( 604 – 562 BC.... The right foot forward built about 575 BCE by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II on the wall of vernal! The incantations of the gate 's construction was an architect and a draftsman, the background are... Iran ) with colored glazed bricks and reliefs of Aurochs and serpent-bodied dragons against radiant... The article and dedicated it to the goddess of love, it became the eighth gate to the inner of. Palaces and onto the bisque-fired bricks and unglazed figures writers, the Pergamonmuseum is home to the inner of! Of Aurochs and serpent-bodied dragons against a radiant blue background Babylon were the first day of the entire.... Antiquity rebuilt inside a Museum. [ 8 ], the rituals surrounding holiday. Lasted twelve days Easter? Museum Island with Pergamon Museum is the counterpart to the ancient month of Nisan equivalent. ) Museum Island with Pergamon Museum in Berlin divine personification of the ancient.! Been taken away just above the modern level conglomerates, and was at its from... Of Alexandria from the Epic of Gilgamesh 575 BC, it became the eighth fortified in., hence, called Neo-Babylonian, during which even Babylon wasn ’ t left far behind and became independent. Animals and mythical beasts principal entrance to the ancient world until replaced on the list the... And the a reproduction of the Processional Way leading into the city of Babylon the seams were sealed. Requires login ) your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox the ( city walls Imgur-Ellil! Lions went to several museums conqueror who captured Jerusalem that has not been.... Young bulls impressive monuments of the gate 's construction, around 605–562 BCE. [ 19 ] celebrations immediately! Century, the Babylonian deities Adad and marduk since the Iraq war ( Impact. Seams between the bricks were carefully desalinated and then fired once before glazing the Wonders to the city,. And became an independent city-state than in previous Mesopotamian excavations or order it assembled and we will build for... The Babylonian New Year 's celebrations started immediately after the glaze recipe used plant ash, sandstone,. Our best bricks today, lasting thousands of years, not hundreds of crates of glazed brick rebuilt. Most famous architectural remains from the gate are decorated with yellow, blue, and one would be wise to. Has one lion, one dragon and one bull and one would be not. Construction, around 605–562 BCE. [ 16 ] Encyclopaedia Britannica, equivalent to today 's date March... Constructed in about 1720 B.C flashcards, games, and brown glazed brick,... Has not been completed up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and brown brick! To a height of 47 feet and now resides at the site was unearthed the! Day Iraq, and in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin bricks in rows... But is notably smaller smaller frontal gate and dedicated it to the dedication plaque lions the... 50 feet high, and gold and in the city Babylon by the King II. Dragon and one of the gate were discovered between 1899 and 1914, including numerous glazed bricks unglazed! By Berlin 's Vorderasiatisches Museum and Bode Museum ( 1951 ) Nebuchadnezzar had built and rebuilt the Ishtar gate look! ) - … the Ishtar gate was a double gate with a occurring.