Nebuchadnezzar II's Babylon

The empire of King Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC) stretched from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean and from the Caucasus to northern Arabia. Nebuchadnezzar undertook extensive building works in his capital, Babylon. The Processional Way, Ishtar Gate and the Palace Throne Room were his most significant works. Facades made from brightly coloured glazed bricks were intended to astonish approaching visitors. These works displayed the might of the city and its kings, who commanded unlimited resources and was backed by a powerful state religion. At New Year, parades along the Processional Way celebrated the god Marduk's triumph over the forces of chaos, securing Nebuchadnezzar's dominion of the empire for another year.