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A fragmentary inscription dating to the [[Early Dynastic Period (Mesopotamia)|Early Dynastic Period]], likely in the Akkadian language, refers to an unknown lord who was the governor (ENSI) of BAR.KI.BAR and constructed the temple for [[Marduk]], indicating that the city could very well be Babylon.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last=Beaulieu |first=Paul-Alain |date=2019 |title=What's in a Name? Babylon and its Designations throughout History |url=https://www.academia.edu/80043710 |journal=Journal of the Canadian Society for Mesopotamian Studies |volume=14 |via=Academia}}</ref> During the [[Early Dynastic III|ED III]] period, sign placement was relatively fluid and so the KI sign could be seen as the determinative, with the name of the city as BAR.BAR, perhaps pronounced Babbar.<ref name=":9">{{Cite journal |last=Lambert |first=W. G. |date=1984 |title=Studies in Marduk |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/618314 |journal=Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=1–9 |jstor=618314 |issn=0041-977X}}</ref> Paul-Alain Beaulieu proposes that the original name could mean "shining" "glowing" or "white". It would be likely that it was later read as Babbir, and then Babbil by swapping the consonant r with l.<ref name=":8" /> The earliest unambiguous mention to the city Babylon came from one of [[Shar-Kali-Sharri|Shar-Kali-Sharri's]] year names, spelled as KA.DINGIR.KI,<ref name="Lambert2011" /> indicating that the folk etymology was already widely known in the [[Sargonic dynasty|Sargonic period]]. However, the original form of the name (Babbar/Babbir) was not forgotten, as seen from the phonetic spelling ba-ab-bí-lum in the [[Third Dynasty of Ur|Ur III period]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Koslova |first=N. |date=1998 |title=Eine syllabische Schreibung des Namens Babylon in einem Ur III-Text aus Umma |url=https://sepoa.fr/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/NABU-1998-1.pdf |journal=NABU: Nouvelles Assyriologiques Brèves et Utilitaire |pages=23–24}}</ref> and the spellings Pambalu and Babalu in the [[Kassite dynasty|Kassite period]].<ref name=":9" />
A fragmentary inscription dating to the [[Early Dynastic Period (Mesopotamia)|Early Dynastic Period]], likely in the Akkadian language, refers to an unknown lord who was the governor (ENSI) of BAR.KI.BAR and constructed the temple for [[Marduk]], indicating that the city could very well be Babylon.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last=Beaulieu |first=Paul-Alain |date=2019 |title=What's in a Name? Babylon and its Designations throughout History |url=https://www.academia.edu/80043710 |journal=Journal of the Canadian Society for Mesopotamian Studies |volume=14 |via=Academia}}</ref> During the [[Early Dynastic III|ED III]] period, sign placement was relatively fluid and so the KI sign could be seen as the determinative, with the name of the city as BAR.BAR, perhaps pronounced Babbar.<ref name=":9">{{Cite journal |last=Lambert |first=W. G. |date=1984 |title=Studies in Marduk |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/618314 |journal=Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=1–9 |jstor=618314 |issn=0041-977X}}</ref> Paul-Alain Beaulieu proposes that the original name could mean "shining" "glowing" or "white". It would be likely that it was later read as Babbir, and then Babbil by swapping the consonant r with l.<ref name=":8" /> The earliest unambiguous mention to the city Babylon came from one of [[Shar-Kali-Sharri|Shar-Kali-Sharri's]] year names, spelled as KA.DINGIR.KI,<ref name="Lambert2011" /> indicating that the folk etymology was already widely known in the [[Sargonic dynasty|Sargonic period]]. However, the original form of the name (Babbar/Babbir) was not forgotten, as seen from the phonetic spelling ba-ab-bí-lum in the [[Third Dynasty of Ur|Ur III period]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Koslova |first=N. |date=1998 |title=Eine syllabische Schreibung des Namens Babylon in einem Ur III-Text aus Umma |url=https://sepoa.fr/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/NABU-1998-1.pdf |journal=NABU: Nouvelles Assyriologiques Brèves et Utilitaire |pages=23–24}}</ref> and the spellings Pambalu and Babalu in the [[Kassite dynasty|Kassite period]].<ref name=":9" />


Another attested spelling for the city of Babylon is TIN.TIR.KI, attested sparsely in the [[Old Babylonian period]] but grew in popularity in the Late 2nd Millenium BCE and was in widespread usage in the 1st Millenium BCE.<ref name=":8" /> The spelling E.KI also appears in the 1st Millenium BCE.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ribo/babylon7 |url=http://oracc.iaas.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon7/qpn?xis=qpn.r000068 |access-date=2023-08-20 |website=oracc.iaas.upenn.edu}}</ref><ref name=":8" />
Another attested spelling for the city of Babylon is TIN.TIR.KI, attested sparsely in the [[Old Babylonian period]] but grew in popularity in the Late 2nd Millenium BCE and was in widespread usage in the 1st Millenium BCE.<ref name=":8" /> The spelling E.KI also appears in the 1st Millenium BCE.<ref name=":8" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=ribo/babylon7 |url=http://oracc.iaas.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon7/qpn?xis=qpn.r000068 |access-date=2023-08-20 |website=oracc.iaas.upenn.edu}}</ref>


In the [[Hebrew Bible]], the name appears as ''Babel'' ({{lang-he|[[:wikt:בבל|בָּבֶל]]}} ''Bavel'', <small>[[Tiberian vocalization|Tib.]]</small> {{lang|he|בָּבֶל}} ''Bāḇel''; {{lang-syc|ܒܒܠ}} ''Bāwēl'', {{lang-arc|בבל}} Bāḇel; in {{lang-ar|بَابِل}} ''Bābil''), interpreted in the [[Book of Genesis]] to mean "[[confusion of tongues|confusion]]",<ref>{{bibleref|Gen.|11:9|HE}}.</ref> from the verb ''bilbél'' ({{lang|he|[[:wikt:בלבל|בלבל]]}}, "to confuse").<ref>Magnus Magnusson, ''BC: The Archaeology of the Bible Lands''. BBC Publications 1977, pp. 198–199.</ref> The modern English verb, ''{{lang|en|to babble}}'' ("to speak foolish, excited, or confusing talk"), is popularly thought to derive from this name but there is no direct connection.<ref>{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/babble |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929210159/https://www.lexico.com/definition/babble |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 29, 2020 |title=babble |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref>
In the [[Hebrew Bible]], the name appears as ''Babel'' ({{lang-he|[[:wikt:בבל|בָּבֶל]]}} ''Bavel'', <small>[[Tiberian vocalization|Tib.]]</small> {{lang|he|בָּבֶל}} ''Bāḇel''; {{lang-syc|ܒܒܠ}} ''Bāwēl'', {{lang-arc|בבל}} Bāḇel; in {{lang-ar|بَابِل}} ''Bābil''), interpreted in the [[Book of Genesis]] to mean "[[confusion of tongues|confusion]]",<ref>{{bibleref|Gen.|11:9|HE}}.</ref> from the verb ''bilbél'' ({{lang|he|[[:wikt:בלבל|בלבל]]}}, "to confuse").<ref>Magnus Magnusson, ''BC: The Archaeology of the Bible Lands''. BBC Publications 1977, pp. 198–199.</ref> The modern English verb, ''{{lang|en|to babble}}'' ("to speak foolish, excited, or confusing talk"), is popularly thought to derive from this name but there is no direct connection.<ref>{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/babble |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929210159/https://www.lexico.com/definition/babble |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 29, 2020 |title=babble |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref>
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{{Main|Fall of Babylon}}
{{Main|Fall of Babylon}}


In 539&nbsp;BC, the Neo-Babylonian Empire fell to [[Cyrus the Great]], king of [[Persia]], with a military engagement known as the [[Battle of Opis]]. Babylon's walls were considered impenetrable. The only way into the city was through one of its many gates or through the Euphrates River. Metal grates were installed underwater, allowing the river to flow through the city walls while preventing intrusion. The Persians devised a plan to enter the city via the river. During a Babylonian national feast, Cyrus' troops upstream diverted the Euphrates River, allowing Cyrus' soldiers to enter the city through the lowered water. The Persian army conquered the outlying areas of the city while the majority of Babylonians at the city center were unaware of the breach. The account was elaborated upon by [[Herodotus]]<ref name="Herodotus">{{Cite book |chapter-url=http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.perseus-eng1:1.178 |title=Herodotus, The Histories |last=Godley |first=Alfred Denis |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=1920 |volume=Book 1 |chapter=Ch. 178-200 |oclc=4559420 |access-date=2019-08-19 |archive-date=2023-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316054709/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.perseus-eng1:1.178 |url-status=live }}; or see {{Cite web |date=2017 |title=Herodotus' Description of Babylon and the Babylonians |url=http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Herobab.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505040539/http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Herobab.html |archive-date=2017-05-05 |website=shsu.edu }}</ref><ref name=MacGinnis /> and is also mentioned in parts of the Hebrew Bible.<ref>Isaiah 44:27</ref><ref>Jeremiah 50–51</ref> Herodotus also described a moat, an enormously tall and broad wall cemented with [[bitumen]] and with buildings on top, and a hundred gates to the city. He also writes that the Babylonians wear turbans and perfume and bury their dead in honey, that they practice ritual prostitution, and that three tribes among them [[Piscivore|eat nothing but fish]]. The hundred gates can be considered a reference to [[Homer]], and following the pronouncement of [[Archibald Henry Sayce]] in 1883, Herodotus' account of Babylon has largely been considered to represent Greek folklore rather than an authentic voyage to Babylon. However, recently, Dalley and others have suggested taking Herodotus' account seriously.<ref name=Herodotus />{{sfn|Seymour|2006|pp=107-115}}
In 539&nbsp;BC, the Neo-Babylonian Empire fell to [[Cyrus the Great]], king of [[Persia]], with a military engagement known as the [[Battle of Opis]]. Babylon's walls were considered impenetrable. The only way into the city was through one of its many gates or through the Euphrates River. Metal grates were installed underwater, allowing the river to flow through the city walls while preventing intrusion. The Persians devised a plan to enter the city via the river. During a Babylonian national feast, Cyrus' troops upstream diverted the Euphrates River, allowing Cyrus' soldiers to enter the city through the lowered water. The Persian army conquered the outlying areas of the city while the majority of Babylonians at the city center were unaware of the breach. The account was elaborated upon by [[Herodotus]]<ref name=MacGinnis /><ref name="Herodotus">{{Cite book |chapter-url=http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.perseus-eng1:1.178 |title=Herodotus, The Histories |last=Godley |first=Alfred Denis |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=1920 |volume=Book 1 |chapter=Ch. 178-200 |oclc=4559420 |access-date=2019-08-19 |archive-date=2023-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316054709/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.perseus-eng1:1.178 |url-status=live }}; or see {{Cite web |date=2017 |title=Herodotus' Description of Babylon and the Babylonians |url=http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Herobab.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505040539/http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Herobab.html |archive-date=2017-05-05 |website=shsu.edu }}</ref> and is also mentioned in parts of the Hebrew Bible.<ref>Isaiah 44:27</ref><ref>Jeremiah 50–51</ref> Herodotus also described a moat, an enormously tall and broad wall cemented with [[bitumen]] and with buildings on top, and a hundred gates to the city. He also writes that the Babylonians wear turbans and perfume and bury their dead in honey, that they practice ritual prostitution, and that three tribes among them [[Piscivore|eat nothing but fish]]. The hundred gates can be considered a reference to [[Homer]], and following the pronouncement of [[Archibald Henry Sayce]] in 1883, Herodotus' account of Babylon has largely been considered to represent Greek folklore rather than an authentic voyage to Babylon. However, recently, Dalley and others have suggested taking Herodotus' account seriously.<ref name=Herodotus />{{sfn|Seymour|2006|pp=107-115}}


[[File:Xerxes I tomb Babylonian soldier circa 470 BCE.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Babylonian soldier in the Achaemenid army, {{Circa|470 BC}}, [[Xerxes I]] tomb]]
[[File:Xerxes I tomb Babylonian soldier circa 470 BCE.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Babylonian soldier in the Achaemenid army, {{Circa|470 BC}}, [[Xerxes I]] tomb]]
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[[Claudius Rich]], working for the British East India Company in Baghdad, excavated Babylon in 1811–12 and again in 1817.<ref>Claudius J. Rich, Memoirs on the Ruins of Babylon, 1815</ref><ref>Claudius J. Rich, Second memoir on Babylon; containing an inquiry into the correspondence between the ancient descriptions of Babylon, and the remains still visible on the site, 1818</ref> Captain [[Robert Mignan]] explored the site briefly in 1827 and in 1829 he completed a map of Babylon which includes the location of several villages.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mignan |first=Robert |url=https://archive.org/details/travelsinchalda00migngoog |title=Travels in Chaldaea: Including a Journey from Bussorah to Bagdad, Hillah and Babylon, Performed on Foot in 1827 |publisher=Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley |year=1829 |oclc=1003963534}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite book |last=World Monuments Fund |url=http://archive.org/details/babylon-site-management-plan |title=Babylon Site Management Plan |date=2015}}</ref> [[William Loftus (archaeologist)|William Loftus]] visited there in 1849.<ref>[{{Cite book |last=Loftus |first=William Kennett |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_4ZiBAAAAIAAJ |title=Travels and researches in Chaldaea and Susiana: with an account of excavations at Warka, the "Erech" of Nimrod, and Shush, "Shushan the Palace" of Esther, in 1849-52 |publisher=Robert Carter & Brothers |year=1857}}</ref> [[Austen Henry Layard]] made some soundings during a brief visit in 1850 before abandoning the site.<ref>[[Austen Henry Layard|A. H. Layard]], ''[[iarchive:discoveriesinru00layagoog|Discoveries among the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon]]''; New York: Harper & Brothers, 1853.</ref><ref>[[Hermann Volrath Hilprecht|H V. Hilprecht]], ''[[iarchive:explorationsinb00steigoog|Exploration in the Bible Lands During the 19th Century]]''; Philadelphia: A. J. Holman and Company, 1903.</ref>
[[Claudius Rich]], working for the British East India Company in Baghdad, excavated Babylon in 1811–12 and again in 1817.<ref>Claudius J. Rich, Memoirs on the Ruins of Babylon, 1815</ref><ref>Claudius J. Rich, Second memoir on Babylon; containing an inquiry into the correspondence between the ancient descriptions of Babylon, and the remains still visible on the site, 1818</ref> Captain [[Robert Mignan]] explored the site briefly in 1827 and in 1829 he completed a map of Babylon which includes the location of several villages.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mignan |first=Robert |url=https://archive.org/details/travelsinchalda00migngoog |title=Travels in Chaldaea: Including a Journey from Bussorah to Bagdad, Hillah and Babylon, Performed on Foot in 1827 |publisher=Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley |year=1829 |oclc=1003963534}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite book |last=World Monuments Fund |url=http://archive.org/details/babylon-site-management-plan |title=Babylon Site Management Plan |date=2015}}</ref> [[William Loftus (archaeologist)|William Loftus]] visited there in 1849.<ref>[{{Cite book |last=Loftus |first=William Kennett |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_4ZiBAAAAIAAJ |title=Travels and researches in Chaldaea and Susiana: with an account of excavations at Warka, the "Erech" of Nimrod, and Shush, "Shushan the Palace" of Esther, in 1849-52 |publisher=Robert Carter & Brothers |year=1857}}</ref> [[Austen Henry Layard]] made some soundings during a brief visit in 1850 before abandoning the site.<ref>[[Austen Henry Layard|A. H. Layard]], ''[[iarchive:discoveriesinru00layagoog|Discoveries among the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon]]''; New York: Harper & Brothers, 1853.</ref><ref>[[Hermann Volrath Hilprecht|H V. Hilprecht]], ''[[iarchive:explorationsinb00steigoog|Exploration in the Bible Lands During the 19th Century]]''; Philadelphia: A. J. Holman and Company, 1903.</ref>
[[File:Confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates near Al-Qurnah.tif|thumb|Location of the [[Dur-Sharrukin#The Qurnah Disaster|Al Qurnah Disaster]] where hundreds of cases of antiquities from Fresnel's mission were lost in 1855]]
[[File:Confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates near Al-Qurnah.tif|thumb|Location of the [[Dur-Sharrukin#The Qurnah Disaster|Al Qurnah Disaster]] where hundreds of cases of antiquities from Fresnel's mission were lost in 1855]]
[[File:Charles Le Brun - Entry of Alexander into Babylon.JPG|thumb|"Entry of Alexander into Babylon", a 1665 painting by [[Charles LeBrun]], depicts Alexander the Great's uncontested entry into the city of Babylon, envisioned with pre-existing [[Ancient Greek architecture|Hellenistic architecture]].|alt=|220x220px]][[Fulgence Fresnel]], [[Julius Oppert]] and [[Felix Thomas]] heavily excavated Babylon from 1852 to 1854.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Pillet |first=Maurice |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5730001x |title=L'expédition scientifique et artistique de Mésopotamie et de Médie, 1851-1855 / Maurice Pillet,... |publisher=É. Champion (Paris) |year=1922 |location=Bibliothèque nationale de France |language=FR |access-date=2021-04-13 |archive-date=2021-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411184855/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5730001x |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>J. Oppert, ''Expédition scientifique en Mésopotamie exécutée par ordre du gouvernement de 1851 à 1854''. Tome I: ''[[iarchive:bub gb abSOZ6sClWQC|Rélation du voyage et résultat de l'expédition]]'', 1863 Tome II: ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5754439j/f1 Déchiffrement des inscriptions cuneiforms] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718002524/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5754439j/f1 |date=2018-07-18 }}'', 1859 (also as {{ISBN|0-543-74939-8}}) (in French)</ref> However, much of their work was lost in the [[Dur-Sharrukin#The Qurnah Disaster|Qurnah Disaster]] when a transport ship and four [[raft]]s sank on the [[Tigris]] river in May 1855.<ref name=":3" /> They had been carrying over 200 crates of artifacts from various excavation missions when they were attacked by [[Tigris]] river pirates near [[Al-Qurnah]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Potts |first=D. T. |title=Potts 2020. 'Un coup terrible de la fortune:' A. Clément and the Qurna disaster of 1855. in Finkel, I.L. and Simpson, St J., eds. In Context: The Reade Festschrift. Oxford: Archaeopress. |url=https://www.academia.edu/44717694 |journal=Archaeopress Archaeology |language=EN |pages=235–244 |via=Academia.edu |access-date=2021-04-13 |archive-date=2022-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004074452/https://www.academia.edu/44717694 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Samuel D. Pfister |url=https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/the-qurnah-disaster/ |title=The Qurnah Disaster: Archaeology & Piracy in Mesopotamia |website=Bible History Daily |date=20 January 2021 |access-date=13 April 2021 |archive-date=2 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302113951/https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/the-qurnah-disaster/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Recovery efforts, assisted by the Ottoman authorities and British Residence in Baghdad, loaded the equivalent of 80 crates on a ship for [[Le Havre]] in May 1856.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |author=Namio Egami |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/orient1960/8/0/8_0_1/_pdf |title=The Report of The Japan Mission For The Survey of Under-Water Antiquities At Qurnah: The First Season (1971-72) |pages=1–45 |access-date=2021-04-13 |archive-date=2018-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031234121/https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/orient1960/8/0/8_0_1/_pdf |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite book |author=Larsen, M.T. |title=The Conquest of Assyria: Excavations in an Antique Land |edition=1st |publisher=Routledge |year=1996 |doi=10.4324/9781315862859 |pages=344–9, 350–3 |isbn=9781317949954}}</ref> Few antiquities from the Fresnel mission would make it to France.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> Subsequent efforts to recover the lost antiquities from the Tigris, including a Japanese expedition in 1971–72, have been largely unsuccessful.<ref name=":2" />
[[File:Charles Le Brun - Entry of Alexander into Babylon.JPG|thumb|"Entry of Alexander into Babylon", a 1665 painting by [[Charles LeBrun]], depicts Alexander the Great's uncontested entry into the city of Babylon, envisioned with pre-existing [[Ancient Greek architecture|Hellenistic architecture]].|alt=|220x220px]][[Fulgence Fresnel]], [[Julius Oppert]] and [[Felix Thomas]] heavily excavated Babylon from 1852 to 1854.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Pillet |first=Maurice |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5730001x |title=L'expédition scientifique et artistique de Mésopotamie et de Médie, 1851-1855 / Maurice Pillet,... |publisher=É. Champion (Paris) |year=1922 |location=Bibliothèque nationale de France |language=FR |access-date=2021-04-13 |archive-date=2021-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411184855/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5730001x |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>J. Oppert, ''Expédition scientifique en Mésopotamie exécutée par ordre du gouvernement de 1851 à 1854''. Tome I: ''[[iarchive:bub gb abSOZ6sClWQC|Rélation du voyage et résultat de l'expédition]]'', 1863 Tome II: ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5754439j/f1 Déchiffrement des inscriptions cuneiforms] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718002524/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5754439j/f1 |date=2018-07-18 }}'', 1859 (also as {{ISBN|0-543-74939-8}}) (in French)</ref> However, much of their work was lost in the [[Dur-Sharrukin#The Qurnah Disaster|Qurnah Disaster]] when a transport ship and four [[raft]]s sank on the [[Tigris]] river in May 1855.<ref name=":3" /> They had been carrying over 200 crates of artifacts from various excavation missions when they were attacked by [[Tigris]] river pirates near [[Al-Qurnah]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Potts |first=D. T. |title=Potts 2020. 'Un coup terrible de la fortune:' A. Clément and the Qurna disaster of 1855. in Finkel, I.L. and Simpson, St J., eds. In Context: The Reade Festschrift. Oxford: Archaeopress. |url=https://www.academia.edu/44717694 |journal=Archaeopress Archaeology |language=EN |pages=235–244 |via=Academia.edu |access-date=2021-04-13 |archive-date=2022-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004074452/https://www.academia.edu/44717694 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Samuel D. Pfister |url=https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/the-qurnah-disaster/ |title=The Qurnah Disaster: Archaeology & Piracy in Mesopotamia |website=Bible History Daily |date=20 January 2021 |access-date=13 April 2021 |archive-date=2 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302113951/https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/the-qurnah-disaster/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Recovery efforts, assisted by the Ottoman authorities and British Residence in Baghdad, loaded the equivalent of 80 crates on a ship for [[Le Havre]] in May 1856.<ref name=":3">{{cite book |author=Larsen, M.T. |title=The Conquest of Assyria: Excavations in an Antique Land |edition=1st |publisher=Routledge |year=1996 |doi=10.4324/9781315862859 |pages=344–9, 350–3 |isbn=9781317949954}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web |author=Namio Egami |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/orient1960/8/0/8_0_1/_pdf |title=The Report of The Japan Mission For The Survey of Under-Water Antiquities At Qurnah: The First Season (1971-72) |pages=1–45 |access-date=2021-04-13 |archive-date=2018-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031234121/https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/orient1960/8/0/8_0_1/_pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> Few antiquities from the Fresnel mission would make it to France.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" /> Subsequent efforts to recover the lost antiquities from the Tigris, including a Japanese expedition in 1971–72, have been largely unsuccessful.<ref name=":2" />
[[File:Original tiles of the processional street. Ancient Babylon, Mesopotamia, Iraq..jpg|thumb|Original tiles of the processional street. Ancient Babylon, Mesopotamia, Iraq.]]
[[File:Original tiles of the processional street. Ancient Babylon, Mesopotamia, Iraq..jpg|thumb|Original tiles of the processional street. Ancient Babylon, Mesopotamia, Iraq.]]


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Further work by the [[German Archaeological Institute]] was conducted by Heinrich J. Lenzen in 1956 and Hansjörg Schmid in 1962. Lenzen's work dealt primarily with the [[Hellenistic]] theatre, and Schmid focused on the temple ziggurat [[Etemenanki]].<ref>Hansjörg Schmid, Der Tempelturm Etemenanki in Babylon, Zabern, 1995, {{ISBN|3-8053-1610-0}}</ref>
Further work by the [[German Archaeological Institute]] was conducted by Heinrich J. Lenzen in 1956 and Hansjörg Schmid in 1962. Lenzen's work dealt primarily with the [[Hellenistic]] theatre, and Schmid focused on the temple ziggurat [[Etemenanki]].<ref>Hansjörg Schmid, Der Tempelturm Etemenanki in Babylon, Zabern, 1995, {{ISBN|3-8053-1610-0}}</ref>


A topographical survey at the site was conducted in 1974, followed in 1977 by a review of the stratigraphical position of the main monuments and reconsideration of ancient water levels, by the Turin Centre for Archaeological Research and Excavations in the Middle East and Asia and the Iraqi-Italian Institute of Archaeological Sciences.<ref>Centro Ricerche Archeologiche e Scavi di Torino per il Medio Oriente e l'Asia. Projects: [http://www.centroscavitorino.it/eng/index.php/projects/iraq/babylon IRAQ: Babylon] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509172956/http://www.centroscavitorino.it/eng/index.php/projects/iraq/babylon |date=2017-05-09 }} and [http://www.centroscavitorino.it/eng/index.php/safeguard-cultural-heritage/the-iraqi-italian-institute-of-archaeological-sciences-and-of-the-iraqi-italian-centre-for-the-restoration-of-monuments-in-baghdad The Iraqi-Italian Institute of Archaeological Sciences and the Iraqi-Italian Centre for the Restoration of Monuments in Baghdad] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628100658/http://www.centroscavitorino.it/eng/index.php/safeguard-cultural-heritage/the-iraqi-italian-institute-of-archaeological-sciences-and-of-the-iraqi-italian-centre-for-the-restoration-of-monuments-in-baghdad |date=2017-06-28 }}.</ref><ref>G. Bergamini, "Levels of Babylon Reconsidered", ''Mesopotamia'', vol. 12, pp. 111–152, 1977</ref> The focus was on clearing up issues raised by re-examination of the old German data. Additional work in 1987–1989 concentrated on the area surrounding the Ishara and [[Ninurta]] temples in the Shu-Anna city-quarter of Babylon.<ref>[https://findit.library.yale.edu/images_layout/view?parentoid=15763308&increment=29]G. Bergamini, "Preliminary Report on the 1987 Season of Excavations at Babylon, Iraq", Sumer 47, pp. 30-34, 1995</ref><ref>G. Bergamini, "Excavations in Shu-anna Babylon 1987", ''Mesopotamia'', vol. 23, pp. 5–17, 1988</ref><ref>G. Bergamini, "Preliminary report on the 1988–1989 operations at Babylon Shu-Anna", ''Mesopotamia'', vol. 25, pp. 5–12, 1990</ref>
A topographical survey at the site was conducted in 1974, followed in 1977 by a review of the stratigraphical position of the main monuments and reconsideration of ancient water levels, by the Turin Centre for Archaeological Research and Excavations in the Middle East and Asia and the Iraqi-Italian Institute of Archaeological Sciences.<ref>Centro Ricerche Archeologiche e Scavi di Torino per il Medio Oriente e l'Asia. Projects: [http://www.centroscavitorino.it/eng/index.php/projects/iraq/babylon IRAQ: Babylon] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509172956/http://www.centroscavitorino.it/eng/index.php/projects/iraq/babylon |date=2017-05-09 }} and [http://www.centroscavitorino.it/eng/index.php/safeguard-cultural-heritage/the-iraqi-italian-institute-of-archaeological-sciences-and-of-the-iraqi-italian-centre-for-the-restoration-of-monuments-in-baghdad The Iraqi-Italian Institute of Archaeological Sciences and the Iraqi-Italian Centre for the Restoration of Monuments in Baghdad] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628100658/http://www.centroscavitorino.it/eng/index.php/safeguard-cultural-heritage/the-iraqi-italian-institute-of-archaeological-sciences-and-of-the-iraqi-italian-centre-for-the-restoration-of-monuments-in-baghdad |date=2017-06-28 }}.</ref><ref>G. Bergamini, "Levels of Babylon Reconsidered", ''Mesopotamia'', vol. 12, pp. 111–152, 1977</ref> The focus was on clearing up issues raised by re-examination of the old German data. Additional work in 1987–1989 concentrated on the area surrounding the Ishara and [[Ninurta]] temples in the Shu-Anna city-quarter of Babylon.<ref>[https://findit.library.yale.edu/images_layout/view?parentoid=15763308&increment=29] G. Bergamini, "Preliminary Report on the 1987 Season of Excavations at Babylon, Iraq", Sumer 47, pp. 30-34, 1995</ref><ref>G. Bergamini, "Excavations in Shu-anna Babylon 1987", ''Mesopotamia'', vol. 23, pp. 5–17, 1988</ref><ref>G. Bergamini, "Preliminary report on the 1988–1989 operations at Babylon Shu-Anna", ''Mesopotamia'', vol. 25, pp. 5–12, 1990</ref>


During the restoration efforts in Babylon, the Iraqi State Organization for Antiquities and Heritage conducted extensive research, excavation and clearing, but wider publication of these archaeological activities has been limited.<ref>"[https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/iraq/article/excavations-in-iraq-198182/57690975C47F895B6668912C276B87CC Excavations in Iraq 1981–1982] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616010141/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/iraq/article/excavations-in-iraq-198182/57690975C47F895B6668912C276B87CC |date=2018-06-16 }}", ''Iraq'', vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 199–224, 1983</ref><ref>Farouk N. H. Al-Rawi, Nabopolassar's Restoration Work on the Wall "Imgur-Enlil at Babylon, Iraq, vol. 47, pp. 1–13, 1985</ref> Indeed, most of the known tablets from all modern excavations remain unpublished.<ref name=OP2011 />
During the restoration efforts in Babylon, the Iraqi State Organization for Antiquities and Heritage conducted extensive research, excavation and clearing, but wider publication of these archaeological activities has been limited.<ref>"[https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/iraq/article/excavations-in-iraq-198182/57690975C47F895B6668912C276B87CC Excavations in Iraq 1981–1982] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616010141/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/iraq/article/excavations-in-iraq-198182/57690975C47F895B6668912C276B87CC |date=2018-06-16 }}", ''Iraq'', vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 199–224, 1983</ref><ref>Farouk N. H. Al-Rawi, Nabopolassar's Restoration Work on the Wall "Imgur-Enlil at Babylon, Iraq, vol. 47, pp. 1–13, 1985</ref> Indeed, most of the known tablets from all modern excavations remain unpublished.<ref name=OP2011 />
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The site of Babylon has been a cultural asset to [[Iraq]] since the creation of the modern Iraqi state in 1921. The site was officially protected and excavated by the [[Mandatory Iraq|Kingdom of Iraq under British Administration]], which later became the [[Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq]], and its successors: the [[Arab Federation]], the [[Iraqi Republic (1958-1968)|Iraqi Republic]], [[Ba'athist Iraq]] (also officially called the Iraqi Republic), and the [[Republic of Iraq]]. Babylonian images periodically appear on Iraqi postcards and stamps. In the 1960s, a replica of the [[Ishtar Gate]] and a reconstruction of Ninmakh Temple were built on site.<ref name=Curtis2011 />
The site of Babylon has been a cultural asset to [[Iraq]] since the creation of the modern Iraqi state in 1921. The site was officially protected and excavated by the [[Mandatory Iraq|Kingdom of Iraq under British Administration]], which later became the [[Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq]], and its successors: the [[Arab Federation]], the [[Iraqi Republic (1958-1968)|Iraqi Republic]], [[Ba'athist Iraq]] (also officially called the Iraqi Republic), and the [[Republic of Iraq]]. Babylonian images periodically appear on Iraqi postcards and stamps. In the 1960s, a replica of the [[Ishtar Gate]] and a reconstruction of Ninmakh Temple were built on site.<ref name=Curtis2011 />


On 14 February 1978, the [[Ba'athist]] government of Iraq under [[Saddam Hussein]] began the "Archaeological Restoration of Babylon Project": reconstructing features of the ancient city atop its ruins. These features included the Southern Palace of Nebuchadnezzar, with 250 rooms, five courtyards, and a 30-meter entrance arch. The project also reinforced the Processional Way, the [[Lion of Babylon (statue)|Lion of Babylon]], and an amphitheater constructed in the city's Hellenistic era. In 1982, the government minted a set of seven coins displaying iconic features of Babylon. A Babylon International Festival was held in September 1987, and annually thereafter until 2002 (excepting 1990 and 1991), to showcase this work. The proposed reconstruction of the Hanging Gardens and the great ziggurat never took place.<ref name="Curtis2009">John Curtis, "The Site of Babylon Today"; in Finkel & Seymour, eds., ''Babylon'' (2009); pp. 213–220.</ref><ref name="Curtis2011">John Curtis, "The Present Condition of Babylon"; in Cancik-Kirschbaum et al. (2011).</ref><ref>Paul Lewis, "[https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/19/world/babylon-journal-ancient-king-s-instructions-to-iraq-fix-my-palace.html Babylon Journal; Ancient King's Instructions to Iraq: Fix My Palace]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20171220204046/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/19/world/babylon-journal-ancient-king-s-instructions-to-iraq-fix-my-palace.html archive]), ''New York Times'', 19 April 1989.</ref>
On 14 February 1978, the [[Ba'athist]] government of Iraq under [[Saddam Hussein]] began the "Archaeological Restoration of Babylon Project": reconstructing features of the ancient city atop its ruins. These features included the Southern Palace of Nebuchadnezzar, with 250 rooms, five courtyards, and a 30-meter entrance arch. The project also reinforced the Processional Way, the [[Lion of Babylon (statue)|Lion of Babylon]], and an amphitheater constructed in the city's Hellenistic era. In 1982, the government minted a set of seven coins displaying iconic features of Babylon. A Babylon International Festival was held in September 1987, and annually thereafter until 2002 (excepting 1990 and 1991), to showcase this work. The proposed reconstruction of the Hanging Gardens and the great ziggurat never took place.<ref name="Curtis2011">John Curtis, "The Present Condition of Babylon"; in Cancik-Kirschbaum et al. (2011).</ref><ref name="Curtis2009">John Curtis, "The Site of Babylon Today"; in Finkel & Seymour, eds., ''Babylon'' (2009); pp. 213–220.</ref><ref>Paul Lewis, "[https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/19/world/babylon-journal-ancient-king-s-instructions-to-iraq-fix-my-palace.html Babylon Journal; Ancient King's Instructions to Iraq: Fix My Palace]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20171220204046/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/19/world/babylon-journal-ancient-king-s-instructions-to-iraq-fix-my-palace.html archive]), ''New York Times'', 19 April 1989.</ref>


Hussein installed a portrait of himself and Nebuchadnezzar at the entrance to the ruins and inscribed his name on many of the bricks, in imitation of Nebuchadnezzar. One frequent inscription reads: "This was built by [[Saddam Hussein]], son of Nebuchadnezzar, to glorify Iraq". These bricks became sought after as collectors' items after Hussein's downfall.<ref>"[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-04-21/saddam-removed-from-ancient-babylon-brick-by-brick/1840416 Saddam removed from ancient Babylon 'brick by brick'] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018113214/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-04-21/saddam-removed-from-ancient-babylon-brick-by-brick/1840416 |date=2017-10-18 }}", ''ABC News'' 20 April 2003.</ref> Similar projects were conducted at [[Nineveh]], [[Nimrud]], [[Assur]] and [[Hatra]], to demonstrate the magnificence of Arab achievement.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lawrence Rothfield |url=https://archive.org/details/rapeofmesopotami00roth |title=The Rape of Mesopotamia: Behind the Looting of the Iraq Museum |date=1 Aug 2009 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=9780226729435 |url-access=registration}}</ref>
Hussein installed a portrait of himself and Nebuchadnezzar at the entrance to the ruins and inscribed his name on many of the bricks, in imitation of Nebuchadnezzar. One frequent inscription reads: "This was built by [[Saddam Hussein]], son of Nebuchadnezzar, to glorify Iraq". These bricks became sought after as collectors' items after Hussein's downfall.<ref>"[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-04-21/saddam-removed-from-ancient-babylon-brick-by-brick/1840416 Saddam removed from ancient Babylon 'brick by brick'] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018113214/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-04-21/saddam-removed-from-ancient-babylon-brick-by-brick/1840416 |date=2017-10-18 }}", ''ABC News'' 20 April 2003.</ref> Similar projects were conducted at [[Nineveh]], [[Nimrud]], [[Assur]] and [[Hatra]], to demonstrate the magnificence of Arab achievement.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lawrence Rothfield |url=https://archive.org/details/rapeofmesopotami00roth |title=The Rape of Mesopotamia: Behind the Looting of the Iraq Museum |date=1 Aug 2009 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=9780226729435 |url-access=registration}}</ref>


In the 1980s, [[Saddam Hussein]] completely removed the village of Qwaresh, displacing its residents.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iraq's ancient city of Babylon gets long-overdue international recognition |url=https://www.mei.edu/publications/iraqs-ancient-city-babylon-gets-long-overdue-international-recognition |access-date=2021-10-01 |website=Middle East Institute |language=en |archive-date=2021-10-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021113931/https://www.mei.edu/publications/iraqs-ancient-city-babylon-gets-long-overdue-international-recognition |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":4" /> He later constructed a modern palace in that area called Saddam Hill over some of the old ruins, in the pyramidal style of a [[ziggurat]]. In 2003, he intended to have a [[Aerial lift|cable car]] line constructed over Babylon, but plans were halted by the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]].
In the 1980s, [[Saddam Hussein]] completely removed the village of Qwaresh, displacing its residents.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Iraq's ancient city of Babylon gets long-overdue international recognition |url=https://www.mei.edu/publications/iraqs-ancient-city-babylon-gets-long-overdue-international-recognition |access-date=2021-10-01 |website=Middle East Institute |language=en |archive-date=2021-10-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021113931/https://www.mei.edu/publications/iraqs-ancient-city-babylon-gets-long-overdue-international-recognition |url-status=live }}</ref> He later constructed a modern palace in that area called Saddam Hill over some of the old ruins, in the pyramidal style of a [[ziggurat]]. In 2003, he intended to have a [[Aerial lift|cable car]] line constructed over Babylon, but plans were halted by the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]].


====Under US and Polish occupation====
====Under US and Polish occupation====
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In May 2009, the provincial government of [[Babil Governorate|Babil]] reopened the site to tourists and over 35,000 people visited in 2017.<ref name=":6">{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/02/23/965400736/it-was-like-magic-iraqis-visit-babylon-and-other-heritage-sites-for-1st-time |title='It Was Like Magic': Iraqis Visit Babylon And Other Heritage Sites For 1st Time |last=Fordham |first=Alice |work=NPR.org |date=23 February 2021 |access-date=29 July 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223192025/https://www.npr.org/2021/02/23/965400736/it-was-like-magic-iraqis-visit-babylon-and-other-heritage-sites-for-1st-time |archive-date=2021-02-23}}</ref> An oil pipeline runs through an outer wall of the city.<ref>{{cite web |first=Arawa |last=Damon |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/04/world/meast/iraq-babylon-tourism/ |url-status=live |title=Bringing Babylon back from the dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606141233/http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/04/world/meast/iraq-babylon-tourism |archive-date=2017-06-06 |work=CNN |date=4 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Steven Lee |last=Myers |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/world/middleeast/03babylon.html |title=Babylon Ruins Reopen in Iraq, to Controversy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806111853/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/world/middleeast/03babylon.html |archive-date=2017-08-06 |work=The New York Times |date=2 May 2009}}</ref> On 5 July 2019, the site of Babylon was inscribed as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]].<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=5 July 2019 |title=Ancient city of Babylon heads list of new Unesco world heritage sites |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/05/ancient-forests-and-vast-marshlands-added-to-un-heritage-list |website=The Guardian |access-date=5 July 2019 |archive-date=29 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191129054703/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/05/ancient-forests-and-vast-marshlands-added-to-un-heritage-list |url-status=live}}</ref>  
In May 2009, the provincial government of [[Babil Governorate|Babil]] reopened the site to tourists and over 35,000 people visited in 2017.<ref name=":6">{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/02/23/965400736/it-was-like-magic-iraqis-visit-babylon-and-other-heritage-sites-for-1st-time |title='It Was Like Magic': Iraqis Visit Babylon And Other Heritage Sites For 1st Time |last=Fordham |first=Alice |work=NPR.org |date=23 February 2021 |access-date=29 July 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223192025/https://www.npr.org/2021/02/23/965400736/it-was-like-magic-iraqis-visit-babylon-and-other-heritage-sites-for-1st-time |archive-date=2021-02-23}}</ref> An oil pipeline runs through an outer wall of the city.<ref>{{cite web |first=Arawa |last=Damon |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/04/world/meast/iraq-babylon-tourism/ |url-status=live |title=Bringing Babylon back from the dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606141233/http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/04/world/meast/iraq-babylon-tourism |archive-date=2017-06-06 |work=CNN |date=4 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Steven Lee |last=Myers |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/world/middleeast/03babylon.html |title=Babylon Ruins Reopen in Iraq, to Controversy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806111853/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/world/middleeast/03babylon.html |archive-date=2017-08-06 |work=The New York Times |date=2 May 2009}}</ref> On 5 July 2019, the site of Babylon was inscribed as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]].<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=5 July 2019 |title=Ancient city of Babylon heads list of new Unesco world heritage sites |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/05/ancient-forests-and-vast-marshlands-added-to-un-heritage-list |website=The Guardian |access-date=5 July 2019 |archive-date=29 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191129054703/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/05/ancient-forests-and-vast-marshlands-added-to-un-heritage-list |url-status=live}}</ref>  


Thousands of people reside in Babylon within the perimeter of the ancient outer city walls, and communities in and around them are "rapidly developing from compact, dense settlements to sprawling suburbia despite laws restricting constructions".<ref name="auto"/><ref name=":4">{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/document/168481 |title=Management Plan of Babylon |website=unesco.org |access-date=29 July 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622230834/http://whc.unesco.org/document/168481 |archive-date=2020-06-22}}</ref> Modern villages include Zwair West, Sinjar Village, Qwaresh, and Al-Jimjmah among which the first two are better off economically.<ref name=":5">{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/document/168482 |title=Maps and Plans: Excavations and Investigations at Babylon |website=unesco.org |access-date=29 July 2021 |archive-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705155301/https://whc.unesco.org/document/168482 |url-status=live }}</ref> Most residents primarily depend on daily wage earning or have government jobs in [[Hillah|Al-Hillah]], while few cultivate dates, citrus fruits, figs, fodder for livestock and limited cash crops, although income from the land alone is not enough to sustain a family.<ref name=":4" /> Both Shi'a and Sunni Muslims live in Sinjar village with mosques for both groups.<ref name=":4" />
Thousands of people reside in Babylon within the perimeter of the ancient outer city walls, and communities in and around them are "rapidly developing from compact, dense settlements to sprawling suburbia despite laws restricting constructions".<ref name=":4">{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/document/168481 |title=Management Plan of Babylon |website=unesco.org |access-date=29 July 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622230834/http://whc.unesco.org/document/168481 |archive-date=2020-06-22}}</ref><ref name="auto"/> Modern villages include Zwair West, Sinjar Village, Qwaresh, and Al-Jimjmah among which the first two are better off economically.<ref name=":5">{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/document/168482 |title=Maps and Plans: Excavations and Investigations at Babylon |website=unesco.org |access-date=29 July 2021 |archive-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705155301/https://whc.unesco.org/document/168482 |url-status=live }}</ref> Most residents primarily depend on daily wage earning or have government jobs in [[Hillah|Al-Hillah]], while few cultivate dates, citrus fruits, figs, fodder for livestock and limited cash crops, although income from the land alone is not enough to sustain a family.<ref name=":4" /> Both Shi'a and Sunni Muslims live in Sinjar village with mosques for both groups.<ref name=":4" />


The State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) is the main authority responsible for the conservation of the archeological site. They are assisted by Antiquity and Heritage Police and maintain a permanent presence there. The [[World Monuments Fund]] is also involved in research and conservation. The SBAH Provincial Inspectorate Headquarters is located within the boundaries of the ancient inner city walls on the east side and several staff members and their families reside in subsidized housing in this area.
The State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) is the main authority responsible for the conservation of the archeological site. They are assisted by Antiquity and Heritage Police and maintain a permanent presence there. The [[World Monuments Fund]] is also involved in research and conservation. The SBAH Provincial Inspectorate Headquarters is located within the boundaries of the ancient inner city walls on the east side and several staff members and their families reside in subsidized housing in this area.
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