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FASCINATING photographs show inside the abandoned Babylon built by Saddam Hussein – who called himself the “son of King Nebuchadnezzar”. Nebuchadnezzar, the second and greatest king of the Chaldean dynasty of Babylonia, was notorious for waging bloody wars to seize large swathes of current day Iran and Israel.
Did Saddam call himself Nebuchadnezzar?
Saddam has, on numerous occasions, called himself the “successor” to two of the most famous figures from Iraq’s history: the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II of the sixth century BCE, and the Moslem warrior Saladin of the 12th century. He has styled himself the successor to Saladin.
Who did Saddam Hussein think he was reincarnated from?
Saddam Hussein imagined himself as the modern reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar II, and he spent millions on reconstructing Babylon as it was during his reign in 605 BCE.
Did Saddam Hussein want to rebuild Babylon?
Starting in 1983, Saddam Hussein, imagining himself as heir to Nebuchadnezzar, ordered the rebuilding of Babylon. As most Iraqi men were fighting the bloody Iran-Iraq war, he brought in thousands of Sudanese workers to lay new yellow bricks over the old mud construction where Nebuchadnezzar’s palace had stood.
What was Babylon like under Nebuchadnezzar?
Nebuchadnezzar II in other sources is depicted as a great king who not only restored Babylon to its former glory but transformed it into a city of light. Under his reign, Babylon became a city which was not only wondrous to behold but also a center for the arts and intellectual pursuits.
Is there a modern day Babylon?
The city of Babylon, whose ruins are located in present-day Iraq, was founded more than 4,000 years ago as a small port town on the Euphrates River. It grew into one of the largest cities of the ancient world under the rule of Hammurabi.
What did Saddam Hussein built on a mound next to the city of Babylon?
Babil – a mound about 22 meters (72 ft) high at the northern end of the site. Its bricks have been subject to looting since ancient times. It held a palace built by Nebuchadnezzar.