United Nations Radio

A report detailing damage to the renowned archaeological site of Babylon, located in Iraq, is the starting-point for its restoration and conservation.

damaged Babylon site

That announcement came on Thursday from the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Coalition forces used the archaeological site as a base from April 2003 to December 2004, which a British Museum report characterized as "tantamount to establishing a military camp around the Great Pyramid in Egypt or around Stonehenge in Britain."
The 'Final Report on Damage Assessment in Babylon' describes deterioration which occurred both before and after this period. It lists recommendations for the future protection, restoration and management of the site, with a view to nominating it for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Babylon was the capital of two famous kings: Hammurabi, who introduced one of the world's first law codes, and Nebuchadnezzar, who built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon-one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Located 90 km south of Baghdad, the site has been partially excavated over the last century, but much of ancient Babylon remains to be discovered.

Dianne Penn, United Nations Radio.

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