Only 10% of ancient Babylon excavated, governor says

Shafaq News- Babil

About 90% of the ancient city of Babylon has not been excavated yet, the governor of Babil province, Ali Turki al-Jamali, said, urging the European Union to support digs and restoration at the site.

The undiscovered remainder opens wide opportunities for archaeological missions and scientific projects, al-Jamali said during a meeting on Thursday with Henrike Trautmann, Director for the Middle East in the European Commission. “The province has some resources of its own but is looking to the EU for help with excavation, restoration and protection of its historic sites.”

Trautmann said missions and projects are under way in several Iraqi provinces, with more planned.

Babylon, one of ancient Mesopotamia’s most important cities and the seat of successive empires under rulers including Hammurabi and Nebuchadnezzar II, was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2019.

Earlier this October, an archaeological site believed to date back to the Abbasid era was discovered in Babil’s Al-Qasim district.

Note: Babil is a modern Iraqi province south of Baghdad, with Hilla as its capital. The ancient city of Babylon lies within the province on the Euphrates