The Rise of Civilization: The Art of the Ancient Near East

With the collapse of the Assyrian Empire, Babylonian kings reestablished their power in the south. The city of Babylon became one of the greatest cities of antiquity, famous for its "hanging gardens" and its enormous ziggurat. The city gate was faced with blue-glazed bricks and glazed bricks molded into reliefs of animals. The city was captured in the 6th century B.C. and became part of the great Persian Empire. The Persian kings built a fortified royal palace at Persepolis.

Nebuchadnezzar:

Wondrous Babylon of 2-26 Ishtar Gate (restored), Babylon, Iraq, ca. 575 B.C. WHOSE EXPLOITS THE BIBLICAL BOOK OF DANIEL RECOUNTS.
GLAZED BRICK. STAALICHE MUSEEN, BERLIN.

1. Ishtar Gate
2. Ishtar Gate - detail
3. Ishtar Gate
4. Ishtar Gate

The triumph of Persia:

Although Nebuchadnezzar, the biblical Daniel's "King of Kings," had boasted that "I caused a mighty wall to circumscribe Babylon…so that the enemy who would do evil would not threaten." Cyrus of Persia (r. 559-529 B.C.) captured his city in the sixth century B.C.

Persian grandeur at Persepolis:

The most important source of knowledge about Persian architecture is the palace at Persepolis built between 521 and 465 B.C. by Darius I (r. 522-486 B.C.) and Xerxes (r. 486-465 B.C.), successors of Cyrus.

2-27 Royal audience hall (apadana) and stairway, palace of Darius I and Xerxes I, Persepolis, Iran, ca. 521-465 B.C.

1. Persepolis
2. Persepolis
3. Persepolis
4. Persepolis