Babylon Under Hammurabi

Overview

Babylon under Hammurabi was the political and cultural center of southern Mesopotamia. Mud-brick ziggurats, irrigation canals, and bustling markets defined a city where the king issued the famous "Code of Hammurabi" — 282 laws carved into a black diorite stele.

Historical Context

Hammurabi unified Mesopotamia under Babylonian rule and is best known for his legal code, one of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length in the world. The code emphasized "an eye for an eye" and codified social hierarchy.

What to Notice

• Mud-brick ziggurat rising above clay-coloured rooftops.
• Cuneiform tablets and the great stele in a public square.
• Irrigation canals along the Euphrates flood plain.