Babylon is the largest city in the world with a population of 200,000 or more plus livestock;
a mile from the city defenses, a twenty foot wall with towers twice as high encloses the suburbs;
within the outer wall, there are clusters of gardens and groves;
temples are colorful and blocky;
a large walled enclosure surrounds the Akitu shrine where New Year ceremonies are held;
tanneries, dye-vats and the execution ground are in the suburbs;
the road into the city changes "...from packed clay to a broad avenue of baked brick." (SM Stirling, Against The Tide Of Years, p. 324)
Another of our Great Cities.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And one thing I remember about the Nantucketers reaction to the sight and experience of Babylon was how impressed they were at how far the Mesopotamians had managed to advance beginning with nothing but mud and water!
Sean
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