Babylon is unquestionably one of the most important archaeological sites in Iraq. It was the capital city of two of famous kings of antiquity, Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC) who introduced the world’s first law code, and Nebuchadnezzar (604-562 BC) who built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Further to the request made to UNESCO in February 2005 by the Minister of Culture of Iraq, it was agreed to devote a working session to the archaeological site of Babylon where a military base has been installed (150 hectares) in the central part of the site since April 2003. Condition-assessment reports were prepared by the Polish archaeologists attached to the Multinational Division, by the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) and by Dr John Curtis from the British Museum, on request of the Iraqi authorities, following his visit to the site in December 2004.

Some thirty participants, including the Iraqi Minister of Culture and the Iraqi Minister of State for Tourism and Antiquities, Iraqi representatives from the Iraq Museum and the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, as well as international experts and observers of international organizations, the World Monuments Fund and the Getty Conservation Institute, which with UNESCO assisted SBAH staff in delivering training for site conditions assessment and Iraq’sites database, participated in the meeting. The Special session aimed at assessing the conditions of the site of Babylon, starting devising measures to mitigate the damage, coordinating activities and efforts, and assisting the Iraqi authorities in defining an overall conservation and management plan for the site of Babylon.