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How were lions, bulls, and dragons represented on Babylon’s Ishtar Gate?
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Mesopotamian art and architecture
Ziggurat at Ur (modern Tall al-Muqayyar, Iraq), constructed c. 2100 bce.
The Ishtar Gate in Babylon featured elaborate decorations using glazed brick reliefs. These figures were arranged in tiers across the structure to serve as protective symbols.12
- Dragons and Bulls: The gate itself was adorned with rows of dragons and young bulls. It is estimated that approximately 575 of these figures were distributed across 13 rows on the gate.1
- Lions: While the gate featured dragons and bulls, the lions were depicted in a passant (walking) position along the sides of the Processional Way leading through the gatehouse. There were an estimated 120 of these lion reliefs lining the street.1
These animal representations were crafted in glazed tile and functioned as protective spirits or genies, a common practice for guarding the entrances of significant structures in ancient Mesopotamia.2