Voting Station

Babylon

Please vote to return to collections.

Location

The Resume

    (circa 3000 BC-circa 650)
    Located on the banks of the Euphrates River in ancient Mesopotamia
    Archaeological site located in Iraq, 55 miles south of Baghdad
    Best known as the capital of Babylonia (circa 2330 BC) and the Neo-Babylonian Empire (circa 612 BC)

Why Babylon might be annoying:

    There is little left of the ancient city aside from crumbling walls.
    It was conquered, and sometimes razed, at various times by the Assyrians, Persians and Macedonians.
    Cyrus II allegedly overthrew it by diverting the Euphrates (so his soldiers could pass under a city gate) while its citizens were in the middle of a drunken feast.
    The Old Testament claims the Babylonians angered God by building the Tower of Babel, meant to reach heaven.
    In later times, ‘Babylon’ became a synonym for corrupt luxury.

Why Babylon might not be annoying:

    It may have been the first city with a population over 200,000.
    Hammurabi, sixth king of Babylon, created the first known recorded code of laws (circa 1700 BC).
    Its achievements in mathematics and science influenced Western scholars.
    Its division of the day into hours, minutes and seconds is still used today.
    It was the site of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (circa 600 BC), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world (their existence is disputed).
    Saddam Hussein began restoring the ruins in 1985 (unfortunately his efforts included building on top of old structures and artifacts).
    The United States Army, trying to protect the site from looters, caused even more damage (2003).

Credit: Georgina


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 51 Votes: 52.94% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 15 Votes: 46.67% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 15 Votes: 46.67% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 62 Votes: 69.35% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 32 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 37 Votes: 48.65% Annoying