Sharjah24 – Reuters: The ancient city, whose history dates back about 4,000 years, is famous for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, as well as the Hammurabi Obelisk and the Lion of Babylon.

Babylon, situated some 85 kilometers (53 miles) south of the capital Baghdad, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The ancient city also has a palace built by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

The palace offers visitors a trip from the past to the present day in the age-old region.

Two weeks ago the ancient city hosted the International Babylon Festival for the first time since 2003. Arab singers and folk dance teams from abroad also took part in the five-day festival, which attracted great interest from Iraqis.

The Babylon International Festival began in 1985 but was halted in 2003 due to the US invasion of Iraq and the deterioration of the country’s security situation in subsequent years.

The city was founded more than 4,000 years ago as a small port town on the Euphrates River. It grew into one of the largest cities of the ancient world under the rule of Hammurabi. Several centuries later, a new line of kings established a Neo-Babylonian Empire that spanned from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.