Etemenanki (Tower of Babel)

Etemenanki ("House of the foundation of heaven on earth") was a massive ziggurat dedicated to Marduk in ancient Babylon [1] [2]. Its origins may date to Hammurabi's reign (1792-1750 BC), though major reconstruction occurred under Nabopolassar and Nebuchadnezzar II in the 7th-6th centuries BC [1] [2]. The structure measured approximately 91 metres square at its base across seven terraces, with a cedar-roofed temple at the summit [1]. In 323 BC, Alexander the Great deployed 10,000 soldiers to clear the ruins for rebuilding, but his death that same year left the project abandoned [1] [2]. Robert Koldewey began archaeological excavations in 1913, confirming the ground dimensions [1].