Babylonian week-end (part 1)
The week-end came and went in a flash.
On Friday evening we went to see the exhibition “Babylon: myth and reality” at the British Museum.
It was small but interesting, and it covered both the history of the city with a number of archaeological finds and the myths of the Tower of Babel and of the Hanging Gardens. Other interesting sections were dedicated to the Babylonian captivity (of the Jews) and to the legacy of Babylonian culture and science.
I really enjoyed the paintings and drawings inspired by the Tower (and Babylon itself) from the Middle Ages to present times.
In the last room a video showed how Saddam Hussein used Babylon for his propaganda and how he and later the American troops damaged the ancient site.
The only criticism I have is that the rooms were too cramped; even with timed tickets, in places you couldn’t move.
No pictures were of course allowed inside the exhibition so here are a few of the Great Courtyard and of some interesting pieces of modern art, installed in the museum.
