Cuneiform was the written language of the Babylonians. Cuneiform was a set of symbols that represented words rather than letters, like we have in our present day alphabet. They wrote on tablets made of clay, using a wedge shaped instrument. People who could write had power in this ancient civilization and were able to become priests, scribes, and tradespeople. Cuneiform was very complicated and took years to learn.
A clay tablet with cuneiform writing on it
The Babylonians believed in many gods and goddesses. They had many religious festivals, some were tied into their farming year so Babylonians could ask for good crops. Each city in Babylonia had a ziggurat that was used as a temple. The ziggurat had to be the biggest and best tower in the city.
Babylonian ziggurats were a place of worship
Babylon was a beautiful city. One of the main features of Babylon was its "Hanging Gardens". Originally, when the Queen was missing the mountains from her hometown, the King ordered for a great construction to be built. On the different levels of the ziggurat, were many types of plants to create the illusion of a mountain. The Hanging Gardens were magnificent and to this day they are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world!
The Hanging Gardens of Babylonia on a ziggurat
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