Babylon's Ishtar Gate, decorated with images of dragons and aurochs, is a replica -- the original is part of a reconstruction in Berlin's Pergamon Museum
Protected symbol —
Concertina wire left behind by the U.S. military is used to prevent visitors from climbing over a 2,500-year-old lion statue -- an ancient symbol of the city.
Reconstruction —
Iraqi archaeologist Hai Katth Moussa said that during a massive reconstruction project in the early 1980s, Saddam Hussein began building a replica of the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II on top of the ruins of the ancient palace.
Saddam's mark —
Like Nebuchadnezzar, Saddam Hussein wrote his name on many of the bricks, with inscriptions such as: "This was built by Saddam, son of Nebuchadnezzar, to glorify Iraq".
Modern ruins —
Visitors can enter Saddam Hussein's marble-lined palaces, still a novelty 10 years after the dictator's downfall.
Dictator's home —
After the Gulf War, Saddam Hussein began building the modern palace for himself on top of ruins in the style of a Sumerian ziggurat.
History under threat —
Only 2% of the ancient city has been excavated, but those buried historical treasures are threatened by encroaching development.
