Babylon: History, Former Names & Timeline
Ancient city on the Euphrates, capital of Hammurabi and Nebuchadnezzar II, where Alexander the Great died.
BabylonExplore Babylon in the interactive map
Former names of Babylon
| From | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 BC | Babylon | ‘gate of the gods’ |
Timeline of Babylon
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1792 BC | Hammurabi becomes king and later issues his law code (about this date) |
| 605 BC | Nebuchadnezzar II becomes king and builds the Ishtar Gate |
| 587 BC | Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the Judeans are deported to Babylon |
| 539 BC | Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon |
| 323 BC | Alexander the Great dies in Babylon |
| 305 BC | Seleucia is founded nearby and Babylon slowly declines (about this date) |
Who ruled Babylon
Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.
| Period | State |
|---|---|
| 500 BC–324 BC | Achaemenid Empire |
| 323 BC–301 BC | Empire of Alexander |
| 300 BC–2 BC | Seleucid Kingdom |
| 1 BC–399 | Parthian Empire |
| 400–499 | Persia |
| 500–699 | Sasanian Empire |
| 700–799 | Umayyad Caliphate |
| 800–999 | Abbasid Caliphate |
| 1000–1099 | Buwayhid Emirates |
| 1100–1199 | Seljuk Empire |
| 1200–1299 | Khwarazmian Empire |
| 1300–1399 | Ilkhanate |
| 1400–1491 | Timurid Empire |
| 1492–1599 | Emirate of the White Sheep Turks |
| 1600–1919 | Ottoman Empire |
| 1920–1944 | Mesopotamia (GB) |
| 1945–today | Iraq |
Battles and sites near Babylon
- Battle of al-Qadisiyyah · AD 636
- Battle of Karbala · AD 680
Landmarks in and around Babylon
BabylonRuins · 575 BC
Famous people of Babylon
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| c. 1810 BC – 1750 BC | Hammurabi | King of Babylon |
| c. 634 BC – 562 BC | Nebuchadnezzar II | King of Babylon |
| c. 600 BC – 530 BC | Cyrus the Great | Founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire |
| 550 BC – 486 BC | Darius I | King of Persia |
| 356 BC – 323 BC | Alexander the Great | King of Macedon |
Nearby cities
Further reading
Questions about Babylon
Which states have ruled Babylon?
On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Babylon lies within 17 different states: Achaemenid Empire, Empire of Alexander, Seleucid Kingdom, Parthian Empire, Persia, Sasanian Empire, Umayyad Caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate, Buwayhid Emirates, Seljuk Empire and others.
What are the key dates in the history of Babylon?
1792 BC: Hammurabi becomes king and later issues his law code (about this date). 605 BC: Nebuchadnezzar II becomes king and builds the Ishtar Gate. 587 BC: Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the Judeans are deported to Babylon. 539 BC: Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. 323 BC: Alexander the Great dies in Babylon.
Which famous people are connected with Babylon?
Hammurabi (king of babylon, c. 1810 BC – 1750 BC); Nebuchadnezzar II (king of babylon, c. 634 BC – 562 BC); Cyrus the Great (founder of the achaemenid persian empire, c. 600 BC – 530 BC); Darius I (king of persia, 550 BC – 486 BC); Alexander the Great (king of macedon, 356 BC – 323 BC).
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.