Babylon Chronicle

Detail of a Persian bowl depicting a man playing a musical instrument while sitting next to a woman holding a cup of wine. The bowl dates back to late 12th-early 13th century CE. The Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, DC. 

Ancient Mesopotamian clay tablet with Cuneiform writings. Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC.

Persian ceramic bowl, dating back to 10th-12th century CE. Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA.

A stone statue of Gudea, ruler of the Sumerian city of Lagash, dating back to 2120 BCE. This statue is one of twenty-seven statues of Gudea that are currently housed in several museums around the world. Louvre Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE.  

Persian octagonal bowl, dating back to 1150-1250 CE. Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA.

Detail of a temple wall from the Sumerian city of Uruk in Mesopotamia. The temple dates back to the late 15th century BCE, and it was dedicated to the Sumerian goddess Inanna-Ishtar. The Pergamon Museum, Berlin, GERMANY.

Persian ceramic bowl with animal patterns, dating back to 10th-12th century CE. Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA.

Clay nail, also known as foundation cone, with Cuneiform script dating back to 2150 BCE from the ancient Sumerian city of Lagash in southern Mesopotamia. Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC.

Assyrian sculpture of a bull hunt, dating back to the 9th century BCE. The alabaster bas-relief was discovered in the Assyrian city of Nimrud. The Pergamon Museum, Berlin, GERMANY.

Manuscript from an Arabic translation of De Materia Medica by Dioscorides. The document is from a copy by Abdallah ibn al-Fadl, dating back to 1224 CE during the late Abbasid era in medieval Mesopotamia. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, MA.

Persian stone plaque with Kufic inscription, dating back to 19th century CE. Kufic is the oldest calligraphic form of Arabic, and it was originated in Mesopotamia in late antiquity. Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, Sharjah, UAE.

The Babylonian striding lion, dating back to the era of king Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon (605-562 BCE). These famous bas-relief lions, housed in many museums around the world, were made from polychrome glazed bricks, and used to decorate the walls of the Processional Street and the royal palaces of Babylon. Pergamon Museum, Berlin, GERMANY.

Persian terracotta jar with birds, rosettes, and geometric patterns from Tepe Giyan, dating back to the Bronze Age around 1800-1500 BCE. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD.

Medieval Persian ceramic bowl with pigeons and inscription from the city of Kashan, dating back to the 13th century CE. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD.

Lusterware bowl from medieval Persia, dating back to 1100-1200 CE. Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA.

Persian ceramic bottle with flower-patterned motifs dating back to the 17th century CE. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD.

Detail of an Assyrian relief from the Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal II in the Assyrian capital city of Nimrud (883-859 BCE). The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD.