"One project mitigates groundwater damage to the north retaining wall of the Ishtar Gate. The second is a restoration of the Temple of Ninmakh, dedicated to the Sumerian mother goddess. The team hopes there will be an official reopening for the temple this autumn, after which it will be available for gatherings such as weddings and concerts, as well as for the Babylon Festival, a celebration of international cultures that takes place every spring."
"(The US embassy cancelled funding for a planned walkway spanning the site of the Ishtar Gate in July due to budget cuts.) The completion of these two projects coincides with a boom in tourism. Even in the midday heat, when tour guides refuse to emerge from their office, visitors from Romania, Russia and Iran enthusiastically explore attractions including the largely intact Lion of Babylon, the processional way and the museum next to a reconstructed Ishtar Gate."
Two World Monuments Fund projects in Babylon address groundwater damage to the north retaining wall of the Ishtar Gate and restore the Temple of Ninmakh, dedicated to the Sumerian mother goddess. The temple restoration is expected to reopen this autumn for events including weddings, concerts and the Babylon Festival. Largely funded by the US embassy in Baghdad, the work is part of the 15-year Future of Babylon Project to document, waterproof and stabilise structures across the 2,500-acre site. Visitor numbers have risen markedly, with notable foreign interest at sites such as the Lion of Babylon and the reconstructed Ishtar Gate, despite ongoing infrastructure and security challenges.
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