From a modest settlement on the banks of the Euphrates to one of the most celebrated cities of the ancient world, Babylon experienced centuries of conquest, destruction, revival, and imperial glory. Its history was shaped by ambitious kings, powerful armies, monumental building projects, religious traditions, and the constant struggle for control of Mesopotamia. Under Hammurabi, Babylon became the center of a major kingdom, while more than a thousand years later Nebuchadnezzar II transformed the city into the magnificent capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.