Babylon was one of the most important cities of the Middle East. It was the capital of the eponymous Kingdom, founded circa 2300 BCE and was most important from roughly the 19th to 6th century BCE, when it was the capital of its independent state. After this period, it was under control of numerous empires, until it finally fell to absolute ruin sometime after its conquest by Muslim armies. At some points in history (ca. 1770 – 1670 BCE and  612 – 320 BCE) it is estimated to have been the largest city in the world, and perhaps the first city to have more than 200,000 inhabitants. It was home to, among others, the Hanging Gardens, one of the seven ancient World Wonders, and the famous Ishtar Gate. Today, its remains lie in present Iraq, 85 kms south of Baghdad. They consist of a large tell of mud bricks and debris, and some reconstructions of the old city built on top of these ruins. During his visits to the site, Schultz mostly photographed the ruins and some of the surrounding area.

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