The ancient Mesopotamian city of Babylon was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List at a meeting of the council of that specialized agency of the United Nations in Baku.
This successfully ended years of lobbying by the Iraqi government.
Babylon, which is now an archaeological site, is the sixth location on the territory of Iraq that has been placed on the UNESCO list.
Iraqi President Barham Salih said that the city of Babylon has returned to its rightful place, "after Iraqi leaders neglected the issue for years."
Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi welcomed the news.
"Mesopotamia is the true foundation of human memory and the cradle of civilization in recorded history," he said.
Mahdi added that the government will provide additional funds for the conservation of the city's archaeological site on the Euphrates River.
Babylon, located 85 kilometers south of Baghdad, was once the center of powerful empires, and its famous hanging gardens were one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Today it is reduced to the remains of walls built of clay bricks, and only the reconstructed Ishtar Gate, the eighth gate to the inner city of Babylon, and some sculptures such as the famous Babylonian lion are better preserved.
The remains of the ancient city are located on an area of ten square kilometers, Hina agency reports.
Bonus video:
