Babylon

The city of Babylon is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Located alongside the Euphrates River in modern-day Iraq, its monumental ruins recall the history of Mesopotamia, the ancient Near East, and the Biblical Old Testament, nestled in the region that is considered the cradle of civilization.

In the winter of 2009, the World Monuments Fund invited CyArk to digitally document the Ishtar Gate and Nabu-Sha-Khari Temple in Babylon in order to produce an accurate record of their current condition. CyArk partnered with Germany-based Christofori und Partner to complete the laser scanning and HDR photography capture. During the field documentation, the process also included the introduction of the technology to the staff of the Iraq State Board of Heritage and Antiquities.

After leaving Iraq, the data collected at Babylon was processed and used to create a complete photo-textured point cloud model, architectural drawings for conservation, as well as virtual tours. In the fall of 2010, CyArk hosted two staff members from the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage for a 10-day intensive training workshop. During the workshop the Iraqis received hands-on training in using a laser scanner, capturing HDR panoramas, and post-processing the 3D data. The workshop also included training on the use of CyArk's Site Manager database and the creation of detailed brick-by-brick elevations of Ishtar Gate.