City on the Euphrates river and the most important religious and cultural center of ancient Mesopotamia. Probably founded in the mid-3rd millennium BC, it was the capital of an Amorite dynasty from about 1895 BC, the best-known ruler being Hammurabi, until it was destroyed by the Hittites in 1595 BC. It was the capital of a Kassite dynasty from 1570 until 1158 BC, when it was sacked by the Elamites. Babylon was subsequently ruled by a series of short-lived Aramaean and Chaldean dynasties under Assyrian dominance, until its independence was restored in 626 BC. Nebuchadnezzar (c.600 BC) rebuilt the city, which became the largest in the world, covering 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) with a population of over 100,000, defended by a massive double wall on both sides of the Euphrates. The most famous buildings in Babylon date from this period, including the ziggurat of Marduk (the Tower of Babel) and the Ishtar Gate. The Hanging Gardens may have been part of one of the two palace complexes. Babylon was captured by the Persians in 539 BC and a revolt in 482 BC led to the destruction of its ancient temples and fortifications.