A weathered basalt sculpture of a lion standing over a prone human figure, the Lion of Babylon is one of the few major pieces that has remained in the city itself rather than being carted off to a museum. It is thought to date to the time of Nebuchadnezzar II, though some scholars suggest it may be older — perhaps a Hittite work brought as plunder.
The statue sits on a modest plinth in the open air, near the northern edge of the ruins. The sculpting is rough by Mesopotamian standards, the face of the lion eroded almost flat, but it remains one of the most photographed objects on the site and a fixture of every guided tour.