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Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
Today, I'm gonna give you guys a tour of Babylon!
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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Saddam was rebuilding it before our occupation.

Here's a view of the rebuilt gates, I dunno if he was ever going to bother rebuilding the entire surrounding city wall or not.
>> Anonymous
Oh, this is gonna be fresh.

Frankengun, thank you for rewarding those who step outside of /k/.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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>>67074
Yeah, well, /k/ is having some issues with tripfags atm, so I figured I'd visit other boards.

Pic: Here's the painted front gate of the city proper.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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This was as close as I could get to the rebuilt amphitheater.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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They wouldn't let us get out until we were inside the city proper, since we technically weren't supposed to be there.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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Ahem... I missed.

Anyway, we had to bribe the guards to get in. We took up a collection, and it ended up being around $200 and some soccer balls.

Pic is a view of Saddam's palace overlooking Babylon.

The story goes that he ate an olive from the local groves, and declared it to be the best he'd ever tasted.

So he built a house and started to rebuild Babylon.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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This is part of the market district he'd already nearly finished. More on this later.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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The palace was built on a hill, again overlooking the Tigris River and Babylon.

It had been home to a group of Marines for the first part of the war, until it was turned over to the interim government for preservation purposes.

Between then and now, just about everything of value had been stripped from it, except some gilt work too high up on the walls and ceiling to reach.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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Unfortunately, our first day in the area was less than fruitful, since some government aide bitch was there. She hated Americans and kicked us out.

So, we chilled out at the palace that day, and made plans to come back the next day, when she'd be off, and we could bribe her underlings without them getting into too much trouble.

Pic: View of Babylon's rebuilt market district and I think government offices.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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Closer view. You can see the amphitheater in the background.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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So, before we can tour the actual city grounds, let's take a look see at Saddam's palace, eh?
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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He was quite the narcissist.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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Closer view.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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I thought the place was rather beautiful, even though it was beat to shit.

I can only imagine what it might have looked like before.
>> Anonymous
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Have you been to Afghanistan too?
Pic related. Kabul in 2003
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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Awesome woodwork on the doorways.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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The foyer was even more impressive.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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This is what really piqued my interest.

I would kill for a floor like that.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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You could tell someone had been trying to knock down the chandelier.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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I would loved to have seen that marble clean and polished.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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The room was pretty damn big. There was one other upstairs that was about the same in floorspace, but not nearly as high.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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There were no lights further in, so a lot of the following pictures were taken in near-darkness, so please excuse the photo quality.
>> Anonymous
wow as a history major I really get off on this shit, good fucking job dude!
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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The next room of note contained this awesome stairwell.

It was sad to see it in such a state of disrepair.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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>>67105
No prob.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see this stuff for me, so I'm happy to share it.

Pic: Above the stairwell was this large brass (I think) wall hanging. It was either an angel or just some random woman, not real sure.

It was about 17 feet tall I believe.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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More of the broken stairwell.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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Across from the brass hanging on the second floor was this large mural.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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Up on one of the second story balconies. Below was Saddam's swimming pool.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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And a view of the Tigris from the roof.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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A small mural depicting the Lion of Babylon, the only surviving remnant of the Hanging Gardens.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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Saddam's bathroom.

Like all of the palace's bathrooms, it had been stripped of all electrical and plumbing fixtures.

Only the tub remained, for obvious reasons.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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Ceiling and chandelier in one of the upstairs bedrooms.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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Whoops again.

Skipping ahead, it started raining when we left.

We stayed the night at a nearby FOB, and were back out there again the next morning.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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So. We're back at the front gates of Babylon's city proper.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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Not meaning to camwhore hear, but this is the closest shot I have of the wall carvings on the gate.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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Here's the entrance to the marketplace.

I think this is part of the original ruins, but I'm not sure.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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More of the market...
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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I tried to get some good views of the carvings.
>> Anonymous
>>67123
Those aren't carvings.

Americans....
>> Anonymous
>>67100
LOL AND HE DID, AMIRITE?
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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One of the repeating themes was a lizard dog dragon thing.
>> Anonymous
>>67123
Is that guy in the middle trying to :3?
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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>>67129
Enlighten me.
>> Anonymous
>>67100
>I would kill for a floor like that.
lol Didn't you?
>>67123
Tits or GTFO.
>>67131
lolyes
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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>>67133
No, he had a harelip as a child.

He just looks like that.
>> Anonymous
>>67135
They look more like moulds -- they seem to be kind of plastered onto the wall, and the brick patterns chiseled in as an afterthought.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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>>67136
No.
>> Anonymous
I hope you get killed by a roadside bomb, baby-killer.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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>>67138
No, they were definitely bricks... Though they very well could have been made using molds.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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And now on to the "unimproved" section of the ruins.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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As you can see, a lot of work still needs to be done to finish the project.

I doubt that will be a priority for awhile though.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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And lastly, what we came to see.

The Lion of Babylon.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
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...and that's it.

Thank you for your time.
>> Anonymous
>>67159
Thanks to you! Come back again and share some more /trv/l pics. Enjoy IRL trolling Iraq.
>> Beans & Franks !!vZrsOgBb8FG
OP's a faggot.
>> Anonymous
>>67123

No swirlfaces?

Excellent set of pics, man. Hope you're back on /k/ soon.
>> Anonymous
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amidoinitrite?
>> Anonymous
.....are that a fucking bullet hole in the Lion?
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
>>67187
Doubtful.

A bullet hole would be more jagged, not worn smooth like that.
>> Anonymous
I support the troops when they mutiny and shoot their COs.
Also when they post cool pictures on the internet.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
>>67268
Erm... thanks?
>> Anonymous
I'm sorry if you take offense to this, but what happened to your hand in the first pic? You have only four fingers.
>> Anonymous
>>67456
fail, he has all 5 fingers. his pinkie finger is covering his ring finger
>> Anonymous
lol, gb2/k/ Frankengun, we need more decent tripfags like you in that shithole.
>> Anonymous
It looks like the lion is raping some dude. Moar plz.
>> Anonymous
>>67475
I hunger for early rule 34 as well
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
>>67471
I'm slowly reintegrating myself... but it's looking pretty grim.
>> Anonymous
>>67818

You got any more pictures from your "trip" to Iraq?
>> Anonymous
>>67138
They are relief carvings
>> Anonymous
Is it just me or is the lion of babylon having sex with a human missionary style?

It's a shame that such a historically significant part of the world has become such a shit hole. I guess at least the ruins aren't being built upon and destroyed anymore though.
>> Anonymous
>>68667
Ever since stability was lost in Iraq countless ancient treasures have been lost and destroyed.

It's not over, the Old World is burning.
>> PopularTripfagMaybe
See?

WAS a fatty-tan

IS a not fatty-tan now