Babylon was a city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kms south of Baghdad. In 1983, Saddam Hussein started rebuilding the city on top of the old ruins. When the Gulf War ended, Saddam wanted to build a modern palace, also over some old ruins; it was made in the pyramidal style of a Sumerian ziggurat. He named it Saddam Hill. The provincial government of Babil has reopened the site to tourism.