Statue of Puzur-Ishtar, governor of Mari

Babylon rose to prominence in the eighteenth century B.C. when, through a combination of political alliances and military campaigns, Hammurabi (r. 1792–1750 B.C.) was able to unite a large state under his rule. A terracotta plaque shows a Mesopotamian king of this period in heroic pose, while finely made gold jewelry incorporating divine symbols gives some sense of the luxury metalwork of the period; some larger examples of sculpture like this one also survive. From this point on, Babylon would remain the most important city in southern Iraq (Babylonia) until the time of Alexander.