I explored Saddam Hussein’s abandoned palace, perched right above the ancient ruins of Babylon. It’s a surreal, haunting juxtaposition: a 20th-century monument of ego overlooking the 4,000-year-old cradle of civilization. The site is controversial because Saddam actually destroyed parts of the original ruins to make room for this palace. He even had his name stamped into the new bricks used to rebuild the ancient walls. Visiting Iraq with bilweekend #Babylon #Iraq #visitiraq #travelvlog #katieca