A joint Iraqi-German mission has completed the excavation of a previously hidden branch of the Processional Way in ancient Babylon. This specific route was used exclusively during the Akitu Festival, the Babylonian New Year celebrated during the spring equinox. The pathway is lined with glazed bricks depicting hybrid mythical creatures and leads to a newly discovered 'House of Prayers' where the king would undergo a ritual of humiliation before the god Marduk.
Inscriptions found along the limestone pavers detail the logistical coordination required for the 12-day festival, including the movement of divine statues from nearby cities. The discovery sheds light on how the Akitu served not only as a religious event but as a powerful political tool to reinforce the social contract between the Mesopotamian monarchy and the divine order.