the babylon festival for internation arts and cultures is held each year in the ancient city of babylon which is about 85 kilometres south of baghdad ever since the first festivah in 1987 the event has attracted many excellent groups from all regions of iraq and all over the world they come to perform many types of music especially folk music musical theatre opera and ballet famous wriers and poets come to discuss and read their works and there are many lectures and seninars hegp on a wide range of literary artistic cultural and archaeological topics the festival has become apopular media event in print and on television and on the internet by a very wide audience the beautiful and historic city of babylon is the perfect venue for this kind of international festival there are three main theatres all equipped with modern sound and lighting equipment recording and transmission systems and the best facilities for the artists to use to prepare for their performances the babylonian theatre is the biggest amphitheatre in the city and has kept its ancient atmosphere the al ansh throne auditorium is the largest hall in historical babylon it was once the administrative centre of the babylonian empire used to receive kings and victorious military leaders  ninimach temple hall was once the private temple of ninimach the great lady of the heavens who used to worship there it is now used for some of the smaller but very high quality performances in the festival.