The ziggurat Esagila, dedicated to the god Marduk, symbolized a celestial connection and was associated with ascension.
Included processions of god statues, a recitation of the Enuma Elish, temple rites at the Esagila, the king's humbling (stripped and then reinstated), sacrifices and feasts.
Statues of gods from temples in Babylon and nearby cities were brought to the Esagila, Marduk's temple.
The statue was then brought back to the Esagila, completing the cycle of renewal.
Esagila, in Babylon, was Marduk's main temple and the centre of the Akitu festival.
Many of the festival's key rituals took place in Esagila, including the recitation of the "Enuma Elish," the ritual humiliation and restoration of the king, and other ceremonies.
It was an essential part of the Esagila complex and symbolized the link between heaven and earth.