at a glance

the community started to take shape at the beginning of the xx century, when soldiers serving on the nearby military post on the morro do leme started to build shacks.

later, in the 30's, more people migrated into this area during the construction of the tunnel joining copacabana to botafogo, and when large condominiums started to be built in the nearby neighborhoods.

some say the name of this favela is due to the first military occupants comparing the area, surrounded by the forest and by the sea, to the hanging gardens of babylon - others, say that the favela was named after a beer named 'babilônia' that was being sold in a bar on rua gustavo sampaio, near the entrance to the favela.