The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the "Seven Wonders of the World" structures chosen by the ancient Greek mathematician Philon.
Gardens floating in the air? !
you might think so, but it is actually a garden built on a high terrain.
Were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon built in reality?
In that sense, it is one of the seven wonders of the ancient Greek world.
If they were actually built, it would be quite a feat.
But was such the hanging garden ever really built?
What are the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are said to have been built in the ancient city of Babylonia in the Mesopotamian civilization.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon had gardens on several levels of anything, and they were planted with trees and plants.
They were also built of mud bricks to resemble large green mountains.
According to legend, Nebuchadnezzar II, king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, built it for his wife.
To learn more about Nebuchadnezzar II,
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Nebuchadnezzar II who was the most famous king of Neo-Babylonian Empire carried out the Babylonian Captivity and so on. What kind of person was he?
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Oh, so much green! It reminds me of my hometown...
It seems that the wife of Nebuchadnezzar II missed her hometown and Nebuchadnezzar II decided to heal her sentiment, so
Okay, let's build the Hanging Gardens!
He decided it.
This is the reason why the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built.
These stories about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are told by the Babylonian priest Berossos.
From here, the story of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon begins.
Hypothesis and Rationale
Although called the Hanging Gardens of "Babylon", their actual location has not been determined.
There are also no historical documents or evidence regarding the hanging gardens.
In this context, there are three hypotheses.
- A mythical fantasy theory, further deluded by subsequent ancient Greek and Roman writers.
- If they actually existed in Babylon, they were suddenly destroyed
- Confused with the gardens of the Assyrian king Sennacherib
And five of them described something about the gardens of Babylon.
They even mention the following:
- Scale of the aerial garden
- Overall design
- Water supply method
- Purpose of construction
Only the important points are summarized below.
It was irrigated* with water from the nearby Euphrates River. The irrigation technology was also excellent. The reason for its construction was the queen's nostalgia for her homeland.
*Irrigation is the process of creating canals to draw the necessary water for the fields and to moisten the land.
Allegations about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
It is not known whether Nebuchadnezzar II, the king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, really built the Hanging Gardens in the first place.
The following are three allegations.
- No mention of Nebuchadnezzar II's wife (or other wives)
- Numerous records of the king's business ventures, but none about the gardens
- Herodotus' book "History," which mentions Babylon, but no mention of the Hanging Gardens
Thus, there is no archaeological evidence of any kind.
Hypothetically, there might be evidence under the Euphrates River, but it would be absurd to safely excavate under the river.
Could the priest Berossos have borrowed the legend from somewhere else for political reasons?
Some people believe that this is the case.
The most likely place is Nineveh.
Nineveh is the capital of Assyria.
Nineveh was attacked and Assyria was finally destroyed.
To learn more about the history of Assyria,
7 facts of Assyrian definition in World history
Assyria that built the world empire including Mesopotamia, Syria, and Egypt. How did the Assyria, which conquered the entire Orient, perish?
Please refer to this article.
Hanging Gardens of Nineveh Theory
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, built the Hanging Gardens within his palace.
The vast gardens of the palace were mistaken for those that existed in Babylon?
There is the theory that this is the case.
- A vast water supply system was excavated at Nineveh.
- There is evidence of a water supply project through Sennacherib's inscription.
- Sennacherib's grandson left a sculptural mural depicting an overgrown garden on the palace wall
- His grandson also built a screw to pump water to the garden and left a painting of it in motion.
This is all the more evidence for Sennacherib.
If the hanging gardens of Nineveh are true, they are an advanced and amazing irrigation technique.
Because the extended length of the canal is over 50 km.
My water supply system is awesome.
Sennacherib himself is also proud of the technology used to realize the water supply system.
The number of stones used for the water gate that automatically discharges water and the huge aqueduct is over 2 million.
It can be expected to have been quite an extensive building.
I am the king of the world and the king of Assyria. Over a great distance I have built a waterway. Gathering several waters, the canal reaches to the outskirts of Nineveh.
It is written in his inscription.
Sennacherib's dream is now here
He was able to draw water to the gardens on high because he drew water from higher mountains.
This allowed him to create a garden much higher than the ground, and he planted a large tree on the topmost terrace.
The view must have been a wonderful, artistic vista.
I built something wonderful for all people.
His words, "I built something wonderful for all people," were no exaggeration.
Sennacherib was the only king of Mesopotamia to record his love for his wife.
It has not been decided that Sennacherib built the Babylonian Gardens, but is it not highly likely that a king with a humanistic episode in this ancient age built them?
There are still numerous other histories of Mesopotamian civilization.
To learn more about the history of Mesopotamian civilization,
6 features of Mesopotamian civilization summary
The Mesopotamian civilization is considered the oldest in the world. I explain the flow of history and the characteristics of the civilization!
Please also read this article.