The Hanging Gardens of Babylon…?

There are only seven Ancient Wonders of the World. It’s an exclusive group, and somehow, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon wormed their way into this clique despite the mystery surrounding its existence. Historians and archaeologists still debate on whether or not these gorgeous gardens were real, with minimal texts being the only supporting evidence. Even then, there are arguments on whether or not they were a popular fable or exaggeration of the beautiful scenery that Babylon was known for.

While most famous in the modern world for potentially having had the hanging gardens, Babylon was also the capital of southern Mesopotamia (also known as Babylonia) for a millennium (~2000 - 1000 BCE), and the capital of the Neo-Babylonian (or Chaldean) Empire for a century (~700-600 BCE). Many of Babylon’s ruins still remain, and can be found in an area south of Baghdad, Iraq’s capital.

Despite the lack of potential structures remaining from the gardens, there are other pieces of architecture leftover from the ancient civilization, making it seem artistically plausible that this city could have held a wonder of the world. The most well known would be Ishtar Gate, a double brick wall more than 12 metres tall that guarded the main entrance into Babylon. The brick was coloured a rich blue, decorated with glazed brick reliefs that created images of dragons, bulls, and lions, with a total estimated number of 700 animals on the entirety of the gate.

This was supposedly one of the inspirations for Nebuchadnezzar II when creating the gardens. Nebuchadnezzer II was Babylon’s greatest king who reigned from 605-562 BCE after inheriting the Chaldean Empire from his father, who founded it after conquering the Assyrian Empire. The Ishtar Gate was built in 575 BCE, serving as motivation for Nebuchadnezzer II in his quest to make his capital the most beautiful city in the world.

The idea to have hanging gardens was likely due to the popularization of gardens beginning in the Fertile Crescent (a crescent shaped section in the Middle East) and spreading across the Mediterranean during Nebuchadnezzar II’s reign. Rather than just being a place for agriculture, higher class individuals began creating gardens for the aesthetic as a show of their wealth.

The Hanging Gardens would’ve been the ultimate display of grandeur, described by Greek historian Diodorus Siculus to be 20 metres tall. They are commonly depicted to have been situated on the rooftops of a ziggurat, with greenery spilling over the sides. Strabo, an ancient Greek geographer, described stairs scattered through to reach different levels of the gardens, and Diodorus Siculus, a Greek historian, wrote in the 1st century BCE that the terraces were built on pillars and lined with bricks.

Most notable is the irrigation system, which was detailed by Strabo and praised extensively for its ingenuity. Potential evidence of this was found by German archaeologist Robert Klodewey, who found a series of chambers and vaults in Babylon’s palace. It is hypothesized that one of those vaults could have contained a well connected to a chain pump, which would have assisted in watering the gardens.

However, there are also theories that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were not in fact, in Babylon, if the gardens ever existed at all. Most popularly, historians argue that they could have been instead located in Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Both locations are in Iraq, though present day Nineveh is near Mosul, which is several hundred kilometres away from Baghdad and therefore Babylon, when both still existed.

Research that has looked into the ‘Hanging Gardens of Nineveh’ suggests a different structure with the gardens situated in a sort of slope to imitate a mountain landscape, potentially using an Archimedes screw to water the greenery. This would’ve been revolutionary for the time, as Archimedes was born around 287 BCE, and the Assyrian gardens are presumed to have been built by King Sennacherib, who lived from 705 or 704–681 BCE.

Both irrigation systems would’ve been novel for the time period, and both of the gardens are presumed to hold the same grandeur and splendor. Regardless of their location, and despite the debates of their existence, the fact that thousands of years ago humans were capable of such craftsmanship and technology is a testament to our innovation and appreciation for the arts, something that holds true for all 14 Wonders of the World, ancient and modern.

Cartwright, Mark. “Hanging Gardens of Babylon.” World History Encyclopedia, Mark

Cartwright, 27 July 2018, www.worldhistory.org/Hanging_Gardens_of_Babylon/.

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Hanging Gardens of Babylon | History & Pictures.”

Encyclopædia Britannica, 21 Feb. 2019, www.britannica.com/place/Hanging-Gardens-of-Babylon.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Ishtar Gate | Gate, Babylon, Mesopotamia.”

Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/topic/Ishtar-Gate.

Saggs, Henry. “Babylon | History, Religion, & Facts.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019,

www.britannica.com/place/Babylon-ancient-city-Mesopotamia-Asia.