The Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Seven Ancient Wonders of the World

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are perhaps the most interesting of the seven wonders of the ancient world, because nobody is completely sure if or where they existed.  

The gardens were said to have been composed of several floors, rising 75 feet above the Euphrates river. An innovative irrigation system drew water from the river up to the highest levels of the gardens, which featured a waterfall, marble pillars, staircases and terraces, trees and a diverse collection of botanical plants. 

All surviving historical accounts of the gardens are second hand, and written hundreds of years after the assumed destruction of the gardens. Through many generations of oral history, the common belief was that the ancient structure was built by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon for his wife, who missed the lush mountains of her home. 

However, Oxford archeologist and Mesopotamian specialist, Dr. Stephanie Dalley, believes that the legends which refer to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are in truth referencing King Sennacherib of Assyria’s gardens, which were much more well documented, 300 miles north of Babylon.

Other theories propose that they did exist, but not in Babylon. Rather, they were constructed in Assyria, and the confusion about their location is due to translation errors through the years. 

Dalley’s theory echoes this; arguing that they were really the Hanging Gardens of Nineveh, on the River Tigris, near modern Mosul. Recent excavations in Mosul have uncovered an advanced aqueduct system as well as a large bronze screw, which could have assisted in lifting water to the gardens. 

As excavations continue in Mosul, much more convincing evidence could be found, solidifying the existence of one of the most mysterious architectural wonders of the ancient world.

Bibliography 

Hanging Gardens Existed, but not in Babylon  

The Hanging Gardens Of Babylon Were Real, But They Weren't In Babylon