90 km south of the capital of Iraq, Baghdad, are the ruins of ancient Babylon - once a majestic city, the capital of a world empire. It reached its peak in the 7th century BC during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II. According to the testimonies of ancient authors, by order of the king, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built in the city, the secrets of which are still being debated by scientists today.
Dynastic marriage
Nebuchadnezzar II ruled all of Asia Minor and the northern part of Egypt. The main opponents of Babylon in the struggle for dominance in the Ancient East was Assyria. To subdue her, Nebuchadnezzar enlisted the support of the Median king Cyaxares. In accordance with the terms of their military treaty, Princess Amitis of Media became the wife of the ruler of Babylon.
It was for her that one of the ancient wonders of the world was later created - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Even by modern standards, it was a grandiose project that required impressive financial investments andattracting a huge number of workers. However, the question involuntarily begs: “Why the gardens of Babylon, and not the gardens of Amitis?”.
Legendary Shamiram
In the 9th century BC, Assyria was ruled by a queen - an unprecedented case in the history of the Ancient East, and not only it. Her name was Shamiram (in the Greek translation of Semiramis). In ancient texts, the foundation of Babylon is attributed to her, and her image has absorbed many features of the goddess Ishtar. Be that as it may, but today only one thing is known for certain: Shamiram (Semiramide) really existed and for some time reigned alone in Assyria. Traditionally, although erroneously, one of the famous wonders of the world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, is associated with her name in history.
Works of ancient authors
The unique park, arranged in Babylon, already in antiquity won many enthusiastic descriptions. Mentions of him are found in the writings of Greek, Babylonian and Roman historians. The most complete description of the gardens was made by Herodotus in his work "History". He visited Babylon in the 5th century BC, that is, approximately 200 years after the Hanging Gardens were arranged here by order of Nebuchadnezzar.
Besides Herodotus, other ancient authors also visited the city: Strabo, Berossus, Diodorus, etc. Thanks to their work, today we can imagine what one of the seven wonders of the world looked like - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Revival of interest
Together with the fall of Babylon, all the achievements of the Mesopotamian civilization disappeared without a trace. For a long time, historians even doubted the existence of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, despite the mention of them in ancient manuscripts. However, their skepticism was replaced by a new surge of interest after the excavations of Robert Koldewey, who discovered the Ishtar Gate and the Tower of Babel.
He led a German archaeological expedition since 1899 made a number of sensational discoveries. Since that time, the hanging gardens have again become the subject of research by scientists around the world.
Koldewey's hypothesis and modern interpretation
Once, during the excavations of the Southern Palace, a German archaeologist discovered 14 mysterious arched chambers. Koldewey insisted that they served as the foundation of the hanging gardens. Here, according to the archaeologist, there were devices that raised water up. Today, many scholars believe that these were either warehouses or a prison.
Ancient Greek authors claimed that the gardens were in close proximity to the Tower of Babel. Based on this, Koldewey decided that they should be looked for in the center of the city, not far from the temple and the royal residence. However, the Southern Palace was located too far from the Euphrates, and there was not enough space for gardens.
For this reason, modern researchers believe that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were located near the city wall, much closer to the river. This is indirectly confirmed by Strabo, who wrote that with the help of a pump, water from the Euphrates was raised all day to the gardens.
Assyrian trace
Discussion aboutThe exact location of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon is still underway. For example, there is another theory according to which they were not in Babylon, but in Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. In the 8th century BC, it was a huge city that rivaled Babylon in size and splendor. Because of the love of its inhabitants for gardening, some scholars believe that the second wonder of the world was in Nineveh. Confirmation, in their opinion, is the surviving relief depicting gardens, which adherents of the "Assyrian" theory consider the gardens of Babylon. However, most scientists still adhere to the traditional version.
Royal gift
Becoming the wife of Nebuchadnezzar, Amitis settled in Babylon, surrounded by endless sands. She quickly yearned for the lush gardens, forests and streams of her homeland. Then the king decided to make a gift to his wife by arranging a real Median garden on the banks of the Euphrates. To carry out his plan, Nebuchadnezzar hired the best engineers and builders of his time.
In the meantime, they arranged a platform for the future garden, an expedition set off to Ecbatana, the capital of the Median kingdom, located at an altitude of 1800 m, where the climate is cool and humid. The path was not close. Ecbatana (today it is northern Iran) was 500 km from Babylon.
About 200 species of trees were selected for the return journey through the desert, including pomegranates and palms, as well as rare flowers. The caravan escorts had to constantly water the plants throughout the trip.
Constructionwork
According to Diodorus, the garden measured 123 x 123 m. It was built on a water-resistant platform, which, in turn, rested on a foundation consisting of numerous platforms. There was a terrace where trees could be grown, and above it several others. To build the roofs of these galleries, a thick layer of reeds, bitumen, as well as clay bricks and cement were used.
Strabo, who visited Babylon in the first century BC, compiled a detailed description of how the gardens' water system worked. The pumps rose to the topmost tier, as well as diagonally on each terrace. They were probably powered by beasts of burden. The pipes moved huge volumes of water, which created artificial waterfalls, and then flowed through a network of aqueducts, giving life to plants.
What the gardens looked like
Their description can be found in one of the works of the same Diodorus. He wrote that one entrance led to the gardens, the terraces - the widest steps - were arranged in tiers one above the other. In front of each was a gallery supported by stone pillars.
But the interior decoration of the gardens was even more magnificent than the exterior. According to ancient descriptions, numerous premises were located there, and in the very center a large platform with a pool was arranged. It was illuminated by the sun, the rays of which penetrated through the roof.
Grown in the dry and hot climate of Babylon, the trees and flowers captured everyone's imagination with theirsplendor. For this reason, they were counted among the miracles, which traditionally numbered seven in antiquity. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are second on this list, right behind the pyramid of Cheops.
There have been many reconstructions of Babylon in the past. Of course, all photos of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are the fruit of the imagination of artists, who were based on the descriptions of ancient authors. With the development of computer graphics, Babylon was recently recreated in all its splendor, as you can see by watching the following video.
Empire's End
The ancient Greeks made a list of the most impressive, in their opinion, architectural structures. It consisted of seven wonders, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were quite naturally included in it.
With all its power, Babylon, however, could not exist forever. In 539 the city was conquered by the Persians. Everything was burned to the ground, neither the Tower of Babel nor the hanging gardens escaped the common fate. Cyrus the Great ordered Babylon to be razed to the ground. All his luxury perished in the flames of a devastating fire. In the end, the ruins of the city were covered with sand, and they were lost for many centuries.
