Hanging Gardens of Babylon Facts

According to historians, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built some 500 years before Christ was born. Although the impact of various earthquakes vanished the gardens, it is still considered as one of the most popular Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. History would tell us a lot of things about this great structure if it could talk. Unfortunately, history can't speak, but facts can, so if you are a history lover and are fascinated by man's creation of the ancient times, let's educate ourselves with some cool facts about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon Information

A lot of discussion has taken place on the geographical location of the Hanging Gardens, majority of historians claim that the gardens were built on the eastern banks of the river Euphrates which is now in the southern side of Iraq's capital, Baghdad. The most influential Babylonian ruler was King Hammurabi, who is also regarded as one of the greatest kings in history. Under his rule, the kingdom of Babylon flourished and became one of the most powerful kingdoms known at that time. Now the creator of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was his son Nebuchadrezza. He built the gardens to please his wife Amytis of Media. She had gotten homesick and used to really long for mountainous regions and lush greenery which was a rare sight in Babylon those days. Many stories claim that the Hanging Gardens went hundreds of feet in the air, however, recent archaeological explorations have denied this. The gardens were not hanging nor were suspended in air, they got the name "Hanging" because they were built on a terrace. According to ancient Greek and Persian philosophers, the outer walls of the garden were 80 feet thick and they were reaching to a height of 320 feet and 56 miles in length. The inside of the gardens was filled with solid statues of solid gold and had areas that could accommodate almost any size tree.

More Facts for Knowledge

Though it is regarded as one of man's best creations, unfortunately, the rich history of the Hanging Gardens is up for dispute. Lack of evidence supporting its existence has started archaeologists thinking whether this wonder of the ancient world ever existed or no. This topic has its equal share of supporters and protesters. Here are some more interesting facts:

• There are many theories which are attached as to who built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The two strongest contenders are Queen Semiramis (810 to 783 BC) and the King of Babylon - Nebuchadrezzar (605 to 562 BC). However, there are not enough facts to support both the claims, but most people believe the King Nebuchadnezzar story.
• King Nebuchadnezzar is world-famous for his role in the Bible. According to the Holy Bible, it was Nebuchadnezzar who sent the Jews into exile and conquered Judah and Jerusalem.
• As I've mentioned before the gardens were located near the banks of river Euphrates. According to some recently discovered facts historians say that, The Hanging Gardens were actually located on the banks of the river Tigris in the city of Nineveh.
• To make sure that the plants and trees in the gardens had enough water something similar to an Archimedes screw was used to make sure that water reached to the plants.
• Historians have founded tablets belonging to the Nebuchadnezzar reign and not a single tablet amongst them has said anything about the Hanging Gardens. This discovery greatly emphasizes the fact that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are just a mere fact and not a reality.
• It's always said that this marvelous structure was destroyed by an earthquake, but many historians don't support this theory. They believe that the structure was not given the maintenance it deserved and due to various conditions like weather and regional wars, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon had been leveled to the ground.

So these were some interesting Hanging Gardens of Babylon facts, and I hope you enjoyed reading them. It's really amazing that people used to build such amazing structures even when there was no technology and industries for support.