Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Hanging Gardens of Babylon, fabled gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, in the ancient city of Babylon, Iraq. It was reported by ancient historians to have been located on the east side of the river Euphrates, about 90 km (56 mi) south of Baghdad. King Nebuchadnezzar II (reigned 605-562 bc) is thought to have built them during his reign to please his wife, Amyitis, who missed the green, mountainous surroundings of her homeland of Media.

The gardens did not literally hang, but the plants and trees overhung from a large artificial mountain of terraces constructed from mud bricks and stone, with stone columns for support. Fountains and exotic plants were (reputedly) to be seen there, and water from the river travelled up into the gardens to form streams for irrigation, probably by slaves operating some form of a pump. Reports vary widely, but the gardens were probably around 37 sq m (400 sq ft) in area, and towered up to 23 m (75 ft) high.

Despite widespread belief, there is no conclusive proof that the gardens ever actually existed, and no Babylonian reference to them exists, although tablets describing the city, its palace and walls survive. Records of the gardens come from Greek historians, including Strabo and Diodorus Siculus (although none of these ancient historians ever actually saw them), who are said to have described them second-hand after hearing stories from soldiers who had returned from the city.

In 1899, during excavations of the entire city, German archaeologist Robert Koldewey discovered the foundations of a vaulted building, which had an irrigation well nearby. This prompted archaeologists to reconstruct the building as the gardens, although historical accounts put them nearer to the Euphrates. The exact location of the gardens is still the source of much debate.