At present, 90 km from the modern capital of Iraq - Bogdad, there are the ruins of the ancient city of the East - Babylon. This city, as described in the Bible: "A great city ... a strong city" - was in the 9th-6th centuries BC the most beautiful and richest city of the Ancient East.

Rich temples, magnificent palaces, impregnable fortress walls with crenellated towers adorned it. But the most significant decoration was the Hanging Gardens. They, like a fabulous green hill, towered among the sun-scorched Mesopotamian desert plain.

The Greeks called them the second classic wonder of the world of the ancient world. To this day, information about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon from some ancient Greek scientists has been preserved. The ancient Greek traveler Strabo (“father of geography” - 64 BC - 19 AD), describing this fantastic building, referred to oral legends that existed 500 years ago.

The ancient Greek philosopher, writer Philo of Alexandria (25 BC - 50 AD), having studied the earliest information of ancient authors, and the surviving technical descriptions of hanging structures that existed in ancient times, for example, "Hanging Boulevard" on O. Cnidus also described the Hanging Gardens in Babylon.

About Queen Semiramis

The ancient Greek “father of history” Herodotus (5th century AD) and the ancient Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (first century AD) attributed the construction of the “Hanging Gardens” in Babylon to the Assyrian queen Shammuramat (gr. Semiramis - Semiramis), who ruled in Babylon in 810-782 BC e.

There were many legends about her life, one of them was told to us by Diodorus Siculus. In ancient times, the city of Ascalon existed in Syria, near which there was a deep lake. On its shore stood the temple of the Goddess Derketo. This Goddess was similar in appearance to a fish, but had a human head.

Aphrodite (for some unknown reason) became angry with her and made her fall in love with a beautiful mortal youth. Derketo had a daughter. Enraged by this unequal marriage, Derketo killed the young man and left the girl, hiding in the lake.

The girl grew up among a flock of pigeons: they warmed her with their wings, brought her milk in their beaks. By chance, the shepherds saw this beautiful child and took it to Simmas, the caretaker of the royal flocks. This kind man called her Semiramis (the Syrians mean "dove"), raised and raised her as her own daughter.

Years have passed. Once, Onnes, the first royal adviser, came to these parts on a business trip. Seeing this beautiful young girl, he fell in love, asked Simmas for her hand in marriage, married and took her to Nineveh. Onnis loved his wise, beautiful wife very much, he always consulted with her in everything. And success accompanied him.

Soon the king of Nineveh began a war with Batria. Despite his large, well-armed army, he was unable to capture the capital of this country. Then Onnis asked his beautiful wife to visit the battlefield. Having familiarized himself with the situation, Semiramis with volunteers suddenly attacked precisely the heavily fortified part of the city. Here, in her opinion, really was the weakest defense.

The city capitulated. Admired by the beauty, wisdom and courage of Semiramis, the king generously endowed her. And he began to persuade Onnis to voluntarily give her to him as a wife. When Onnis refused, the king threatened him with reprisals. Suffering from the love of his wife, and from the threats of the king, Onnis committed suicide.

Returning to Nineveh, the king married Semiramis. After the death of her husband, Semiramis inherited the throne, despite the fact that they had a son, Niny. Then one more of her talents was revealed - government. By her order, Babylon was surrounded by impregnable walls with towers. A bridge was built across the Euphrates River. A magnificent temple was erected in Bela. An underground tunnel was laid, through which water was brought from the distant mountain lakes from the capital. Through the ridges of the Zagrozskaya chain, a very convenient road was laid connecting Babylon with Lydia.

In Lydia, the capital Ektaban was built with a magnificent royal palace. The court of Semiramis was beautiful and fabulously rich. But her son Ninia was tired of an idle, inglorious life, and he organized a conspiracy against his mother. Semiramis, voluntarily renounced power, passing it to her son, turned into a dove and flew away to distant lands with a flock of doves.

Creating Hanging Gardens

Interestingly, the Greek writer Athenaeus of Naucratis (2nd century AD) described a more realistic version of the life of Semiramis. He wrote that at first it was an ordinary, unremarkable court lady at the court of the Assyrian king. But her extraordinary beauty charmed the king, and he married her. Semiramis persuaded her husband to give her power for only five days ...

On the very first day, she arranged magnificent feasts, attracted to her side the king's close associates, military leaders, dignitaries, and noble people. On the second day she sent her husband to prison, seized the throne and retained her power until her old age. During her reign, she accomplished many great deeds. Deodorus concludes that there are precisely such conflicting accounts by historians of the life of Semiramis. But still, it was a real historical figure.

But not on the orders of Semiramis, the "Hanging Gardens in Babylon" were built. Archaeological research has proven that they were created several centuries after her reign, and were dedicated to another, not at all legendary woman. However, until the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries, some historians generally believed that the Hanging Gardens in Babylon were nothing more than a beautiful legend, a fantasy of ancient authors.

But in 1899-1914, the German archaeologist Robert Koldewey, who had been excavating in Babylon for several years, found both the ruins of the Royal Palace and the remains of the four-tiered Terraces. So it was established that the Hanging Gardens were built in the 7th century BC, during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon (605-562 BC).

The history of the creation of these beautiful gardens is interesting. The king of Babylon (father of Nebuchadnezzar II) and the king of Media entered into a military alliance. And to strengthen it, Prince Nebuchadnezzar II and Princess Amiitis (daughter of the King of Media) got married. The young princess admired the grandeur, wealth and beauty of Babylon.

But soon, she began to miss the green, shady forests of her homeland in a stuffy and dusty city surrounded by impregnable stone walls. Having come to power, Nebuchadnezzar II ordered for his beloved wife to build a green oasis - "Hanging Gardens", which would remind her of her beloved homeland.

Hanging Garden Arrangement

Based on archaeological excavations, it has been established that the gardens were located on four-tiered artificial stepped terraces attached to the huge royal palace. Each terrace towered one above the other by 27-30 m. This allowed the plants to receive a lot of light for their good growth and development. The terraces supported high powerful colonnades that were located inside each floor.

Massive stone slabs served as the basis of the terraces. They were covered with a layer of reeds, poured with asphalt. Then, two layers of bricks were laid on a gypsum mortar (according to some sources, the brick was burned, according to others - unburned clay mixed with straw). Further, for reliable water resistance, a layer of sheet lead was laid. And then - such a layer of fertile land that not only shrubs and flowers could grow here, but also large trees with a powerful root system.

The terraces were connected by a wide, gentle staircase, the steps of which were polished slabs of pink and white stone. She walked along the wall of the royal palace to the very top. At the top, above the Hanging Gardens, there was a huge pool. In plan, the Gardens had square sides, approximately equal to 12 meters, their total area was about 15,000 m2.

From different countries of the world, trees and shrubs wrapped in wet matting were brought to Babylon on carts pulled by bulls. As well as seeds of various flowers and herbs. And beautiful flowers, trees of different species bloomed and fragrant in these fabulous gardens. Outlandish birds, imported from overseas countries, sang and chirped. Luxurious palm trees, plane trees and cypresses were planted between the columns, which rose high above the walls of the royal palace.

The aroma and coolness of these gardens was carried by a cool Northeast wind. And all this seemed like a fabulous miracle to the inhabitants of Babylon. This huge royal palace, along with the Hanging Gardens, was surrounded by impregnable walls - there was only one entrance gate.

It was like a fortress, inside an impregnable stronghold - Babylon. And only those invited by the king could get into this fairy-tale world. When a warm night came in Babylon, the king and his guests walked along the alleys of the garden. Hundreds of torches lit the paths of the gardens and enchanting music sounded.

Garden Watering System

There are three assumptions about how the water was collected and supplied to irrigate these gardens. First, water was supplied from the Euphrates River. Continuously, day and night, hundreds of slaves turned the water wheel with leather buckets, filling the huge upper pool.

The second - from deep wells, as Philo of Alexandria suggested, with the help of a pressure force created by a special device, through channels and spiral pipes, water was supplied to the upper pool. These channels and pipes were located in the piers and posts supporting the terraces. By the way, such deep wells were found by archaeologists at the beginning of the 20th century.

Thirdly, it is possible that water could also be collected at each level of terraces made of crushed stone (stone) heaps capable of condensing water from the air (their description is given in the article ""). After watering the plants, the excess water that remained in the upper pool flowed out onto the stones in small streams, sparkling in the sun's rays, forming fabulous cascades and waterfalls.

Conclusion

The Hanging Gardens are the most complex grandiose structure, which was served by thousands of slaves. They planted and cared for flowers, trees, cut bushes. Controlled the operation of the irrigation system. Torchbearers were responsible for lighting the gardens. For the guests of the king, invisible musicians performed enchanting melodies.

The ancient Greek historian Herodotus wrote that back in the 5th century BC. e. The Hanging Gardens at Babylon were in good condition. Later, in 331 BC. e. they were admired by Alexander the Great, who, having defeated the troops of the last Persian king Darius the third, decided to declare Babylon the capital of his "World Empire".

But his dream did not come true. According to legend, in June 323 BC. e., fleeing from the scorching sun in the chambers located in the lower tier of these gardens, he spent the last days of his life. And in a golden sarcophagus, his ashes were sent to the city he founded - Alexandria. Time… Inexorably fast flowing time gradually destroyed the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

After 2000 years, like the city of Babylon, they were finally destroyed by the floods of the Euphrates, during which the water of this river rose over 4 meters. Centuries have passed ... but even today the ruins of this ancient city speak of its former greatness. Arseny Tarkovsky dedicated the following lines to him:

"It's impossible to go back there,

and you can't tell.

How filled with bliss

this garden of paradise.

The second wonder of the world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, is a luxurious and unusual gift from the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar to his beloved wife. This is where he died. Hanging gardens delighted ancient travelers and to this day do not cease to excite the minds of modern people.

- the largest city of ancient Mesopotamia, the capital of the Babylonian kingdom in the XIX-VI centuries. BC e., cultural and shopping mall antiquity, which amazed contemporaries with its magnificence. Here was located the second wonder of the world - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

In Search of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Time has destroyed the hanging gardens, and now it is even impossible to say exactly where they were. Although archaeologists have repeatedly attempted to find traces of the wonder of the world famous in antiquity.

As early as the end of the 19th century, the German historian Robert Koldewey took up this task. Excavations lasted 18 years. As a result, the scientist stated that he had discovered traces of Ancient Babylon - part of the city wall, the ruins of the Tower of Babel and the remains of columns and vaults, which, in his opinion, once surrounded the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

The excavations he carried out made it possible to get a fairly clear idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwhat Babylon looked like in the 6th century BC. e. The city was built up according to a clearly drawn up plan, it was surrounded by a triple ring of walls, the length of which reached 18 km. The number of its inhabitants was not less than 200,000.

In the old part of the city was the main palace of Nebuchadnezzar, divided into two parts - eastern and western. On the plan, it is depicted as a quadrangle. The entrance was located in the east, and the garrison was also located there. The western part, apparently, was intended for the courtiers; on the north side, according to archaeologists, were the hanging gardens of Babylon. Not all scholars support this view. But after many centuries, it is rather difficult to establish the exact location of the hanging gardens.

Description of Herodotus

A detailed and enthusiastic description of Babylon is available from the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. He visited Babylon in the 5th century BC. e. he was struck by the breadth and regularity of its streets, the beauty and richness of its palaces and temples. Reading the enthusiastic descriptions of Herodotus, it is almost impossible to believe that two centuries before him this city was destroyed and wiped off the face of the earth by the cruel Assyrian king Sennacherib, and the place itself was flooded by the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates.

The death of Babylon

For a long time, rich and flourishing Babylonia was the object of raids by the kings of the militant Assyrian state. In an effort to destroy a recalcitrant rival, the Assyrian king Sennacherib threw countless hordes against Babylonia. The decisive battle took place near the city of Halul, on the Tigris River. The rebellious Babylonians and their allies were defeated. Here is how the chronicler describes these events on behalf of the Assyrian king: “Like a lion, I became furious, put on a shell, and put a battle helmet on my head. In the wrath of my heart, I quickly rushed in a high war chariot, striking enemies ...

Thundering furiously, I raised a war cry against all the evil enemy troops ... I pierced the enemy warriors with a dart and arrows, I pierced their corpses like a sieve ... I quickly killed the enemies, like fat bulls bound, along with princes girded with golden daggers and with hands, studded with red gold rings. I cut their throats like lambs. I cut off their precious life, like a thread ... Chariots, along with horses, the riders of which were killed during the offensive, left to their own devices (of fate), rushed back and forth ...

I stopped beating only after two hours (after the onset) of the night. The king of Elam himself, together with the king of Babylon and the princes of the Chaldeans, who were on his side, were crushed by the horror of the battle ... They left their tents and fled. For the sake of saving their lives, they trampled on the corpses of their own warriors ... Their hearts beat like those of a captured dove, they clanged their teeth. I sent my chariots with horses to pursue them, and the fugitives who fled for their lives were stabbed with weapons wherever they were overtaken.

Then the Assyrian king Sennacherib moved to Babylon and, despite the fierce resistance of its inhabitants, took the city. Babylon was given to the soldiers for plunder. Those defenders of the city that were not killed were enslaved and resettled in different regions of the Assyrian state. And he planned to wipe out the recalcitrant city of Sennacherib from the face of the earth: walls and towers, temples and palaces, houses and craft workshops were destroyed. After Babylon was completely destroyed, the king ordered the floodgates to be opened and all that was left of the great city to be flooded.

This happened in the 7th century BC. e. And two centuries later, Herodotus visited Babylon and was amazed by its wealth and magnificence. The ancient city again delighted travelers with the power and impregnability of its walls, the splendor of palaces and temples.

City rebuilding

How could the ruined city be reborn from the ashes and reach unprecedented prosperity? By order of King Esarhaddon, the son of Sennacherib, thousands of slaves were driven to a wasteland flooded with water, on the site of which a majestic city had previously stood. They began to work on the restoration of canals, clearing debris and building a new city on the site of the former. The best craftsmen and architects were sent to build Babylon. In the restored city, its inhabitants, who had previously been resettled in remote areas of Assyria, were returned.

Reborn Babylon

The revived Babylon reached its peak under King Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled from 605-562 BC. e. He led an active aggressive policy, extended his influence to Phoenicia, Syria, conquered the capital of the Kingdom of Judah - Jerusalem. The city was destroyed, and almost all of its population was moved to Babylon (this event in Hebrew history is called the Babylonian captivity).

Extensive campaigns of conquest made it possible for Nebuchadnezzar to seize vast territories and a large number of prisoners, who were turned into slaves and used in the construction of grandiose structures in the capital. Nebuchadnezzar wanted to surpass all his predecessors with the splendor and splendor of the palaces and temples of the capital.

Babylon represented in terms of a regular rectangle, which was divided by the Euphrates into the Old and New cities, and was surrounded (as already mentioned) by three rows of powerful fortress walls made of mud bricks. In a number of ancient sources, the walls of Babylon are also named among the wonders of the world, since they were distinguished by their unusual width (several chariots could freely pass on them) and a large number of battlements. The space between the inner and outer ring of walls was deliberately not built up, since in the event of an attack it was supposed to become a refuge for the population of nearby villages.

There have always been many travelers in Babylon who want to see with their own eyes its luxury and beauty, majestic palaces and temples. But of greatest interest were the delightful Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which were not found anywhere else in the world.

Description of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The first and most complete description of the Hanging Gardens is found in the History of Herodotus. In those days, the construction of gardens was attributed to the legendary Assyrian queen Shamurmat (in Greek, Semiramis). In fact, they were built by order of Nebuchadnezzar II for his beloved wife, the Median princess Amitis (according to other sources - Amanis). In treeless and dry Babylonia, she yearned for the coolness of the forests of her native Media. And, in order to console her, the king ordered to build a garden in which the plants would remind the queen of her homeland.

The gardens were laid out on a four-tiered tower. Platforms were built from massive blocks of stone, they were supported by strong vaults, which in turn rested on columns. The top of the platform was covered with reeds and filled with asphalt. They made a lining of two rows of bricks fastened with gypsum, and lead plates were already laid on them, which protected the lower tiers from water penetration.

Only after that a thick layer of fertile land was laid, which made it possible to grow the largest trees. The tiers of gardens were interconnected by wide staircases lined with white and pink slabs. The gardens were planted with magnificent plants, palm trees and flowers, brought by order of the king from distant Media.

In the desert and arid Babylonia, these gardens with their aroma, greenery and coolness seemed like a real miracle and amazed with their magnificence. In order for plants to grow in hot Babylonia, hundreds of slaves turned the water wheel every day, pumping water from the Euphrates. Water was supplied upward, into numerous channels, through which it flowed down to the lower tiers.

It was in the lower tier of this garden that the legendary commander of antiquity Alexander the Great died. Having defeated the Persian king Darius, he moved to Babylon, preparing for a decisive rebuff from its inhabitants. But the population of the city, tired of Persian rule, met the Macedonians as liberators and opened the gates to Alexander without resistance. The Persians, who were behind the fortress wall, did not dare to resist.

Alexander was greeted with flowers and joyful cries. Priests, representatives of the nobility and many ordinary citizens came out to meet him. Alexander, having heard about the beauty and luxury of Babylon, was amazed at what he saw.

Delighted, Alexander decided to make Babylon the capital of his state. But he appeared in the city only 10 years later, preparing for a campaign against Egypt, from which he intended to move further to Carthage, Italy and Spain. Preparations for the campaign had already been completed when the commander fell ill. The king was put to bed, but he continued to give orders. And although the doctors gave him healing infusions, his health deteriorated. Tormented by fever, he ordered his bed to be lowered into the lower tier of the gardens.

When it became clear that he was dying, he was transferred to the throne room of the builder of the hanging gardens, Nebuchadnezzar II. There, on a dais, the royal bed was placed, past which his soldiers passed in deep silence. This was the last farewell of the king to the army.

And a few centuries later, the once lush and rich city began to decline. New cities grew, trade routes stretched away from Babylon. The flood destroyed the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II. Clay, which served as the main building material for the Babylonians, proved to be short-lived.

Washed out by water, the vaults and ceilings collapsed, the columns supporting the terraces on which the hanging gardens grew collapsed. Everything turned to dust And only the descriptions of ancient authors and archaeological finds help to imagine what the greatest wonder of the world was, inspired by the love of the Babylonian king and created by the labor and art of the Babylonian masters.

About the seven wonders of the Ancient World, familiar to everyone since school days, legends have been formed for thousands of years. Not all unique man-made monuments have survived, many have been destroyed by ruthless time, but the memory of amazing creations is still alive.

Researchers of the ancient world are arguing about the reality of the existence of many of them, and not only modern scientists doubt this. For example, the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who traveled through Mesopotamia, never mentioned the unique work that will be discussed today, although it should have struck him with its grandeur.

Myths about finding hanging gardens

In our article, we will talk about where the gardens of Babylon are located - one of the most significant wonders of the world that has not survived to this day. Ancient historians claimed that they were located in the first metropolis of mankind, Babylon. However, modern scientists have recognized the theory as erroneous, stating that the real homeland of the extraordinary garden city is 400 kilometers from the intended location.

Loud statement by Dr. Dally

One of the loudest statements on this subject was made by the archaeologist S. Dally from Oxford, who spent twenty years of her life searching for the legend. The fact is that the history of the Hanging Gardens is full of all sorts of inaccuracies. It was believed that they are related to the mythical Queen Semiramis, who ruled in Assyria.

But according to written sources that have come down to us, it became known that they were allegedly built during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, the king, who decided in this way to entertain his beloved wife Amitis. She could not get used to life in a noisy and dusty metropolis, and her husband, worried about her, ordered to build a green oasis in which his wife would rest all year round.

Monument created in the name of love

And at the wave of the ruler's hand, a monument created in the name of love arose - the gardens of Babylon. What city were they in? Until recently, it was believed that they were located in Babylon standing in the middle of the desert, and the queen, who arrived from pure and green Media, suffered extremely from a lack of fresh air.

It is known that the Hanging Gardens were located on a high tower with four tiers connected by pink and white stairs and supported by wide columns. So thick a layer of earth was laid on firmly connected platforms that even centuries-old trees could be planted. By the way, precisely because of the effect of climbing plants floating in the air, smoothly passing to different levels of terraces, the gardens were called hanging gardens.

Second wonder of the world

As scholars of antiquity wrote, the erected hanging gardens of Amitis shocked with incredible dimensions: the height of the building reached 250 meters, and the length and width exceeded one kilometer.

More than 37,000 liters of water were spent on watering the plants on the territory every day, and even an original irrigation system was invented to support the life of green spaces using various mechanisms.

Water supply technology was not new to the city, but it is believed that it was here that it reached its perfection. Something similar was in the world-famous Huge wheel rotated by slaves, and thus the water rose to the very top of the garden, from which it flowed along the terraces entwined with greenery. Outside the palace, thousands of poor people died of thirst, because water in those days was worth its weight in gold, but here it flowed like a river to delight the eyes of Amitis.

Conquest of Babylon

It is believed that the formidable winner Alexander the Great, who conquered Babylon, was captivated by the amazing beauty of the erected palace. Away from the bustle and noise, he enjoyed the silence, interrupted only by the sounds of murmuring water, reminiscing about his native Macedonia. After the death of the ruler who held all the power in his hands, the city ceased to be considered the capital of the world and fell into decay.

Assumptions about the destruction of the gardens and the palace

Unfortunately, the second wonder of the world, as it is commonly called, has not come down to us, and no one knows whether the elements destroyed it, or whether it was the work of human hands. There are suggestions that all vegetation died after the slaves stopped pumping water. And the terrible flood that happened destroyed the once luxurious palace to the ground, the clay walls of which got wet, and the massive columns supporting them collapsed.

Koldeveya's find

After several centuries, archaeologists, interested in finding the legendary landmark, searched for the erected gardens of Babylon in Mesopotamia for a long time. The famous scientist R. Koldevey devoted his life to this. Since 1898, he was engaged in excavations near Baghdad and found stone ruins, declaring them the remains of a Babylonian attraction.

Found ruins

An extensive network of trenches branched in different directions made him think that these might be the very long-awaited gardens. A German archaeologist discovered the remains of a water supply system, which was used to irrigate green plants brought especially for the queen from various countries.

The ruins found by many scientists were not perceived as the ruins of the Babylonian gardens, and some continued their search, arguing that the wonderful structure was located in a completely different place.

Long years of searching

Dr. Dalli, inspired by the absence of any mention of the structure in written sources from the time of Nebuchadnezzar, began her own investigation, which lasted for decades. She painstakingly studied ancient artifacts and deciphered cuneiform manuscripts in the British Museum to answer the question that tormented everyone about where the gardens of Babylon really are.

After a long search, scientific works were rewarded. In 2013, after analyzing all the collected data, Dally located the location of the ancient garden structures that had become mythical. She found references to the construction of a "miracle for all people" near Nineveh. The erected luxurious palace, along with a broken garden, was erected in the 8th century BC.

Where are the gardens of Babylon actually located?

The fact is that Nineveh, now located on the territory of modern Iraq, is mentioned in all manuscripts as ancient Babylon, which led to a distortion of historical facts about the true location of the grandiose structure. According to the Oxford archaeological group, a massive burial mound in northern Iraq near the city of Mosul holds an outlandish wonder of the world - the gardens of Babylon.

According to Dr. Dalli, excavations in this place will certainly confirm her theory about the existence of the structure, and the bas-relief found in the city depicting a wonderful palace with hanging terraces of flowers once again convinces the correctness of the theory of specialists.

However, skeptical researchers do not agree with this version, stating that other parks will be found in Nineveh, only similar to the gardens of Babylon. The country of Iraq and, in particular, the city of Mosul, captured by ISIS militants, does not allow for large-scale studies to confirm or refute the theory of Dr. Dalli.

Questions without answers

So, now it is impossible to say exactly where the gardens of Babylon are located. Yes, not a single drawing depicting the second wonder of the world has survived to our days, and all the paintings that have appeared are just a figment of the imagination of artists.

The mystery of a huge structure erected many centuries ago excites the minds of modern researchers and ordinary people, but there is no direct evidence of the exact location of the great structure. The unceasing disputes between scientists have proved that the hanging gardens really existed, and the main question still remains unanswered.

The ruins of Ancient Babylon are located 90 km from Baghdad. The city ceased to exist long ago, but even today the ruins testify to its grandeur. In the 7th century BC. Babylon was the largest and richest city of the Ancient East. There were many amazing buildings in Babylon, but the hanging gardens of the royal palace were most striking - gardens that have become a legend.

The second of the seven wonders of the world of the ancient world is the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which is also known as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Unfortunately, this beautiful creation no longer exists, but disputes about it continue to this day.

The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, whose reign fell between 605 and 562. BC, famous not only for the capture of Jerusalem and the creation of the Tower of Babel, but also for the fact that he gave his beloved wife an expensive and unusual gift. By royal order, a palace-garden was created in the center of the capital, which was later called the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Deciding to marry, Nebuchadnezzar II chose a bride - the beautiful Nitocrida, the daughter of the king of Media, with whom he was in allied relations. According to other sources, the queen's name was Amitis.

The king and his young wife settled in Babylon. Nitocride, accustomed to life among the forest thickets and lush vegetation, quickly became unbearable in the dull landscape around the palace. In the city - gray sand, darkened buildings, dusty streets, and outside the city gates - the endless desert brought the queen to melancholy. The ruler, noticing the sadness in the eyes of his beloved wife, inquired about the reason. Nitokrida expressed her desire to be at home, to take a walk in her beloved forest, to enjoy the smell of flowers and the singing of birds. Then Nebuchadnezzar II ordered the construction of a palace, which would be turned into a garden.

The construction of the palace proceeded at a rapid pace. The queen watched the progress of the work. On the 25-meter supports, the slaves laid stone slabs, and low walls were installed on the sides. The stone floor from above was filled with mountain tar and bitumen, and lead sheets were laid on top. The palace was created by ledges. On extensive terraces, connected by stairs made of pink and white stone, fertile earth was poured. It is not known exactly how many tiers were supposed to be made in the palace, but up to now information has reached about four.

Planting material - flowers, trees and shrubs - was brought from Mussels and planted in the ground. Water for irrigation was brought by slaves from the Euphrates. On the tiers, special lifts were arranged with leather buckets attached to them, necessary for supplying water. Nests were made in the trees for songbirds.

Ancient chronicles testify that a wonderful castle with green spaces and bright flowers towered over the city walls and was perfectly visible from the desert valley of Mesopotamia for many kilometers. Historical chronicles have not preserved information about the later life of Queen Nitocrida. But another Assyrian queen Semiramis (in Assyrian - Shammuramat), whose reign fell on the 9th century BC, gained great fame. e., i.e. much earlier than Nebuchadnezzar II, but which gave its name to the Hanging Gardens.

According to legend, as a reward for love, Semiramis asked King Nin to give her power for three days. The king fulfilled her desire, but Semiramis immediately ordered the guards to seize Nin and execute her, which was done. So she got unlimited power. In the future, she waged wars with neighboring kingdoms, and when her life came to an end, she flew away from the royal palace, turning into a dove. This legend in the 5th century, during the time of Herodotus, was intertwined with stories about the Hanging Gardens due to the mistakes of travelers, which led to the appearance of the name - Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

After Nebuchadnezzar II, Babylon was captured by the Persians, later passed into the hands of Alexander the Great, who wanted to make the city the capital of the empire, but died suddenly. Gradually the city fell into oblivion. The royal palace was almost completely destroyed by the wind and the overflowing waters of the Euphrates. But the German archaeologist Robert Coldway excavated and studied the records of historians Ancient Greece, thanks to which the world learned about the Hanging Gardens and the Tower of Babel.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon located in ancient Babylon. The creation of this wonder of the world was previously associated with Queen Semiramis. At present, it is believed that the construction of this miracle of technical thought was carried out by the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar II. After reading the article, you will learn the history of this, and students will find information for the report.

Also in Babylon there were many more interesting things:, and.

Where were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Babylon were built under King Nebuchadnezzar II, and their ruins were discovered by the German archaeologist Robert Koldewey. Being engaged in excavations of ancient Babylon since 1899, one day he stumbles upon a strange structure, not typical for this area. So, for example, the vaults had a different shape, they were lined with stone instead of ordinary brick, there were underground structures, and most importantly, an interesting water supply system from three mines was found.
This is what they look like:

Obviously, a building of this type was used for some special purpose. Koldewey had to find out. He was able to understand that the whole structure was a kind of water lift for continuous water supply to the top. He was helped by the mentions of the writers of antiquity, which said that the stone in Babylon was used in only two places. One of them, at the northern wall of Qasr, the archaeologist managed to find earlier. Another place was semi-legendary, it was about finding one of the 7 wonders of the world. That's how Koldewey managed to find out Where were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

The main mentions of antiquity about the gardens of Babylon are associated with the name of the Greek Ctesias. But due to the exaggerations and fantasies noticed behind him, almost all of our information about this wonder of the world is controversial and unreliable.

In antiquity, the image of Semiramis pops up quite often. According to many legends, she was a brave warrior and had excellent architectural taste. According to one of the legends, she was the daughter of the mermaid Atargatis, who is the moon goddess, and an ordinary person. According to other stories, Semiramis was left by her parents from birth, and pigeons were engaged in her upbringing.

In fact, the Greeks understood the name of Semiramis as the Assyrian queen Shammuramat, who lived around 800 BC. After the death of her husband Shamshi-Adad V, she had to take power completely into her own hands, until her son came of age. But even after his accession to the royal throne, Shammuramat retained the title of queen. And it is no coincidence that the state was strengthened under her, the borders were expanded by conquering Media.

For whom were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon built?

But still, the wonder of the world - , according to modern researchers, could not be associated with Shammuramat itself. According to a more truthful version, this miracle was presented to the wife of Nebuchadnezzar II Amitis two hundred years after the reign of Semiramis. According to legend, Nebuchadnezzar for the war with Assyria made an alliance with the king of Media. After the victory, to strengthen the alliance, he married the daughter of the Median king.

But life in the desert Babylon was incomparable with the mountainous and green Media. To please and comfort his wife, Nebuchadnezzar ordered these evergreen gardens to be built in the city. So the full name of this building is most likely “Amitis Hanging Gardens”.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon: interesting facts

Here are collected about the Babylonian Interesting Facts about Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Babylon.
They were a four-level building with many cool rooms richly decorated with plants. For their irrigation, a water lift was used, for the functioning of which the slaves had to turn the wheel. The vaults of the building at each level were supported by 25-meter columns. The terraces were laid out with tiles, filled with asphalt and covered with a layer of earth sufficient for growing even trees.

The water supply system used in the gardens of Babylon was not new to Mesopotamia. This is also found in local ziggurats, including the legendary Tower of Babel and the Great Ziggurat at Ur. But it was in gardens that irrigation technology reached its perfection.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon: video