Hanging Gardens of Babylon అనునవి Neo-Babylonian
సామ్రాజ్యం యొక్క రాజధాని సిటీ లో చాలా అందం గా అద్భుతం గా తీర్చి దిద్దినవి. ఈ
హంగింగ్ గార్డెన్స్ ని Greate king Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BCE) )
నిర్మించారు. ఇవి ప్రాచీన ప్రపంచంలోని ఏడు అద్భుతాలలో ఒకటి, చరిత్ర
కారుల్లో దీని ఉనికి చర్చాంశనీయం అయిన ఏకైక అద్భుతం అని
చెప్పవచ్చు.
సామ్రాజ్యం యొక్క రాజధాని సిటీ లో చాలా అందం గా అద్భుతం గా తీర్చి దిద్దినవి. ఈ
హంగింగ్ గార్డెన్స్ ని Greate king Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BCE) )
నిర్మించారు. ఇవి ప్రాచీన ప్రపంచంలోని ఏడు అద్భుతాలలో ఒకటి, చరిత్ర
కారుల్లో దీని ఉనికి చర్చాంశనీయం అయిన ఏకైక అద్భుతం అని
చెప్పవచ్చు.
3d Hanging gardens of Babylon
కొంతమంది పండితులు ఈ తోటలు బాబిలోన్‌లో లేవని, వాస్తవానికి అస్సిరియన్
సామ్రాజ్యం యొక్క రాజధాని నినెవెహ్‌లో ఉన్నాయని చెప్తారు. మరి కొందరు దీని అసలు
ఉనికి ఎక్కడ అనే దాని కోసం బలమైన రుజువులకోసం ఇప్పటికి ప్రయత్నిస్తున్నారు.
మరికొందరు ఈ తోటలు కేవలం ప్రాచీన కల్పనలు మాత్రమే అని నమ్ముతారు. బాబిలోన్‌లోనే
పురావస్తు శాస్త్రం మరియు ప్రాచీన బాబిలోనియన్ గ్రంథాలు ఈ విషయంపై
మౌనంవహించాయి. అయితే పురాతన రచయితలు తోటలను Nebuchadnezzar రాజధానిలో
ఉన్నట్లుగా మరియు ఇప్పటికీ Hellenistic కాలంలో ఉనికిలో ఉన్నట్లు వివరించారు
సామ్రాజ్యం యొక్క రాజధాని నినెవెహ్‌లో ఉన్నాయని చెప్తారు. మరి కొందరు దీని అసలు
ఉనికి ఎక్కడ అనే దాని కోసం బలమైన రుజువులకోసం ఇప్పటికి ప్రయత్నిస్తున్నారు.
మరికొందరు ఈ తోటలు కేవలం ప్రాచీన కల్పనలు మాత్రమే అని నమ్ముతారు. బాబిలోన్‌లోనే
పురావస్తు శాస్త్రం మరియు ప్రాచీన బాబిలోనియన్ గ్రంథాలు ఈ విషయంపై
మౌనంవహించాయి. అయితే పురాతన రచయితలు తోటలను Nebuchadnezzar రాజధానిలో
ఉన్నట్లుగా మరియు ఇప్పటికీ Hellenistic కాలంలో ఉనికిలో ఉన్నట్లు వివరించారు
The hanging gardens of Babylon are a set of gardens located in the ancient
city of Babylon, Iraq. Their beauties make them inscribed on the ancient
lists of the wonders of the world, and they appear today on the canonical
list. But despite their descriptions by various authoritative people, this
wonder of the world is the most questionable. Some even wonder whether they
actually existed, for if one has archaeological traces of most other wonders
of the world, or at least tangible evidence of their realities, for the
gardens of Babylon, it is much more difficult to ” evidence.
city of Babylon, Iraq. Their beauties make them inscribed on the ancient
lists of the wonders of the world, and they appear today on the canonical
list. But despite their descriptions by various authoritative people, this
wonder of the world is the most questionable. Some even wonder whether they
actually existed, for if one has archaeological traces of most other wonders
of the world, or at least tangible evidence of their realities, for the
gardens of Babylon, it is much more difficult to ” evidence.
Babylon & Nebuchadnezzar II
Babylon, located about 80 km (50 miles) south of modern Baghdad in Iraq,
was an ancient city with a history of settlement dating back to the 3rd
millennium BCE. The greatest period in the city’s history was in the 6th
century BCE during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II when the city was the
capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The empire had been founded by
Nebuchadnezzar’s father Nabopolassar (r. 625-605 BCE) after his victories
over the Assyrian Empire. Nebuchadnezzar II would go on to even greater
things, including the capture of Jerusalem in 597 BCE. The Babylonian king
then set about making his capital one of the most splendid cities in the
world. The Ishtar Gate was built c. 575 BCE with its fine towers and
depictions in tiles of animals both real and imaginary, a 7-20 km brick
double wall surrounded the city – the largest ever built – and then,
possibly, he added the extensive pleasure gardens whose fame spread
throughout the ancient world.
was an ancient city with a history of settlement dating back to the 3rd
millennium BCE. The greatest period in the city’s history was in the 6th
century BCE during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II when the city was the
capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The empire had been founded by
Nebuchadnezzar’s father Nabopolassar (r. 625-605 BCE) after his victories
over the Assyrian Empire. Nebuchadnezzar II would go on to even greater
things, including the capture of Jerusalem in 597 BCE. The Babylonian king
then set about making his capital one of the most splendid cities in the
world. The Ishtar Gate was built c. 575 BCE with its fine towers and
depictions in tiles of animals both real and imaginary, a 7-20 km brick
double wall surrounded the city – the largest ever built – and then,
possibly, he added the extensive pleasure gardens whose fame spread
throughout the ancient world.
The Gardens
The majority of scholars agree that the idea of cultivating gardens
purely for pleasure, as opposed to the production of food, originated in
the Fertile Crescent, where they were known as a paradise. From there the
notion would spread throughout the ancient Mediterranean so that by
Hellenistic times even private individuals, or at least the wealthier
ones, were cultivating their own private gardens in their homes. Gardens
were not just about flowers and plants, either, as architectural,
sculptural, and water features were added, and even the views were a
consideration for the ancient landscape gardener. Gardens became such a
desired feature that fresco painters, such as those at Pompeii, covered
entire walls of villas with scenes which gave the illusion that on
entering a room one was also entering a garden. All of these outdoor
pleasant places, then, owed their existence to ancient Mesopotamia and,
above all, to the magnificent Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
purely for pleasure, as opposed to the production of food, originated in
the Fertile Crescent, where they were known as a paradise. From there the
notion would spread throughout the ancient Mediterranean so that by
Hellenistic times even private individuals, or at least the wealthier
ones, were cultivating their own private gardens in their homes. Gardens
were not just about flowers and plants, either, as architectural,
sculptural, and water features were added, and even the views were a
consideration for the ancient landscape gardener. Gardens became such a
desired feature that fresco painters, such as those at Pompeii, covered
entire walls of villas with scenes which gave the illusion that on
entering a room one was also entering a garden. All of these outdoor
pleasant places, then, owed their existence to ancient Mesopotamia and,
above all, to the magnificent Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were sometimes referred to as the Hanging
Gardens of Semiramis after the semi-legendary and semi-divine female
Assyrian ruler thought by the Greeks to have extensively rebuilt Babylon
in the 9th century BCE. Herodotus, the 5th-century BCE Greek historian,
describes the impressive irrigation system of Babylon and the walls but
does not mention any gardens specifically (although the Great Sphinx is
also curiously missing from his description of Giza). The first mention in
an ancient source of the gardens is by Berossus of Kos, actually, a priest
named Bel-Usru from Babylon who relocated to the Greek island. Writing c.
290 BCE, Berossus’ work survives only as quoted excerpts in that of later
writers, but many of his descriptions of Babylon have been corroborated by
archaeology.
Gardens of Semiramis after the semi-legendary and semi-divine female
Assyrian ruler thought by the Greeks to have extensively rebuilt Babylon
in the 9th century BCE. Herodotus, the 5th-century BCE Greek historian,
describes the impressive irrigation system of Babylon and the walls but
does not mention any gardens specifically (although the Great Sphinx is
also curiously missing from his description of Giza). The first mention in
an ancient source of the gardens is by Berossus of Kos, actually, a priest
named Bel-Usru from Babylon who relocated to the Greek island. Writing c.
290 BCE, Berossus’ work survives only as quoted excerpts in that of later
writers, but many of his descriptions of Babylon have been corroborated by
archaeology.
Berossus describes high stone terraces which imitated mountains and which
were planted with many types of large trees and flowers. Terraces would
not only have created a pleasant aesthetic effect of hanging vegetation
but also made their irrigation easier. Berossus also explains why the
gardens were established, to make a wife of the Babylonian king, a Mede
called Amytis, feel less homesick for her green and hilly homeland. Alas,
there is no reference to a queen of that name in Babylonian records.
were planted with many types of large trees and flowers. Terraces would
not only have created a pleasant aesthetic effect of hanging vegetation
but also made their irrigation easier. Berossus also explains why the
gardens were established, to make a wife of the Babylonian king, a Mede
called Amytis, feel less homesick for her green and hilly homeland. Alas,
there is no reference to a queen of that name in Babylonian records.
Several other sources describe the gardens as if they were still in
existence in the 4th century BCE, but all were written centuries after the
reign of Nebuchadnezzar and all were written by writers who almost
certainly never visited Babylon and who knew little of either horticulture
or engineering. Strabo, the Greek geographer (c. 64 BCE – c. 24 CE),
describes the location of the gardens as by the Euphrates, which ran
through ancient Babylon, and a complicated machinery of screws which drew
water up from the river to water the gardens. He also mentions the
presence of stairs to reach the various levels. Meanwhile, the Greek
historian Diodorus Siculus, also writing in the 1st century BCE, notes
that the terraces sloped upwards like an ancient theatre and reached a
total height of 20 metres (65 ft). He describes the terraces as being
built on pillars and lined with reeds and bricks.
existence in the 4th century BCE, but all were written centuries after the
reign of Nebuchadnezzar and all were written by writers who almost
certainly never visited Babylon and who knew little of either horticulture
or engineering. Strabo, the Greek geographer (c. 64 BCE – c. 24 CE),
describes the location of the gardens as by the Euphrates, which ran
through ancient Babylon, and a complicated machinery of screws which drew
water up from the river to water the gardens. He also mentions the
presence of stairs to reach the various levels. Meanwhile, the Greek
historian Diodorus Siculus, also writing in the 1st century BCE, notes
that the terraces sloped upwards like an ancient theatre and reached a
total height of 20 metres (65 ft). He describes the terraces as being
built on pillars and lined with reeds and bricks.
There are known precedents for large gardens in Mesopotamia which
pre-date those said to have been at Babylon. There are even depictions of
them, for example, on a relief panel from the North Palace of Ashurbanipal
(668–631 BCE) at Nineveh, now in the British Museum, London. Indeed, some
scholars suggest that the whole Babylonian gardens idea is the result of a
monumental mix-up, and it is Nineveh which actually had the fabled wonder,
built there by Sennacherib (r. 705-681 BCE). There is ample textual and
archaeological evidence of gardens at Nineveh, and the city was sometimes
even referred to as ‘old Babylon’. In any case, even if the hypothesis of
Nineveh is accepted, it still does not preclude the possibility of gardens
at Babylon.
pre-date those said to have been at Babylon. There are even depictions of
them, for example, on a relief panel from the North Palace of Ashurbanipal
(668–631 BCE) at Nineveh, now in the British Museum, London. Indeed, some
scholars suggest that the whole Babylonian gardens idea is the result of a
monumental mix-up, and it is Nineveh which actually had the fabled wonder,
built there by Sennacherib (r. 705-681 BCE). There is ample textual and
archaeological evidence of gardens at Nineveh, and the city was sometimes
even referred to as ‘old Babylon’. In any case, even if the hypothesis of
Nineveh is accepted, it still does not preclude the possibility of gardens
at Babylon.
