The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

1. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon The Hanging Gardens of Babylon is completely based off of myth and legend. People have found scrolls containing writings about the Hanging Gardens, but there is no real evidence or proof.

2. Purpose The ruler of this time in Babylon was Nebuchadnezzar II. His wife was Amytisof Media. She was very homesick for her homeland that had lush vegetation and plants. Nebuchadnezzar created the gardens to comfort his wife. Of course, there might have been different reasons for their creation, since we have little or no evidence. A present to his wife is generally thought of as the main theory. There is also a possibility that the Hanging Gardens were a palace for a different ruler. It could be that the two constructions were confused and their history mixed together. To the right, shows a 20th century drawing of what the gardens might of looked like.

3. location The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were located in Al Hillah, Iraq in Asia. Its coordinates are 32° 32′ 7.8″ North, and 44° 25′ 39″ East.

4. Builders King Nebuchadnezzar II was the creator of the Hanging Gardens. He most likely had his people of Babylon, as well as captured slaves, work on the construction. To the left, shows a drawing of what King Nebuchadnezzar II may have looked like.

5. Architecture The gardens were built in a high area. It was too hard to carry stone bricks to this place so they made the structure out of a mixture of mud, clay, and chopped straw that was then baked in the sun. The blocks were connected by a slimy substance that was called bitumen. These blocks would easily deteriorate when they came in contact with water. There also was the issue of getting water to the top of the gardens to sustain the plants and vegetation. For this they most likely used a chain pump or a screw pump. Screw Pump Chain Pump

6. Destruction The destruction of the Gardens of Babylon was said to be an earthquake in the second century B.C. Still, they may have been destroyed differently. The best explanation is earthquakes since the structure was made of mud bricks and plants. All of the evidence would have eventually be eroded away by water. To the right, shows a picture of the city of Babylon taken in 1932.

7. Timeline • Around 600 BC – The gardens were said to be built • 250 BC - Philo of Byzantium wrote about the Hanging Gardens • 64 BC – 21 AD – Strabo wrote about the Hanging Gardens • 60 – 30 BC - DiodorusSiculus wrote his own description of the Hanging Gardens • 37- 100 AD –Josephus wrote a poem about the Hanging Gardens • 1st century - Quintus Curtius Rufus wrote about the Hanging Gardens

8. Sources • http://www.personal.psu.edu/amp5364/HangingGardens.html • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_Gardens_of_Babylon • http://www.unmuseum.org/hangg.htm