The History of Babylon's Hanging Gardens
The "Hanging Garden of Babylon" is widely recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is fascinating to look back in history to understand how and why a garden was so important to a powerful king -- and his wife.
The Hanging Garden of Babylon
The ancient city of Babylon, under King Nebuchadnezzar II, was one of the largest cities of all times -- with walls exaggerated to measure 56 miles in length and 80 feet thick and 320 feet high. Inside the walls were fortresses and temples. Archeological evidence has found the walls to measure only 10 miles in length and not quite that high! But with all the spectacular descriptions, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were not mentioned in the descriptions by Herodotus. Today, however, they have been named one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Women Love Nature and Gardens--and Men Love to Provide Them...An Ageless Story!
Located in present day Iraq, this history-encrusted hanging garden was built by King Nebuchadnezzar around 605 BC, at the height of the city's power and influence. According to accounts, the gardens were built to cheer up Amyitis, Nebuchadnezzar's homesick wife. This princess of Medes was married to Nebuchadnezzar to create an alliance between the nations and she left behind a nation of green, rugged mountains and moved to the flat, sun-baked terrain of Mesopotamia. Her king attempted to recreate the feel of her homeland by building an artificial mountain with rooftop gardens.
The gardens probably did not really 'hang' but the name comes from an inexact translation of the Greek word kremastos or the Latin word pensilis, which mean more accurately, 'overhanging', such as a terrace or balcony.
Vaulted terraces were raised one above another, resting on cube-shaped pillars of baked brick and asphalt. They were hollow and filled with earth to allow large trees to be planted.
Because of the desert terrain in Mesopotamia, water had to be continually hauled mechanically from the Euphrates River. The pool at the top of the gardens released water into artificial streams to water the gardens.
The archeological dig in 1899 unearthed the ancient city of Babel, along with the basement with fourteen large rooms with stone arch ceilings. Koldewey, the archeologist who unearthed this treasure of the ancient world, concluded that this was the cellar of the lavish garden, and the site of the chain pumps that raised the water to the garden's room.
The Babylonians lived in Mesopotamia, a fertile, but very flat, plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Babylonia was located in what is now southern Iraq and encompasses a large area of ruins just east of the Euphrates River, about 50 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq.
Tiered Gardens Hanging Gardens...a Modern Twist
While our beautiful, natural Tiered Garden Hangers don't compare in scale to the Hanging Garden of Babylon, they definitely fit the scale of today's home or office. A 3-tier hanging planter that you can fill with live flowers, foliage, or beauiful silk bouquets to brighten your living space and bring nature to your everyday life. Take a look at our complete, easy to install Giftsets -- complete with hanging planter, designer pots and lush silk flower bouquets. You can also select your own favorites through our "Mix 'n Match" product that offers a wide variety of pots and silk bouquets.
The important message we can learn from history is that women love their green environment...and men delight in making it possible for them! And it's never been so easy!
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