The Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Myth or Reality?

Of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon remain the most enigmatic. Described as marvels of engineering and plant beauty, they were supposedly built in the ancient Mesopotamian city of Babylon. But one question remains: did they really exist?

🌿 1. Ancient descriptions: between poetry and exaggeration

The earliest accounts of the Hanging Gardens come from Greek sources such as Strabo and Diodorus Siculus. These authors, fascinated by oriental wonders, depict a succession of lush terraces, fed by an ingenious irrigation system. However, none of these authors actually saw the gardens with their own eyes. Their accounts are based on oral traditions, or even hypotheses embellished by time.

🏛️ 2. An absence in Babylonian texts

No authentic cuneiform text found in Babylon explicitly mentions the Hanging Gardens. Nebuchadnezzar II, often credited as their builder, makes no mention of them in his numerous inscriptions extolling his construction projects. This absence raises serious questions for historians.

🧱 3. The archaeological excavations of Babylon

Robert Koldewey's explorations of the city in the late 19th century uncovered impressive remains, including a series of vaulted structures that were once identified as the possible foundations of the Gardens. However, their exact function remains debated: whether they were granaries, warehouses, or simply monumental foundations, doubt persists.

🧭 4. An alternative location: Nineveh?

Archaeologist Stephanie Dalley has proposed an alternative hypothesis: the Gardens were built not in Babylon, but in Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. According to her, the gardens that the Greeks attributed to Babylon were actually the work of Sennacherib. Assyrian reliefs and texts describe terraced gardens and sophisticated hydraulic systems in that city.

🌎 5. A possible technical feat

Although their existence is uncertain, the Hanging Gardens were not technically impossible. Mesopotamian engineers mastered auger irrigation, underground canals, and gravity-fed water management. This knowledge potentially allowed for the maintenance of hanging gardens, fed by the Euphrates or Tigris rivers.

🧠 6. A mental creation of the West?

Some scholars suggest that the Gardens are the result of a cultural projection. For the Greeks, Babylon represented the mysterious, refined, but also chaotic Orient. Placing a lush, orderly natural wonder there could symbolize an exotic ideal. The confusion between Babylon and Nineveh, fueled by their geographical and temporal distance, would have reinforced this mental construct.

🔍 Conclusion

The story of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon oscillates between fantasy and reality. In the absence of direct archaeological evidence and explicit Mesopotamian texts, their existence in Babylon remains highly speculative. Nevertheless, their evocation in Greek and Arab cultures has fueled a lasting imagination, making them an icon of ancient ingenuity and the connection between nature and architecture.

📚 Sources

-Dalley, S. (2013). The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon . Oxford University Press.- Koldewey, R. (1914). The Excavations at Babylon.- Diodorus of Sicily, Historical Library.- Strabo, Geography.- George, A. (1999). Babylonian Topographical Texts .