Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon is the most questionable place ever included in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World list. Its existence has been questioned by many modern day archaeologists. It was said that it was built under the order of Nebuchadnezzar II to please his wife who came from Medea.
Babylon is an ancient city that can now be seen in south of Baghdad, Iraq. Nebuchadnezzar II’s wife, Amytis came from Medea in ancient Persia (modern day Iran).
One reason why it is not believed is because, since the city of Babylon is a desert, it is almost impossible to place gardens, trees, and running water in this location. How can a garden be placed in the middle of a desert? What kind of irrigation system did it have? However, this mysterious garden was described by Greek historians such as Strabo and Diodorus Siculus. They each gave detailed description of the garden. There were trees and plants of every kind. There were also ponds and waterfalls. The irrigation system was described as well. But they weren’t eyewitness accounts. The army of Alexander the Great claimed to have set foot on this mysterious garden which led to the credibility of its existence.
The second reason to believe why it’s not real is that stone tablets from Nebuchadnezzar’s reign gave detailed descriptions of the city of Babylonia but no mention of the Hanging Gardens.
Third reason to say its unbelievable is because it was said to have hung off the ground. The highest part of the garden was about 75 feet in height. But archeologists say that it was actually built on top of terraces or flat rooftops.
However, proofs of its existence were found in Babylon, thanks to Robert Koldeway, a German archaeologist. They have unearthed a vaulted palace with thick walls and irrigation well in proximity to the palace and a thick wall that could form terraces and balcony.
Even with Robert Koldeway’s findings, many archaeologists are still not convinced of its existence. Many of them believe that the hanging garden actually existed in another city. In Nineveh, a nearby ancient Assyrian city, that is also located in modern day Iraq. Tablets found from this place show gardens with the same description.