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Rising out of the arid, hostile desert in the seventh century B.C.E. was Babylon, one of the most beautiful and powerful cities in the world. The city was so magnificent it was called the “Gate of the Gods.” The book of Revelations in the Holy Bible describes Babylon as the city “that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stone and pearls!” Such a description was well deserved. There were grandiose palaces and temples ascending into the heavens. The temples were tall, shaped like pyramids, and built using techniques that had never been used before. One huge temple rose three hundred feet above the ground and is referred to in the Bible as “The Tower of Babel.”
Even the private homes in Babylon were superior to the homes of others in the region. While the exterior of Babylonian homes were unimpressive, the interiors were spacious and comfortable. They were often two stories high with the bedrooms on the second story. In warmer weather, however the family often slept on the roof in order to catch a breeze. The first floor of a Babylonian home included a living room, dining room, kitchen, and chapel. The floors were made of baked brick. All of the rooms had beautiful and comfortable furniture. A unique feature of the Babylonian home was the interior court, which opened to the sky and provided air, light, and privacy.
Even the private homes in Babylon were superior to the homes of others in the region. While the exterior of Babylonian homes were unimpressive, the interiors were spacious and comfortable. They were often two stories high with the bedrooms on the second story. In warmer weather, however the family often slept on the roof in order to catch a breeze. The first floor of a Babylonian home included a living room, dining room, kitchen, and chapel. The floors were made of baked brick. All of the rooms had beautiful and comfortable furniture. A unique feature of the Babylonian home was the interior court, which opened to the sky and provided air, light, and privacy.
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Babylon had two other features that enhanced its wonder and beauty. One feature was an ornately decorated wall that surrounded the city. The wall was wide enough at the top to accommodate a four-horse chariot. There were also towers for guards who were stationed to watch for invaders and to offer protection during an attack.
The wall had several gates so travelers could enter and leave the city, but the most famous gate was called the Gate of Ishtar.
Named for a goddess, the Gate of Ishtar was not only practical, it was beautiful. Glazed enamel bricks were decorated with pictures of animals. So impressive was the gate and wall surrounding Babylon, it was originally included as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The walls of Babylon were eliminated from the list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and replaced by the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Why the change was made is unknown.
Named for a goddess, the Gate of Ishtar was not only practical, it was beautiful. Glazed enamel bricks were decorated with pictures of animals. So impressive was the gate and wall surrounding Babylon, it was originally included as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The walls of Babylon were eliminated from the list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and replaced by the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Why the change was made is unknown.
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The Hanging Gardens were constructed of brick and were actually a series of terraces, one above the other. Each terrace had soil and the gardens were planted with every kind of tree, plant and flower available in the kingdom. In addition to the plants, it is believed that there were also pools and fountains.
While designing and building a structure strong enough to withstand the terrific weight of the trees and earth to grow them was difficult enough, determining how these plants could survive and prosper in the desert was even more of a challenge. Plants need water to survive, but Babylon rarely received any rain. This problem was solved by raising water from the Euphrates River. The exact manner in which water was raised to water the plants and trees on the terraces is unclear, but it is thought that the engineers devised an original watering system, which writers later called water engines. Slaves probably lifted the water to the upper levels with the use of some sort of simple belt or treadmill, and once it had been raised, there may have been pipes, channels, or conduits to distribute the water to the plants.
While designing and building a structure strong enough to withstand the terrific weight of the trees and earth to grow them was difficult enough, determining how these plants could survive and prosper in the desert was even more of a challenge. Plants need water to survive, but Babylon rarely received any rain. This problem was solved by raising water from the Euphrates River. The exact manner in which water was raised to water the plants and trees on the terraces is unclear, but it is thought that the engineers devised an original watering system, which writers later called water engines. Slaves probably lifted the water to the upper levels with the use of some sort of simple belt or treadmill, and once it had been raised, there may have been pipes, channels, or conduits to distribute the water to the plants.
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The second feature that enhanced the wonder and beauty of Babylon was built by Nebuchadnezzar. It is called the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and is still listed as one of the Seven wonders of the ancient World. Nebuchadnezzar reigned in Babylon from 605 B.C.E. to 562 B.C.E. and is credited with building much of Babylon. He not only built the magnificent wall and the Ishtar Gate that protected the city, but he also built beautiful temples and palaces. His most famous structure, however, was the Hanging Gardens.
It is believed that Nebuchadnezzar had the Hanging Gardens built to please his wife Amytis, who was from a region in Persia that was cool and had an abundance of trees, plants, and flowers. Amytis did not like the desert and dreamed about the beautiful country she had left, so Nebuchadnezzar decided to build a rooftop garden -an artificial mountain- to remind her of her homeland.
It is believed that Nebuchadnezzar had the Hanging Gardens built to please his wife Amytis, who was from a region in Persia that was cool and had an abundance of trees, plants, and flowers. Amytis did not like the desert and dreamed about the beautiful country she had left, so Nebuchadnezzar decided to build a rooftop garden -an artificial mountain- to remind her of her homeland.
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The existence of the Hanging Gardens has been questioned because they were not described by writers who lived at the time when the Gardens were supposed to have been built. These writers wrote about events of the time and other buildings in the city, but not about the Hanging Gardens. Why? Certainly the Hanging Gardens deserved their attention, but they failed to describe them.
We only know about the gardens because of the writings of Greek and Roman authors, most of whom visited Babylon long after it was gone. These writers merely recorded stories about this magnificent structure told by the descendants of the Babylonians. One Roman writer, however, actually saw the Hanging Gardens many years later, it had been neglected and had declined in beauty. He wrote a description of the structure, and archaeologists have excavated ruins in the ancient city about 50 miles south of modern-day Baghdad in Iraq that are consistent with that description. This leads many to believe that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon did actually exist.
We only know about the gardens because of the writings of Greek and Roman authors, most of whom visited Babylon long after it was gone. These writers merely recorded stories about this magnificent structure told by the descendants of the Babylonians. One Roman writer, however, actually saw the Hanging Gardens many years later, it had been neglected and had declined in beauty. He wrote a description of the structure, and archaeologists have excavated ruins in the ancient city about 50 miles south of modern-day Baghdad in Iraq that are consistent with that description. This leads many to believe that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon did actually exist.