Hanging Gardens of Babylon facts for kids
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. These amazing gardens, along with the huge walls of Babylon, were located near what is now Al Hillah in Iraq.
King Nebuchadnezzar II is believed to have built the gardens around 600 BC. He supposedly built them for his wife, Amytis of Media. She missed the beautiful mountains and green plants of her home country. The Hanging Gardens were later destroyed by an earthquake sometime after 1 BC.
Were the Hanging Gardens Real?
Some people wonder if the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were truly real. The first person to write about them was Berossus, a Chaldean priest. He lived in the late 300s BC. Later, historians from Greece also wrote about these famous gardens.
What Archaeology Tells Us
Recent archaeological digs in Iraq have found clues. They uncovered what looks like a large building with arched rooms and a well nearby. However, this palace area is not exactly where the Greek historians said the gardens were. They described them as being along the Euphrates River.
More recently, archaeologists have also dug up very thick walls, about 25 meters (82 feet) wide, right on the banks of the Euphrates River. These discoveries help us learn more about ancient Babylon.
Images for kids
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This old carving from Nineveh shows a beautiful garden with water flowing through it.
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An ancient Assyrian wall carving showing gardens in Nineveh.
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Date palm trees are very common in the area where Babylon once stood.
See also
In Spanish: Jardines Colgantes de Babilonia para niños
