Of the seven wonders of the ancient world, there is one that we do not know where it is. That makes it the most fascinating of all

Of the Seven wonders of the world Old, alone The Great Guiza Pyramid is still standing. The others, destroyed since ancient times, They have left archaeological traces or detailed historical records. Except for one: The pendant gardens of Babylon. The structure is still involved in an enigma: without conclusive archaeological evidence or mentions in contemporary Babylonian inscriptions, its existence is a subject of speculation among historians.

Between the myth and the lost wonder. The pendant gardens of Babylon have been for centuries A symbol of greatness and ingenuity of antiquity. The best known version says that They were supposedly built by King Nebuchadnezzar II in the sixth century ac As a gift for his wife Amytis, who missed the vegetation of his homeland. We talked about gardens that were described as a feat of engineering, with terraces covered with lush vegetation and an advanced irrigation system.

The problem? That as we said, despite their status as One of the seven wonders of the ancient worldwe don’t have Not a single conclusive archaeological test that once existedwhich has generated a debate about whether they were a tangible reality or simply a historical exaggeration. Moreover, Not even Herodoto, the “father of history”, mentions them in His descriptions of Babylon. Plus: The sources that support this theory are Greek and Roman, written centuries after the supposed existence of the gardens.

In this regard, Flavio Josephus, based on the Babylonian Babylonian priest, described a “pendant paradise” within the walls of Babylonbut, again, without contemporary evidence, this story remains uncertain.

Babylon: the city (above); The pendant gardens of Babylon (below)

The mystery of its location. Although tradition places the gardens in Babylon, near the current to Hillah in Iraq, excavations have not found concrete evidence of it. The German archaeologist Robert Koldewey thought he had found his foundations in a vaulted structure In the South Palace, with robust walls and evidence of wells, but today most experts rule out this theory, suggesting that it was actually a warehouse.

Gardens Representation

Another hypothesis. Raised by academic Stephanie Dalleyfrom the University of Oxford, the story suggests that the hanging gardens They were not in Babylon, but in Nineive, north of Mesopotamiaand that they were the work of King Assyrian Senaquerib. According to their analysis of cuneiform inscriptions and reliefs that show channels and vegetation in Nineveh, the Assyrians would have built monumental gardens with an advanced system of aqueducts and water elevation.

The “but”: the confusion in this case, Dalley holdsit originated when the Assyrians conquered Babylon in the 689 AC, Reboutizing Nineve. In other words, this theory raises the possibility that ancient historians confused the monarchs and territories in their stories.

So myth or reality? As we said, the descriptions of the gardens They speak of a series of terraces supported by stone columns and a complex hydraulic system that allowed irrigation in full desert. Some scholars consider that such structure would have been difficult to sustain with the technology available at the time, which reinforces the possibility that its existence could have been a propaganda myth to enlarge the power of Babylon.

The unfathomable wonder. Thus, if the gardens really existed, their disappearance remains a real mystery. Estrabón mentioned that for the first century ac were in ruinsand some suggest that Alexander the Great planned to restore them before his death. Over time, as some point, changes in the course of the Euphrates River could have buried any evidence underwater.

If you want also, and despite uncertainty, The legend of hanging gardens He has endured as a kind of symbol of human ambition to create beauty in hostile environments. Be a myth or a lost wonder, its history continues to captivate generations of explorers, historians and dreamers.

At least, a privileged place in history has been secured as The most enigmatic of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Image | Fantasy Art, Wikimedia, Dorotheum

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