In ancient Mesopotamia, King Nebuchadnezzar built the fabulous Hanging Gardens of Babylon so his beloved wife would have a lovely, private, terraced garden to enjoy. The ancient Greeks selected the gardens as one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.

Legend says that The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built in ancient Babylon around 600 BCE by King Nebuchadnezzar. It is said that the ground on which the garden was planted was built by raising soil from the Euphrates River using pumps. Pumps also watered the plants, allowing the gardens a source of constant fresh water to keep things green and growing. If true, this was an engineering marvel for the times. But then, King Nebuchadnezzar was very clever. He built most of ancient Babylon, which was an incredibly impressive city.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were rumored to be about 400 feet wide, 400 feet long, and over 80 feet high, and built on the palace grounds. Some historians believe the gardens were built in a series of platforms that all together were 320 feet high. The Hanging Gardens had paths and steps and fountains and gorgeous flowers, all build to make a homesick queen feel welcomed and loved. 

Legend says as you approached ancient Babylon, the gardens could be seen for miles around, soaring up into the sky. No one knows if the gardens actually existed, but the legend is a lovely one. If the gardens did exist, they would have been an incredible sight whether you approached the city by water or by land across the harsh deserts that protected the city to the west and south. The thought of the lush green gardens was so lovely in fact that the romantic ancient Greeks, with their enjoyment of legend and romance, selected the Hanging Gardens of Babylon as one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.

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