A reconstruction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
One of the ancient wonders of the world. Their construction is variously ascribed to Queen Semiramis and to Nebuchadnezzar, who is said to have built them in about 600 B.C.. Diodorus and Strabo have given descriptions of them. The Hanging Gardens are said to have formed a square, with an area of nearly four acres, and rose in terraces, supported on masonry arches, to a height of 75 feet. They were irrigated from a reservoir built at the top, to which water was lifted from the Euphrates by a screw. Fountains and banqueting-rooms were distributed throughout the numerous terraces; groves and avenues of trees, as well as parterres of flowers, diversified the scene; whilst the view of the city and neighborhood was extensive and magnificent.
