Engineering the Impossible: The Mysteries Behind the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
is known for how classical authors described it. It was believed to be located near the Royal
Palace of Babylon and stood on an elevated and vaulted platform, wherein various species of
plants were planted, which beautified the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. It was said
to be built by King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife, a Mede called Amytis (Cartwright &
Heemskerck, 2022). For centuries, the said garden in Babylon captivated people. However,
despite centuries of fascination there is no definite evidence that the garden ever existed
(Reade, 2000). With several pieces of evidence pointing to its questionable existence, it is
more likely that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon did not exist—a mere idea than a historical
reality.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were among the greatest engineering achievements
of ancient times, which had an irrigation system centuries ahead of its time, according to
several Greek sources. However, many academics have questioned whether the gardens really
existed at all, given that it has no concrete material proof connecting them to Nebuchadnezzar
as well as the garden’s exact location or appearance (Johns, 2025). In addition to this, Foster
(2004) stated that descriptions of the Hanging Gardens come from five later classical writers,
but their accounts often conflict and include details that seem unrealistic for the time, with no
mention of early sources like Herodotus at all. Despite the extensive excavation of the old
Babylonian site, which is roughly 50 miles south of present-day Baghdad, nothing of the
gardens has been discovered (Steignmeyer, 2023). Additionally, Dalley (1994) stated that the
gardens are not mentioned in cuneiform records from Nebuchadnezzar II’s time, even
though German archaeologists have thoroughly explored his palaces. Klen (2023)
stated that if the gardens existed, they would have allegedly been inside the walls of the royal
palace of Babylon.

From an engineering viewpoint, the massive weight of the Hanging Gardens of

Babylon necessitated a strong, and formidable foundation (Marlena, 2025). Each level, which
had to be braced back against the wall complex, had to be designed with the proper and
appropriate drainage system to avoid the waterlogging of the building and heighten the risk of
it collapsing. The water from the Euphrates River would be transferred to the uppermost
planting levels to promote growth via a pumping process (Mandal, 2022). This would have
involved an entirety of an irrigation network perhaps employing shadufs, which would
showcase the imaginative thinking of early engineering (Mandal, 2022). Each level developed
for different plants and climate would have required different growing conditions along with a
lightweight but fertile soil (Marlena, 2025). In sum, to construct and maintain a special and
beautiful garden required not only a considerable manpower pool but also unusual levels of
engineering knowledge and experience to construct (Sabalico, 2025).

Also, one of the strongest arguments against the existence of Hanging Gardens of
Babylon, which is the inconsistency of ancient sources that mention them. First is the Greek
accounts against the Babylonian silence. Greek historians such as Strabo and Diodorus
Siculus described the Hanging Gardens as an engineering marvel, with terraces, exotic plants
and advanced irrigation (Bowe, 2015). However, as mentioned, Babylonian records, which
were detailed and often inscribed in cuneiform tablets, make no mention of the gardens. Even
Herodotus, the “Father of History” who described Babylon in detail, never mentioned the
Hanging Gardens (Foster, 2004). This silence is unusual if such a wonder truly existed. Next
is the differences in description. Ancient writers did not agree on what the gardens looked
like. As mentioned in the Seven Wonders (2016) article, some accounts described them as
terraces of stone rising high above the city, while others portrayed them more like lush
mountains of greenery. These conflicting descriptions suggest that the stories may have been
based on secondhand information or traveler's tales rather than firsthand observation. And last
is the possible confusion with Assyria. Some historians now argue that Greek writers may
have confused Babylon with Nineveh, the Assyrian capital. Records from King Sennacherib
of Assyria describe his own grand palace gardens and advanced aqueduct systems, which
sound strikingly similar to the Greek descriptions of the Hanging Gardens (River, 2025).

Another reason for doubting the existence of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon is the
enduring mystery of their actual location; despite centuries of searching and speculation, no
concrete evidence firmly places them within the city of Babylon ( Dasgupta, 2022).
Nebuchadnezzar II, the ruler most often associated with their construction, meticulously
documented his architectural achievements, yet makes no mention of this extraordinary
achievement, an unusual absence that raises immediate doubt on its Babylonian origin
(Dalley, 1994). Compounding this is the lack of supporting archaeological evidence in
Babylon, with excavations failing to reveal any remains consistent with the gardens’
descriptions. The stories about the Hanging Gardens mostly came from later Greek and
Roman writers, who did not have direct knowledge and may have imagined an “ideal” garden
from the East. They might have conflated it with the well-known gardens of the Neo-Assyrian
Empire in Nineveh, a place famous for its rich plant life and rare collections (Dalley, 2014).
Thus, the ongoing absence of physical and written evidence in Babylon points to the idea that
the Hanging Gardens, as commonly imagined, were likely a misunderstood story from
another place or perhaps never existed at all.

One of the main reasons why the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are considered
unlikely to have existed is the climate of Babylon itself. The city of Babylon, located in
southern Mesopotamia, is known for its extremely dry conditions and limited rainfall.
Because Babylon was situated in a dry region, the plants would have had to have been
irrigated by a complicated waterworks system, and no extant Babylonian texts mention the
gardens (Etheredge, 2007). Amid the hot, arid landscape of ancient Babylon, lush vegetation
would have required a marvel of irrigation engineering to raise and deliver the water from the
nearby Euphrates River (Klein, 2013). The totally flat countryside around Babylon would
have made it impossible to deliver the huge quantities of water needed to maintain the lush
gardens described by Greek historians (Keys,, 2013). These statements demonstrate that
Babylon’s dry climate, extreme heat, and flat terrain made it nearly impossible to sustain such
vast elevated gardens, especially in the absence of evidence for the advanced irrigation
systems that would have been necessary.

Although, according to what Dalley (2014) states, some scholars argue that the Hanging
Gardens may have existed but were misattributed to Babylon, possibly located in Nineveh
instead. In support of this, classical writers like Strabo and Diodorus Siculus consistently
describe a grand, terraced garden with advanced irrigation, which could reflect a real
historical structure (Bowe, 2015). However, despite these possibilities, the lack of
archaeological evidence in Babylon, its absence in Nebuchadnezzar II’s cuneiform records,
the conflicting ancient descriptions, and the level of complexity of its structure continue to
support the view that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were likely a product of idea or a
misattributed wonder from another place.

In conclusion, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were most likely never real, but only a
story passed down through time. The complete silence of Babylonian records, even though
they carefully listed Nebuchadnezzar II’s achievements, strongly indicates that such a wonder
never existed in Babylon. The fact that archaeologists have never found remains of the
gardens, despite many excavations, makes it even clearer that they were not there. Ancient
Greek writers gave conflicting descriptions, which shows they were merely relying on
secondhand information and travelers’ tales rather than the truth itself. It is also very possible
that the gardens were confused with those in Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, where evidence of
grand irrigation systems actually exists. On top of this, the hot and dry climate of Babylon
would have made it nearly impossible to sustain such gardens without leaving any proof of
advanced waterworks. And because of these many reasons, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
are more likely a legend or a mix-up story and cannot be seen as a real achievement of
Babylon. That is why the Hanging Gardens of Babylon may have been continuing to fascinate
people in today’s modern world, considering it is part of the seven wonders of the world, yet
the history itself cannot provide any proven evidence that the gardens truly existed. And now,
the Hanging Gardens of Babylon of the Babylonian Civilization are left to be imagined and
pictured by the great imagination of everyone’s mind.

REFERENCES

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Dalley, S. (1994). Nineveh, Babylon and the Hanging Gardens: cuneiform and classical
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Dasgupta, P. (2022, February 2). Where Was the Real Hanging Gardens of Babylon Located?
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Etheredge, L. (2007, October 19). Hanging Gardens of Babylon. In Encyclopaedia

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Foster, K. P. (2004). The Hanging Gardens of Nineveh. Iraq, 66, 207.

https://doi.org/10.2307/4200575

Klein, C. (2025, May 28). Hanging Gardens Existed—But not in Babylon | HISTORY.
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Keys, D. (2013, May 5). The biggest wonder about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? They
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Mandal, D. (2023, July 24). The Fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon: History and
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BSED-SCIENCE/ SCI1A GROUP 3

Princess Lyka B. Gil

Frechiemae M. Pusta

Cecile M. Languay

Mary Divine Grace U. Galoso

Elsefaith R. Alibio

Rhesa Felicilda

Katherine G. Patoc

Rica M. Iligan

Rafonzzle Liones