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- THE HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON -

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Of the famous monuments of the antiquity, considered to be "The seven Wonders of the world"- The Hanging Gardens of Babylon represents the only architectural wonder which didn't have a practical purpose like the others and which was not dedicated to any gods or kings. They are also called "The Semiramide's Gardens" even that queen never exists. In fact, all the great monuments in Babylon own to the king were called Nebuchadnezzar". So, these legendary gardens did exist, having been created during the sixth century, B.C., as an appendix of the huge palace of the king. The historian Joseph Flavius tells us that the king built the gardens for enchanting his wife and he gave the gardens the appearance of a mountain, as his wife had been in a mountain region. What were these wonderful hanging gardens like? The famous palace of the king was really huge. In its neighborhood high on a hill, the king built the hanging gardens. They were not really hanging, but they were settled on stone terraces, supported by solid columns and arcades. According to the historians on a hill of 15 meters in height, 625 pillars of 11-12 meters in height, made up of burned bricks, asphalt bonded, supported a square terrace. The pillars were square in section, and the distance between them was of 3 meters. On that terrace these was laid soil, thick enough to support the trees roots. That soil was covered with all kinds of trees, which enchanted everybody's eyes. Beside that first terraces there were others smaller than that, built in the same way. Above the first terrace other pillars supported the second one. There were all, four terraces. The terraces were connected between them by stairs made of stone. The historians say that one of the columns was hollow, and inside of it there was a hydraulic machinery which pumped water from the Euphrates river, and of course, it couldn't be seen from outside. It's true: The Hanging Gardens of Babylon could "not only enchant the eyes of the lookers, by their beauty", but make the most powerful impression on him, too. And even today, we are amazed by the ingenuity and hugeness of such a building.

##nume## - ##clasa## - ##coala sau liceu ## The hanging gardens of Babylon