The Hanging Gardens of Bablyon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Hanging Gardens of Bablyon - Research Paper Example This construction, which came to gain fame being regarded as a wonder of the World, was done by this king for the pleasure of his wife, who was dissatisfied with her new home city. Her homesickness for her native land in Medes forced the king to create something that would keep her occupied, hence the Hanging Gardens. These gardens, despite the claims that they were only legendary, are widely reported by various ancient writers in the Greek and Roman age. The description that is given of these gardens provides a hint of the architectural feat that was achieved in an age that is believed not to have had any significant technological advancement. The construction achievement of these gardens has been a matter of speculation from the ancient times. The manner of their construction still puzzles most architects and historians who have dedicated themselves to its study using what was said concerning them by the ancient writers. It is said that they came to be destroyed by a series of eart hquakes, which hit the area after the second century BC. The ancient writers, mentioned above, describe these gardens as having been designed to use something akin to the Archimedes screw for irrigating the gardens, which were planted on terraces (Dalley and Oleson 2). The Archimedes screw is a device, which from ancient times, has been used to transfer water from low-lying water bodies to irrigation trenches. This mechanism has within either it a screw inside a hollow pipe and this screw can be turned manually or using a windmill. As the screw moves, its bottom end collects some water that slides up the pipe until it pours out of its top and it is distributed to the irrigation systems. This mechanism was used for draining water out of mines or other places with low-lying water, and it is logical to assume that it was also used to irrigate the Hanging Gardens. Based on the descriptions of the gardens provided by the ancient writers, it has been estimated that they would have require d at least 37000 liters of water every day. The watering mechanism for the gardens was controlled by a number of people who had been appointed to the task. They manually turned the screw, ensuring that there was a permanent water flow to the irrigation channels. The water needed was acquired, using the mechanism described, from the nearby Euphrates River from where it was carried to the very top of the gardens. From there, a system of irrigation channels had been constructed to allow for the efficient flow of water down the slopes of the garden. These channels were exceptionally well hidden, and only those who knew where they were had any knowledge of it. This made the water flow from the top of the gardens look remarkably natural as was intended by its designer. The flowing water served two main purposes for the garden, the first of which is that it allowed for the efficient irrigation of all the plants in the garden, ensuring that none of the plants lacked water. The second purpos e was to create the impression of a waterfall, and this profoundly enhanced the beauty of the garden, especially when considers that this was a dry region. The sight of flowing water must have made quite an impression on the local people and considerably enhanced the reputation of both the garden as well as its builder. Therefore, in order to