Spring 2023 · Torch: U.S. · GARDENS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
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Gardens
Many gardens of the ancient times initially began practically as ways of growing small amounts of produce for a household or family. However, as empires grew wealthier, the upper classes could afford to cultivate gardens for ornamental purposes as well as to impress guests, depending on the culture. Depending on the scale of the garden, irrigation techniques could be advanced engineering feats. Structured gardens spread outward from Mesopotamia and Persia from 5000 B.C. onward, influencing areas around the Mediterranean and beyond their time as well.
of the Ancient World
Mesopotamia, 2000-500 BC
In city states in Mesopotamia, much space was alloted to temples and palaces, where most of the planned gardens would have been placed. Courtyards with rows of trees and flower beds were found in various temples, planted with fruit trees such as pomegranates and dates that would also have been planted as crops for the city. King Sargon II of Assyria's garden in his city, Dur-Sharrukin, seemed to include landscaped slopes, an artificial mountain, and pavillions with thousands of imported trees.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon would be the pinnacle of Mesopotamian gardens. While it is unclear if the Hanging Gardens were actually constructed at Babylon due to a lack of corroboration from ancient Babylonian writings, artworks depicting the luscious gardens prevail from reliefs and other written sources strongly advocate for their existence. This garden was said to have been created by Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife, Queen Amytis, to cure her homesickness, and was a many-terraced ziggurat with layers of plants and flora on each level. This construction would have been a feat of engineering and many miles of canal irrigation to maintain.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, c. North Wind Picture Archives
A relief depicting Sargon II's garden.