The Athens National Garden is a green oasis in the heart of the city. No one is in a hurry here, and this the best place to relax in silence. I did not have as much time as this turtle to have a good time in the same way as she did, but I managed to take a break from the bustle of the city.
Hundreds of different plants are planted in the park and dozens of animal species live.
The arrangement of the garden lasted several years in the middle of the 19th century under the guidance of the German gardener Schmidt. More than 500 species of plants, birds and animals were brought here. Some plants did not survive the Athenian climate, but those that remain are doing great. About 140 species of plants over 100 years old have been preserved in the park.
At the entrance to the park, visitors are greeted by a sundial set in the middle of a large flower bed.
I don't know what these palm trees are called, but the park's palm alley is impressive!
In the middle of the park there is a fairly large flock of Indian bell parrots. The flock has several dozen of these green birds.
Birds fly freely in the park. Their nest is impressive, suspended from a branch of an old pine tree.
The nest is very large.
The park has an aviary with a dozen species of animals.
Parrots and pigeons are constantly competing.
Several types of parrots live in a spacious cage. They, of course, envy those greens that fly freely from tree to tree.
Fountain.
In the center of another small lake, dozens of turtles rest on the rocks.
Where without toads and frogs.
Old tree.
It is pleasant to walk in the shade of this pergola on a hot summer day. Or on a warm winter day in mid-February, as in my case.
Busts of the great Greeks are installed in different parts of the garden and near its fence.
There are also ancient ruins in the park. For example, close to the park, partially entering its territory from the side of Amalia Street, under a large canopy are the ruins of a bathhouse of the 3rd - 4th centuries AD.
The National Garden smoothly passes into the park of the Zappeion Palace. It is named after Evangelis Zappas, a Greek millionaire and philanthropist. Zappeion was opened in 1888 and was intended for sports competitions at the Olympic Games. Nowadays, the building hosts exhibitions, conferences, meetings and symposiums. The palace is surrounded by a garden in an English landscape style with a large fountain.
And I cross the road and get to the temple of Olympian Zeus. Next time I will tell you how to watch it completely free.
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The second wonder of the world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, is a luxurious and unusual gift from the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar to his beloved wife. This is where he died. Hanging gardens delighted ancient travelers and to this day do not cease to excite the minds modern people.
– The largest city ancient Mesopotamia, capital Babylonian kingdom in the 19th-6th centuries. BC e., the cultural and commercial center of antiquity, which amazed contemporaries with its splendor. Here was located the second wonder of the world - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
In Search of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Time has destroyed the hanging gardens, and now it is even impossible to say exactly where they were. Although archaeologists have repeatedly attempted to find traces of the wonder of the world famous in antiquity.
Also in late XIX century, the German historian Robert Koldewey took up this task. Excavations lasted 18 years. As a result, the scientist stated that he had discovered traces of Ancient Babylon - part of the city wall, the ruins of the Tower of Babel and the remains of columns and vaults, which, in his opinion, once surrounded the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
The excavations he carried out made it possible to get a fairly clear idea of \u200b\u200bwhat Babylon looked like in the 6th century BC. e. The city was built up according to a clearly drawn up plan, it was surrounded by a triple ring of walls, the length of which reached 18 km. The number of its inhabitants was not less than 200,000.
In the old part of the city was the main palace of Nebuchadnezzar, divided into two parts - eastern and western. On the plan, it is depicted as a quadrangle. The entrance was located in the east, and the garrison was also located there. West Side, apparently, was intended for courtiers; on the north side, according to archaeologists, were the hanging gardens of Babylon. Not all scholars support this view. But after many centuries, it is rather difficult to establish the exact location of the hanging gardens.
Description of Herodotus
A detailed and enthusiastic description of Babylon is available from the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. He visited Babylon in the 5th century BC. e. he was struck by the breadth and regularity of its streets, the beauty and richness of its palaces and temples. Reading the enthusiastic descriptions of Herodotus, it is almost impossible to believe that two centuries before him this city was destroyed and wiped off the face of the earth by the cruel Assyrian king Sennacherib, and the place itself was flooded by the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates.
The death of Babylon
For a long time, rich and flourishing Babylonia was the object of raids by the kings of the warlike Assyrian power. In an effort to destroy a recalcitrant rival, the Assyrian king Sennacherib threw countless hordes against Babylonia. The decisive battle took place near the city of Halul, on the Tigris River. The rebellious Babylonians and their allies were defeated. Here is how the chronicler describes these events on behalf of the Assyrian king: “Like a lion, I became furious, put on a shell, and put a battle helmet on my head. In the wrath of my heart, I quickly rushed in a high war chariot, striking enemies ...
Thundering furiously, I raised a war cry against all the evil enemy troops ... I pierced the enemy warriors with a dart and arrows, I pierced their corpses like a sieve ... I quickly killed the enemies, like fat bulls bound, along with princes girded with golden daggers and with hands, studded with red gold rings. I cut their throats like lambs. I cut off their precious life, like a thread ... Chariots, along with horses, the riders of which were killed during the offensive, left to their own devices (of fate), rushed back and forth ...
I stopped beating only after two hours (after the onset) of the night. The king of Elam himself, together with the king of Babylon and the princes of the Chaldeans, who were on his side, were crushed by the horror of the battle ... They left their tents and fled. For the sake of saving their lives, they trampled on the corpses of their own warriors ... Their hearts beat like those of a captured dove, they clanged their teeth. I sent my chariots with horses to pursue them, and the fugitives who fled for their lives were stabbed with weapons wherever they were overtaken.
Then the Assyrian king Sennacherib moved to Babylon and, despite the fierce resistance of its inhabitants, took the city. Babylon was given to the soldiers for plunder. Those defenders of the city that were not killed were enslaved and resettled in different regions of the Assyrian state. And he planned to wipe out the recalcitrant city of Sennacherib from the face of the earth: walls and towers, temples and palaces, houses and craft workshops were destroyed. After Babylon was completely destroyed, the king ordered the floodgates to be opened and all that was left of the great city to be flooded.
This happened in the 7th century BC. e. And two centuries later, Herodotus visited Babylon and was amazed by its wealth and magnificence. Ancient city again admired travelers with the power and impregnability of its walls, the splendor of palaces and temples.
City rebuilding
How could the ruined city be reborn from the ashes and reach unprecedented prosperity? By order of King Esarhaddon, the son of Sennacherib, thousands of slaves were driven to a wasteland flooded with water, on the site of which a majestic city had previously stood. They began to work on the restoration of canals, clearing debris and building a new city on the site of the former. The best craftsmen and architects were sent to build Babylon. In the restored city, its inhabitants, who had previously been resettled in remote areas of Assyria, were returned.
Reborn Babylon
The revived Babylon reached its peak under King Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled from 605-562 BC. e. He led an active aggressive policy, extended his influence to Phoenicia, Syria, conquered the capital of the Kingdom of Judah - Jerusalem. The city was destroyed, and almost all of its population was moved to Babylon (this event in Hebrew history is called the Babylonian captivity).
Extensive aggressive campaigns gave Nebuchadnezzar the opportunity to capture vast territories and a large number of prisoners who were turned into slaves and used in the construction of grandiose structures in the capital. Nebuchadnezzar wanted to surpass all his predecessors with the splendor and splendor of the palaces and temples of the capital.
Babylon was a regular rectangle in plan, which divided the Euphrates into Old and New town, and was surrounded (as already mentioned) by three rows of powerful fortress walls, built of mud brick. In a number of ancient sources, the walls of Babylon are also named among the wonders of the world, since they were distinguished by their unusual width (several chariots could freely pass on them) and big amount jagged towers. The space between the inner and outer ring of walls was deliberately not built up, since in the event of an attack it was supposed to become a refuge for the population of nearby villages.
There have always been many travelers in Babylon who want to see with their own eyes its luxury and beauty, majestic palaces and temples. But of greatest interest were the delightful Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which were not found anywhere else in the world.
Description of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
First and most Full description hanging gardens is found in the "History" of Herodotus. In those days, the construction of gardens was attributed to the legendary Assyrian queen Shamurmat (in Greek, Semiramis). In fact, they were built by order of Nebuchadnezzar II for his beloved wife, the Median princess Amitis (according to other sources - Amanis). In treeless and dry Babylonia, she yearned for the coolness of the forests of her native Media. And, in order to console her, the king ordered to build a garden in which the plants would remind the queen of her homeland.
The gardens were laid out on a four-tiered tower. Platforms were built from massive blocks of stone, they were supported by strong vaults, which in turn rested on columns. The top of the platform was covered with reeds and filled with asphalt. They made a lining of two rows of bricks fastened with gypsum, and lead plates were already laid on them, which protected the lower tiers from water penetration.
Only after that a thick layer of fertile land was laid, which made it possible to grow the largest trees. The tiers of gardens were interconnected by wide staircases lined with white and pink slabs. The gardens were planted with magnificent plants, palm trees and flowers, brought by order of the king from distant Media.
In the desert and arid Babylonia, these gardens with their aroma, greenery and coolness seemed like a real miracle and amazed with their magnificence. In order for plants to grow in hot Babylonia, hundreds of slaves turned the water wheel every day, pumping water from the Euphrates. Water was supplied upward, into numerous channels, through which it flowed down to the lower tiers.
It was in the lower tier of this garden that the legendary commander of antiquity Alexander the Great died. Having defeated the Persian king Darius, he moved to Babylon, preparing for a decisive rebuff from its inhabitants. But the population of the city, tired of Persian rule, met the Macedonians as liberators and opened the gates to Alexander without resistance. The Persians, who were behind the fortress wall, did not dare to resist.
Alexander was greeted with flowers and joyful cries. Priests, representatives of the nobility and many ordinary citizens came out to meet him. Alexander, having heard about the beauty and luxury of Babylon, was amazed at what he saw.
Delighted, Alexander decided to make Babylon the capital of his state. But he appeared in the city only 10 years later, preparing for a campaign against Egypt, from which he intended to move further to Carthage, Italy and Spain. Preparations for the campaign had already been completed when the commander fell ill. The king was put to bed, but he continued to give orders. And although the doctors gave him healing infusions, his health deteriorated. Tormented by fever, he ordered his bed to be lowered into the lower tier of the gardens.
When it became clear that he was dying, he was transferred to the throne room of the builder of the hanging gardens, Nebuchadnezzar II. There, on a dais, the royal bed was placed, past which his soldiers passed in deep silence. This was the last farewell of the king to the army.
And a few centuries later, the once lush and rich city began to decline. New cities grew, trade routes stretched away from Babylon. The flood destroyed the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II. Clay, which served as the main building material Babylonians, was short-lived.
Washed out by water, the vaults and ceilings collapsed, the columns supporting the terraces on which the hanging gardens grew collapsed. Everything turned to dust And only the descriptions of ancient authors and archaeological finds help to imagine what the greatest wonder of the world was, inspired by the love of the Babylonian king and created by the labor and art of the Babylonian masters.
The National Garden is one of the favorite places for the Athenians to relax. Several thousand species of rare trees and plants grow in the park.
Just a few meters from the Syntagma metro station, right behind the building of the Greek Parliament, the National Garden of Athens stretches - a natural oasis in the very center of the Greek capital. The National Garden occupies about 15 hectares, where exotic trees, shrubs and rare plant species grow.
Initially, the garden was called not national, but “royal”, or “Amalia's Garden”, in honor of Queen Amalia, who, in fact, initiated its creation. Interestingly, Amalia (the wife of King Otto) was so passionate about her brainchild that she personally took care of the garden for at least 3 hours a day. She personally planted the famous palm trees, which today reach 25 m in height. They are located directly opposite the entrance to the garden from Amalia Avenue and are one of the most recognizable locations on its territory.
The National Garden in Athens is a favorite vacation spot for adults and children!
The garden was founded in two years (from 1838 to 1840). Impressive figures testify to the scale of the project: today about 7 thousand trees and 40 thousand shrubs and other plants grow here, which is more than 500 various kinds vegetation from different parts the globe. There are only a little over 100 Greek plant species here, and the rest are imported from Australia, the Canary Islands, etc.
There are six lakes on the territory of the National Garden, where friendly and well-fed ducks live. And among the historical artifacts, one can note several ancient columns and an amazing mosaic floor of a Roman period villa, found during excavations in the 19th century.
The National Garden of Athens also houses a café, a library and a greenhouse where young seedlings are grown to a certain size before planting them outdoors. One of the garden's favorite pastimes is trying to guess the time shown by the sundial near the main entrance.
The National Garden is loved not only by tourists who study, but also by residents of the city. On the benches in the shade of eucalyptus trees, you can read a newspaper or a book, take a jog along one of the picturesque paths, make new friends or just relax and breathe fresh air on a sweltering summer day.
How to get to the National Garden
Tourists who want to diversify their excursions in Athens and take a break from museums and ancient ruins are highly recommended to visit the National Garden.
As many as 7 entrances lead to the garden! The main entrance is located on Queen Amalia Avenue, one more - on avenue Reina Sofia, three entrances are from the side streets of Herod Atticus and two more from the side Zappeion buildings.
The nearest metro station to the National Garden: ΣΤ.ΣΥΝΤΑΓΜΑΤΟΣ (Constitution Square and Parliament building). Remember exactly the Greek version, so it will be easier to navigate "on the ground." Bus routes: No. 2, 4, 11, 12, 209, 040.
Opening hours and ticket prices
Entrance to the National Garden of Athens is free for everyone. Opening hours: daily from 6-00 to 19-30. Unfortunately, you will not be able to walk under the moon in your favorite Athenian park.
About the seven wonders ancient world, familiar to everyone since school days, legends have been formed for thousands of years. Not all unique man-made monuments have survived, many have been destroyed by ruthless time, but the memory of amazing creations is still alive.
Researchers of the ancient world are arguing about the reality of the existence of many of them, and not only modern scientists doubt this. For example, the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who traveled around Mesopotamia, never mentioned a unique work, which today will be discussed, although it should have amazed him with its grandeur.
Myths about finding hanging gardens
In our article, we will talk about where the gardens of Babylon are located - one of the most significant wonders of the world that has not survived to this day. Ancient historians claimed that they were located in the first metropolis of mankind, Babylon. However, modern scientists have recognized the theory as erroneous, stating that the real homeland of the extraordinary garden city is 400 kilometers from the intended location.
Loud statement by Dr. Dally
One of the loudest statements on this subject was made by the archaeologist S. Dally from Oxford, who spent twenty years of her life searching for the legend. The fact is that the history of the Hanging Gardens is full of all sorts of inaccuracies. It was believed that they are related to the mythical Queen Semiramis, who ruled in Assyria.
But according to written sources that have come down to us, it became known that they were allegedly built during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, the king, who decided in this way to entertain his beloved wife Amitis. She could not get used to life in a noisy and dusty metropolis, and her husband, worried about her, ordered to build a green oasis in which his wife would rest all year round.
Monument created in the name of love
And at the wave of the ruler's hand, a monument created in the name of love arose - the gardens of Babylon. What city were they in? Until recently, it was believed that they were located in Babylon standing in the middle of the desert, and the queen, who arrived from pure and green Media, suffered extremely from a lack of fresh air.
It is known that the Hanging Gardens were located on a high tower with four tiers connected by pink and white stairs and supported by wide columns. So thick a layer of earth was laid on firmly connected platforms that even centuries-old trees could be planted. By the way, it is precisely because of the effect of soaring in the air of climbing plants, smoothly turning into different levels terraces, gardens were called hanging.
Second wonder of the world
As scholars of antiquity wrote, the erected hanging gardens of Amitis shocked with incredible dimensions: the height of the building reached 250 meters, and the length and width exceeded one kilometer.
More than 37,000 liters of water were spent on watering the plants on the territory every day, and even an original irrigation system was invented to support the life of green spaces using various mechanisms.
Water supply technology was not new to the city, but it is believed that it was here that it reached its perfection. Something similar was in the world-famous Huge wheel rotated by slaves, and thus the water rose to the very top of the garden, from which it flowed along the terraces entwined with greenery. Outside the palace, thousands of poor people died of thirst, because water in those days was worth its weight in gold, but here it flowed like a river to delight the eyes of Amitis.
Conquest of Babylon
It is believed that the formidable winner Alexander the Great, who conquered Babylon, was captivated by the amazing beauty of the erected palace. Away from the bustle and noise, he enjoyed the silence, interrupted only by the sounds of murmuring water, reminiscing about his native Macedonia. After the death of the ruler who held all the power in his hands, the city ceased to be considered the capital of the world and fell into decay.
Assumptions about the destruction of the gardens and the palace
Unfortunately, the second wonder of the world, as it is commonly called, has not come down to us, and no one knows whether the elements destroyed it, or whether it was the work of human hands. There are suggestions that all vegetation died after the slaves stopped pumping water. And the terrible flood that happened destroyed the once luxurious palace to the ground, the clay walls of which got wet, and the massive columns supporting them collapsed.
Koldeveya's find
After several centuries, archaeologists, interested in finding the legendary landmark, searched for the erected gardens of Babylon in Mesopotamia for a long time. The famous scientist R. Koldevey devoted his life to this. Since 1898, he was engaged in excavations near Baghdad and found stone ruins, declaring them the remains of a Babylonian attraction.
Found ruins
An extensive network of trenches branched in different directions made him think that these might be the very long-awaited gardens. A German archaeologist discovered the remains of a water supply system, which was used to irrigate green plants brought especially for the queen from various countries.
The ruins found by many scientists were not perceived as the ruins of the Babylonian gardens, and some continued their search, arguing that the wonderful structure was located in a completely different place.
Long years of searching
Dr. Dalli, inspired by the absence of any mention of the structure in written sources from the time of Nebuchadnezzar, began her own investigation, which lasted for decades. She painstakingly studied ancient artifacts and deciphered cuneiform manuscripts in the British Museum to answer the question that tormented everyone about where the gardens of Babylon really are.
After a long search scientific works were rewarded. In 2013, after analyzing all the collected data, Dally located the location of the ancient garden structures that had become mythical. She found references to the construction of a "miracle for all people" near Nineveh. The erected luxurious palace, along with a broken garden, was erected in the 8th century BC.
Where are the gardens of Babylon actually located?
The fact is that Nineveh, now located on the territory of modern Iraq, is mentioned in all manuscripts as ancient Babylon, which led to distortion historical facts about the true location of the grand structure. According to the Oxford archaeological group, a massive burial mound in northern Iraq near the city of Mosul holds an outlandish wonder of the world - the gardens of Babylon.
According to Dr. Dalli, excavations in this place will certainly confirm her theory about the existence of the structure, and the bas-relief found in the city depicting a wonderful palace with hanging terraces of flowers once again convinces the correctness of the theory of specialists.
However, skeptical researchers do not agree with this version, stating that other parks will be found in Nineveh, only similar to the gardens of Babylon. The country of Iraq and, in particular, the city of Mosul, captured by ISIS militants, does not allow for large-scale studies to confirm or refute the theory of Dr. Dalli.
Questions without answers
So, now it is impossible to say exactly where the gardens of Babylon are located. Yes, not a single drawing depicting the second wonder of the world has survived to our days, and all the paintings that have appeared are just a figment of the imagination of artists.
The mystery of a huge structure erected many centuries ago excites the minds of modern researchers and ordinary people, but there is no direct evidence of the exact location of the great structure. The unceasing disputes between scientists proved that the hanging gardens really existed, and main question so far remains unanswered.
