logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
55m 41s

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

History Hit
About this episode

A legendary, ancient architectural wonder, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the most famed wonders of the Ancient world. Described as being a luscious green space - likened to distant mountains, and fed by the Euphrates river, it's hard to know what was fact and what was fiction. So were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon actually real? And is there any archaeological evidence proving so?


In the next episode of our Babylon miniseries, Tristan is joined by Professor Grant Frame, and welcomes back Dr Stephanie Dalley, to delve into this mysterious ancient creation. Looking at the archaeology of ancient-Iraq, the geographic landscape on which the Gardens were built, and examining the socio-political history of ancient Babylon - is it possible that these gardens might have actually existed? And if not, what is this fantastical myth based on?


If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Aug 24
Origins of Homo Sapiens
Where do we come from? The origins of modern humans stretch back hundreds of thousands of years, and new discoveries are reshaping how we understand our species’ story. In this episode, recorded on location at London’s Natural History Museum, Tristan Hughes speaks with Professor ... Show More
41m 10s
Aug 21
Ashurbanipal: The Last Great King of Assyria
Known as the 'King of the World' and the last great king of Assyria, Ashurbanipal bestrode the ancient Mesopotamian world as a warrior but also a scholar, ruling the great Assyrian empire at the height of its power.In this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by Assyriologist Dr Sel ... Show More
52m 11s
Aug 17
The White Huns
The Huns weren’t just Attila’s warriors in Europe — in Central Asia, the White Huns built the most powerful Hunnic empire, ruling for a century and dominating the ancient Silk Roads.While the European Huns fought Rome, the White Huns commanded trade routes, overthrew kingdoms, an ... Show More
53m 32s
Recommended Episodes
May 2018
“The Hanging Gardens of Babylon” Pt. 2 - Historic Site or Ancient Legend?
For almost two decades, German archaeologist Robert Koldewey headed an excavation looking for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. He searched for it based on descriptions in ancient Greek and Roman histories. But what if these weren’t historic texts, but rather legends passed down th ... Show More
58m 49s
May 2018
"The Hanging Gardens of Babylon" - Did They Exist?
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were regarded as a wonder of the ancient world. But there is very little information about them in ancient texts. Was it truly a paradise or did it even exist at all? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
44m 19s
Nov 2023
Babylon
The urban cultures of ancient Mesopotamia formed the foundation for so much of our modern world. Nowhere exemplifies this better than the city of Babylon, which was the cultural seedbed for the Greek and Roman civilisations that in turn left such lasting legacies. On this episode ... Show More
34m 12s
Jan 2024
The 7 Wonders of the Ancient World
People have always looked to the wonders of the ancient world for awe and inspiration. In the Ancient era, people embarked on dangerous pilgrimages to visit storied sites like the Pyramids of Giza, or the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. While only one of them remains, they still excit ... Show More
31m 52s
Jan 2021
The Ancient Babylonians
Host Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid and comedian Kae Kurd in Ancient Mesopotamia as they explore the Babylonian civiliisation. If your knowledge of Babylon doesn’t extend beyond the Boney M. song then this is the episode for you. We reveal all sorts of fas ... Show More
55m 8s
Feb 2024
The Great Pyramid of Giza
Built by Pharaoh Khufu some 4,500 years ago, the Great Pyramid was the first ancient wonder to be built and is the only one still standing. Towering above the Giza Plateau, this stone behemoth was to be Khufu's tomb, the place from which he would travel to the afterlife. For this ... Show More
28m 8s
Dec 2023
Pythagoras' Utopia
What comes to your mind when you think of Pythagoras, the ancient Greek polymath? Some might think of the Pythagorean theorem, a foundational principle of mathematics. But he was also the enigmatic founder of Pythagoreanism, a mysterious secret society that strove to create a uto ... Show More
28m 58s
Sep 2023
Where Was Babylon, and How Did It Fall?
Over 2000 years ago, Babylon was the largest, wealthiest city in the world -- but it didn't last. Learn about its past, present, and myths in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/babylon.htmSee omnystudio.com/listene ... Show More
9m 30s
Mar 2022
The Wonder of Stonehenge
Towering above the Wiltshire countryside, Stonehenge is perhaps the world's most awe-inspiring ancient stone circle. Shrouded in layers of speculation and folklore, this iconic British monument has spurred myths and legends that persist today. Dan is joined by Neil Wilkin, curato ... Show More
25m 16s