Ancient Hydroponics Gardens

The word "hydroponics" is derived from two Greek words: cidra, meaning water, and punikos, meaning labor; thus, literally "waterworks." Contrary to popular belief, hydroponic gardening is an ancient form of agriculture, going back 3,000 years. There are references to the cultivation of plants directly in water in Egyptian records dating back to the time of the New Kingdom and the "Woman-King," Pharoah Hatshepsut around 1460 BCE.

The best-known hydroponic gardens of the ancient world were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Also known as the Gardens of Semiramis, the Hanging Gardens are reputed to have been located near Al-Hillah in present-day Iraq, and were regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The Hanging Gardens were built by King Nebuchadnezzar around 600 BCE. His wife, Amytis, was from Media, whose people were the ancestors of the modern Kurds. The country of Medea was a mountainous one, roughly corresponding to present-day Kurdistan, northern Iran and Azerbaijan. Legend says Amytis became homesick for the mountains and the flora of her homeland; Nebuchadnezzar had the Gardens constructed for her. According to Greek historians of the time, the Hanging Gardens, a water pipe led into a well tower, which supplied water via a number of vaults for fruit trees growing in a layer of asphalt.