OF PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE The south western districts of Asia, although the centre from whence, we have reason to think, mankind originally spread in all directions, has undergone such frequent and complete changes, that we have scarcely any vestiges of its very ancient edifices left, and even the descriptions of the earliest historians convey but imper fect ideas of their magnitude or forms ; the reason of this will be evident, from considering that the dominion has been successively in the hands of the Assyrians, Medes, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Saracens, and Turks.
Although there may be reason to suspect some exag geration in the accounts transmitted by Herodotus and others, it is clear they were the results of the enquiries of curious and able men ; they at least prove, that the magnitude of the cities, palaces, and temples of Assyria and Chaldea, must have been very great ; and when we consider the population and riches of the empires of which these cities were the capitals, and that to their de coration every despotic monarch would apply the whole resources of his empire, we should hesitate in assigning the limits of their operations, particularly when it is con sidered, that although despotism cannot create genius, or oblige it in a short period to produce fine architecture, sculpture, and painting, yet when magnitude alone is concerned, simple manual labour to almost any extent was perfectly within its power. Those who will take the trouble of acquiring a distinct knowledge of what has been performed during the last 50 years, in extending towns, constructing harbours, navigable canals, roads, and bridges, within the island of Great Britain alone, will not be astonished by the accounts given of the vast cities of the east.
Babylon and Nineveh appear both to have existed at the same time, and to have been nearly of the same mag nitude, viz. from 48 to 60 miles in circumference.
Babylon was situated in 32° 34' N. Latitude, and 44° 12' 30" E. Longitude, in the extensive and rich plain of Shinar, at the top of the Delta, formed by the Euphrates and the Tigris. Its original founder is said to have been Nimrod, 2000 years B. C. but it was rebuilt by the cele brated Assyrian queen Semiramis, 1200 B. C. and en larged and perfected by Nebuchadnezzar, about 600 B. C. It was divided by the Euphrates passing through it from north to south, the old city being on the east, and the new on the west side of the river, both together form ing a square 15 miles on each side. It was divided by 25 streets, 150 feet broad, running in each direction, and crossing at eight angles, besides streets of 200 feet in breadth, passing along the inside of the walls ; the whole space was thus divided into 676 squares, along which the houses were built at some distance from each other.
The intermediate spaces were occupied by gardens and ,r.._ T TT groves of trees. The walls which encompassed the city are said by Herodotus to have been 335 feet high, and 87 in thickness ; they were built of brick, laid in a mortar made of bitumen ; they were surrounded by a ditch, from which the bricks had been made. Darius Hystaspes afterwards reduced them to 50 cubits in height. There were 25 gates in each side, opposite to the streets ; and upon the walls, between the gates, were lofty towers. The sides of the river were faced with brick work as quays ; and in the middle of the city w as a bridge. This bridge was constructed of pillars set at 11 feet distance, and covered with stones laid horizontally ; the roadway was 30 feet wide. Above the city two canals were cut from the Euphrates to convey the flood water to the Tigris, and to the west was an artificial lake 40 miles square, which received the water of the river while the quays were constructing ; the lake was afterwards used for watering lands. At each end of the bridge was a pa lace ; the old one at the east end was surrounded by three walls placed at a considerable distance from each other, the whole being 30 furlongs in circuit. The new one, by Nebuchadnezzar, was on the western side, and is said to have been eight miles in circuit, but this no doubt also included the royal gardens and parks. The walls were embellished with sculpture, particularly one piece representing Queen Semiramis on horseback, throwing her javelin at a leopard, while her husband Ninus is piercing a lion. The temple of Belus occupied one square. Near the old palace, in the middle, stood the ancient tower, the base of which was about 600 feet on each side ; it consisted of 'eight towers placed on each other, and each 75 feet high : it diminished as it rose, and was ascended by means of an inclined plane, which passed eight times round the tower. In these towers were apartments supported by pillars : these were the temples, the uppermost being the most sacred. The top is said to have been an observatory. Nebuchadnezzar surrounded this tower with buildings, so as to occupy a square of two furlongs on the side, and surrounded by a wall two miles and a half in circuit. There were several brazen gates, and many idols of gold, especially one of Belus 30 feet high, placed on a pedestal 50 feet high.