The Ecological Oasis – Oman Botanical Gardens
A wonder of the ancient world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were a tall beacon of green packed full of abundant plant life, ripe fruit and flowing waterfalls, said to be created by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II as a gift to his wife.
As we all know, history has that weird habit of repeating itself, and, just over 2,000 km away from Hillah, Iraq, where Babylon once stood, Oman is developing their own slice of paradise with the creation of the Oman Botanic Gardens – slated to be the largest botanic gardens on the planet. With the picturesque Al-Hajar mountains acting as the backdrop, it seems like the legacy of Nebuchadnezzar might live once again.
Rather than having the gardens stick out like a sore green thumb, Grimshaw Architects, Arup Engineering and Haley Sharpe Design are working in collaboration to use the beautifully rugged Al-Hajar mountain terrain as the master template. The sprawling 420 hectare ecosystem flowing with the detail of every crevasse, ridge and ravine provided by the mountain range – terra firma, flora and fauna in symbiosis.
Eight distinct habitats feature the extensive range of endangered, native and endemic plant life of Oman. Separated into two different biomes, the Northern Biome simulates the diverse environment of Al-Hajar’s northern mountains, with the Southern Biome replicating the greenery of the Dhofar region, complete with a “Khareef” forest setting. Sustainability lies at the heart of the gardens, with passive and active shading, UV light controls, cooling and plant irrigation, and the region’s sunlight and weather patterns carefully accounted for.
And, if that wasn’t enough, each habitat is connected via cable car, making transport across the gardens, visitor’s centre and research centre a breeze. Nebuchadnezzar could only dream of a garden like this.
