Sevens Wonders of the Ancient World - Ancient History - HISTORY.com Sevens Wonders of the Ancient World Sevens Wonders of the Ancient World Author Sevens Wonders of the Ancient World URL A+E Networks Introduction The amazing works of art and architecture known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World serve as a testament to the ingenuity, imagination and sheer hard work of which human beings are capable. They are also, however, reminders of the human capacity for disagreement, destruction and, possibly, embellishment. As soon as ancient writers compiled a list of “seven wonders,” it became fodder for debate over which achievements deserved inclusion. Ultimately, human hands joined with natural forces to destroy all but one of the wonders. Furthermore, it is possible that at least one of the wonders might not have existed at all. Still, all seven continue to inspire and be celebrated as the remarkable products of the creativity and skill of Earth’s early civilizations. Google Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt The Great Pyramids, located at Giza on the west bank of the Nile River north of Cairo, are the only wonder of the ancient world that has survived to the present day.

The three pyramids–Khufu (Cheops), Khafra (Chephren) and Menkaura (Mycerimus)–were built between 2700 B.C. and 2500 B.C. as royal tombs. The largest and most impressive is Khufu, which covers 13 acres and is believed to contain more than 2 million stone blocks that weigh from two to 30 tons each. For more than 4,000 years, Khufu reigned as the tallest building in the world. In fact, it took modern man until the 19th century to build a taller structure. Amazingly, the nearly symmetrical pyramids were built without the aid of modern tools or surveying equipment. Scientists believe that the Egyptians used log rollers and sledges to move the stones into place. The sloped walls, which were intended to mimic the rays of Ra, the sun god, were originally built as steps, and then filled in with limestone. The interior of the pyramids included narrow corridors and hidden chambers in an unsuccessful attempt to foil grave robbers.

Although modern archeologists have found some great treasures among the ruins, they believe most of what the pyramids once contained was looted within 250 years of their completion. Did You Know? The Colossus of Rhodes was an inspiration for the Statue of Liberty. Hanging Gardens of Babylon According to ancient Greek poets, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built near the Euphrates River in modern-day Iraq by the Babylonian king Nebuchadrezzar II around 600 B.C. The gardens were said to have been planted as high as 75 feet in the air on a huge square brick terrace that was laid out in steps like a theater. The king allegedly built the towering gardens to ease his lover Amytis’ homesickness for the natural beauty of her home in Media (the northwestern part of modern-day Iran). Later writers described how people could walk underneath the beautiful gardens, which rested on tall stone columns. Modern scientists have deduced that for the gardens to survive they would have had to be irrigated using a system consisting of a pump, waterwheel and cisterns to carry water from the Euphrates many feet into the air.

Though there are multiple accounts of the gardens in both Greek and Roman literature, none of them are firsthand, and no mention of the gardens has been found in Babylonian cuneiform inscriptions. As a result, most modern scholars believe that the existence of the gardens was part of an inspired and widely believed but still fictional tale. Statue of Zeus at Olympia The famed statue of Zeus was crafted by the Athenian sculptor Phidias and completed and placed in the temple of Zeus at Olympia, site of the ancient Olympics, around the mid-fifth century B.C. The statue depicted the god of thunder seated bare-chested at a wooden throne. Holding up the thrones’ armrests were two carved sphinxes, mythical creatures with the head and chest of a woman, the body of lion and the wings of a bird. The statue of Zeus was richly decorated with gold and ivory. At 40 feet, it was so tall that its head nearly touched the top of the temple. According to legend, the sculptor Phidias asked Zeus for a sign of his approval after finishing the statue; soon after, the temple was struck by lightning.

The Zeus statue graced the temple at Olympia for more than eight centuries before Christian priests persuaded the Roman emperor to close the temple in the fourth century A.D. At that time, the statue was moved to a temple in Constantinople, where it is believed to have been destroyed in a fire in the year 462. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus There was actually more than one Temple of Artemis: A series of several altars and temples was destroyed and then restored on the same site in Ephesus, a Greek port city on the west coast of modern-day Turkey. The most fabulous of these structures were two marble temples built around 550 B.C. and 350 B.C., respectively. The former was designed by the Cretan architect Chersiphron and his son Metagenes and decorated by some of the most celebrated artists of the ancient world. The building burned on July 21, 356 B.C., according to legend the same night that Alexander the Great was born. About six years later, the building of a new temple to replace it was begun. The new building was surrounded by marble steps that led to a more than 400-foot-long terrace.

Inside stood 127 60-foot marble columns and a statue of Artemis. Archeologists disagree as to whether the building had an open-air ceiling or was topped with wood tiles. The temple was largely destroyed by Ostrogoths in A.D. 262, and it was not until the 1860s that archeologists dug up the first of the ruins of the temple’s columns at the bottom of the Cayster River. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus Located in what is now southeastern Turkey, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was a tomb built by Artemisia for her husband, Mausolus, the king of Carnia in Asia Minor, after his death in 353 B.C. Mausolus was also Artemisia’s brother, and, according to legend, she was so grief-stricken at his passing that she mixed his ashes with water and drank them in addition to ordering the mausoleum’s construction. The massive mausoleum was made entirely of white marble and is thought to have been about 135 feet high.

The building’s complicated design, consisting of three rectangular layers, may have been an attempt to reconcile Lycian, Greek and Egyptian architectural styles. The first layer was a 60-foot base of steps, followed by a middle layer of 36 Ionic columns and a stepped, pyramid-shaped roof. At the very top of the roof lay the tomb, decorated by the work of four sculptors, and a 20-foot marble rendition of a four-horse chariot. The mausoleum was largely destroyed in an earthquake in the 13th century and its remains were later used in the fortification of a castle. In 1846, pieces of one of the mausoleum’s friezes were extracted from the castle and now reside, along with other relics from the Halicarnassus site, in London’s British Museum. Colossus of Rhodes The Colossus was an enormous bronze sculpture of the sun god Helios built by the Rhodians over 12 years in the third century B.C. The city was the target of a Macedonian siege early in the fourth century B.C.

and, according to legend, the Rhodians sold the tools and equipment left behind by the Macedonians to pay for the Colossus. Designed by the sculptor Chares, the statue was, at 100 feet, the tallest of the ancient world. It was completed around 280 B.C. and stood for sixty years until it was toppled in an earthquake. It was never rebuilt. Hundreds of years later, Arabs invaded Rhodes and sold the remains of the statue as scrap metal. Because of this, archeologists do not know much about the exact location of the statue or what it looked like. Most believe that it depicted the sun god standing naked while he lifted a torch with one hand and held a spear in the other. It was once believed that the statue stood with one leg on each side of a harbor, but most scholars now agree that the statue’s legs were most likely built close together to support its immense weight. Lighthouse of Alexandria The Lighthouse of Alexandria was located on a small island called Pharos near the city of Alexandria. Designed by the Greek architect Sostratos and completed around 270 B.C.

during the reign of Ptolemy II, the lighthouse helped to guide Nile River ships in and out of the city’s busy harbor. Archeologists have found ancient coins on which the lighthouse was depicted, and from them deduced that the structure had three tiers: a square level at the bottom, an octagonal level in the middle and a cylindrical top. Above that stood a 16-foot statue, most likely of Ptolemy II or Alexander the Great, for whom the city was named. Although estimates of the lighthouse’s height have ranged from 200 to 600 feet, most modern scholars believe it was about 380 feet tall. The lighthouse was gradually destroyed during a series of earthquakes from 956 to 1323. Some of its remains have since been discovered at the bottom of the Nile. Tags Which One Of The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Still Exist Today? @ Super Beefy | Filed Under: The World Leave a Comment During the second century B.C., a Greek writer drew up a list of what he thought were the seven most wondrous structures on earth. Six of these structures, called the Seven Wonders of the World, have vanished.

The only one of the seven to survive the centuries is the pyramids of Egypt, the oldest of the Seven Wonders! A pyramid is a structure with a square base and limn- triangular sides. Many pyramids were built in Egypt. The largest and most famous pyramids are the three near Giza, not far from the Egyptian capital of Cairo. The largest of these, called the Great Pyramid of Khufu, was the largest single structure of the ancient world. Most experts agree that this pyramid was built to serve as the tomb of a pharaoh named Khufu, or Cheops. The Egyptians believed that the pharaoh would live on after death, so the pharaoh. was often buried along with many of his worldly possessions. The burial chamber inside or underneath the pyramid would then serve as his home after death, and the ruler would have use, in death, of everything he had in life. Because of the jewels and other precious items buried with the pharaohs, the pyramids were all broken into and robbed many centuries ago. Today, they hold none of the treasures they once contained. The Pyramic of Khufu was probably built around the year 2600 B.C. some people believe it was built much earlier.

The colossal tomb measures 756 feet on a side and once rose to a height of 481 feet. The area covered by the base of the Pyramid is about 13 acres. How big is that? The playing field in a football stadium covers a little more than one acre! To construct the pyramid the Egyptians had to quarry, cut, transport, and place into position some 2.5 million limestone blocks. Each block weighed an average of 5,000 pounds, and some weighed as much as 15 tons. Thousands of workers toiled for decades to complete the pyramid. It was difficult work, they did not even have the use of wheels. It’s been said that there’s enough stone in the Great Pyramid of. Khufu to build a wall completely around France! Today, the Pyramids of Egypt stand not only as the largest constructions of the ancient world but also as the oldest structures on earth that look very much now as when they were built, almost 5,000 years ago. Read More 7 Wonders of the World | Articles 7 Wonders of the World 7 Wonders of the World Can you name them all? Can you vote on new ones?

Only one of the "Seven Wonders of the World" still exists: Egypt's Pyramids at Giza. The other ancient wonders are long gone, their glories all broken by the Earth and lost to time. Now, Egyptian officials seem worried about losing their wonder, too. Not because the pyramids are in danger of crumbling--they've stood tall for 46 centuries--but because there's a move afoot to name the "New Seven Wonders" of the world, and the pyramids are only one of 21 finalists being put to a worldwide web vote. Egypt views the entire idea as an affront to the pyramids. "They are the only one of the seven wonders that still exists," said Egypt's antiquities chief. "They don't need to be put to a vote." But there are some pretty wondrous wonders on the new list--like the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, the Acropolis, the Statue of Liberty, and Stonehenge. We'll tell you how to register your own vote for the "New Seven Wonders" below. But first, we have to ask you, can you name the old seven wonders? Knowing them just might sway your vote for today's short list.

Let's see, after the Pyramids of Giza come the . . . Hanging Gardens of Babylon Bible readers know Nebuchadnezzar II as the king who, in 587 BC, destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem and forced the Jews into exile in Babylonia. But ancient tourists knew him as the man behind Babylon's Hanging Gardens. Built around 600 BC, the gardens grew on the roof of a terraced structure within his palace walls, irrigated by pumps that drew water up from the Euphrates. Today, Babylon is a ruin near Baghdad, and no definitive trace of the gardens has ever been found. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus The Ephesians erected their great temple for Apollo's twin sister Artemis around 550 BC. They rebuilt it after 356 BC, when a terrorist bent on fame set it ablaze. Located in today's Turkey, across the Aegean Sea from Athens, the temple drew many Greeks bearing gifts. They marveled at its size--imagine a football field surrounded by marble--and at the art inside. Little remains of the temple today, just fragments at the site and in museums.

Statue of Zeus at Olympia When Olympia, home of the Olympic Games in western Greece, beheld the Temple of Artemis, its citizens said, "We'll see your Artemis and raise you a statue of Zeus." By 435 BC, the famed Greek sculptor Phidias was pounding the last plates of gold and ivory into place on a 40-foot (12-meter) statue of Zeus, seated on a cedarwood throne. No one knows what became of the thunder god's likeness, but we have found the workshop Phidias used to make it. Mausoleum of Halicarnassus South of Ephesus, at Halicarnassus, ruled Mausolus, a Persian satrap who admired the Greek way of life. So, when Mausolus died in 353 BC, his sister-widow-queen, Artemisia, built him the most opulent Greek tomb around. It was 135 feet (40 meters) tall, adorned on every side with sculpture, and capped with a pyramidal roof. An earthquake brought the tomb down in medieval times, and Mausolus's memory now survives mainly in the word mausoleum.

Colossus of Rhodes On the Greek island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean Sea, workers made wonder out of war. An army had besieged the island's capital. But Rhodes resisted for a year, and the army left. So the Rhodians reforged the army's abandoned bronze and iron weapons and sold its siege equipment to make a colossus: a 110-foot (34-meter) statue of the sun god Helios. By 280 BC, it stood tall on a marble pedestal near the harbor--until an earthquake toppled it just 56 years later. Lighthouse of Alexandria In the Egyptian port of Alexandria, few would have been overawed by Rhodes's colossus. For in Alexandria's harbor, on a small island named Pharos, stood the original lighthouse. It was made around the same time as Rhodes's statue, but dwarfed it. It stood 384 feet (117 meters) high--some say higher. Fires burned at the top at night, and bronze mirrors reflected sunlight during the day. It stood until the 14th century, when earthquakes ruined it, too.

Pyramids of Giza Of course, we've already mentioned Egypt's three Pyramids of Giza, the only ancient wonder still standing today. But they are in a class by themselves in practically every other way as well. The largest and oldest of the three, the Great Pyramid, was built for the pharaoh Khufu (called Cheops by the Greeks) in the 26th century BC. That makes it 2,000 years older than any other wonder on the list. The Great Pyramid climbs more than 450 feet (138 meters) into the sky--high enough to make it the tallest structure on Earth for almost 4,000 years, until European cathedrals started reaching for heaven. It's made up of about 2.3 million massive blocks of stone, weighing perhaps 6 million tons all told. Some have described it as "the most colossal single building ever erected on the planet." Now that's a wonder for any list, old or new.

Study in New South Wales: Study in Victoria: The Seven Wonders of the World: A Complete List The Seven Wonders of the World The Seven Wonders of the World Learn About the Ancient and Modern 7 Wonders of the World The Pyramids at Giza. Rory McDonald / Getty Images Share By Matt Rosenberg The Seven Wonders of the World has historically been a listing of seven sites known to the Ancient Greeks as the most notable locales in their known world. Since then, many have developed lists of the "modern" Seven Wonders of the World. The only list that really stands out and has stood the test of time for more than a decade is the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, developed by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The Original Seven Wonders of the World The Colossus of Rhodes : A statue of the Greek sun god Helios. Built in the city of Rhodes in 280 BC, the nearly 100-foot-high statue was destroyed in an earthquake in 226 BC. The Great Pyramid of Giza : With construction that ended around 2560 BC, the pyramid is the oldest of the original seven wonders. The massive structure still stands in Egypt.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon : With little historical documentation, not much is known of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. They may be mythical, they may have been built by king Nebuchadnezzar II around 600 BC, or they may have been located in the Assyrian city of Nineveh by king Sennacherib around 700 BC. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge The Lighthouse of Alexandria : Built around 280 BC, the Lighthouse of Alexandria stood around 400 feet tall and was the tallest building in the world for centuries. It was damaged by several earthquakes, and in 1480 its ruins were used to construct the Citadel of Qaitbay, a fortress that still stands on PHaros Island. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus : Located in today's Bodrum, Turkey, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was built as the tomb of Mausolus around 350 BC. The structure was destroyed by a series of earthquakes between the 12th and 15th centuries.

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia : Built sometime around 435 BC by the Greek sculptor Phidias, the statue stood over 40 feet tall and represented Zeus on a cedar throne. The work was ornamented with gold and ivory. The statue was lost or destroyed sometime in the 5th century although the exact nature of the work's loss remain unknown. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus : Located in eastern Turkey, the Temple of Artemis's age is unknown, for it was rebuilt several times. The third temple, and the one referenced by the Greeks as a wonder of the world, was constructed beginning in 323 BC. The structure was destroyed by the Goths in 268 AD. The Seven Wonders of the Modern World ( see photos ) Channel Tunnel : The 50 kilometer tunnel running under the English Channel to connect England to France. CN Tower : The 533 meter-high needle-like tower in downtown Toronto, Canada. At the time of its construction in 1976, it was the tallest building in the world. Empire State Building : The iconic skyscraper in Manhattan, New York City.

The 102-story building was the tallest in the world from 1931 to 1970. Golden Gate Bridge : San Francisco's iconic bridge first opened in 1937 and was the world's longest suspension bridge for nearly 30 years. Itaipu Dam : Located on the border of Brazil and Paraguay, the Itaipu Dam is the second largest in the world for energy generation. Netherlands North Sea Protection Works : A massive series of dams, levees, locks, and barriers that protect the low-lying Netherlands from the sea. Panama Canal : Completed in 1917, the massive engineering project connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. A new and larger canal opened in 2016. Seven Natural Wonders of the World In 1997, CNN announced a listing of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World... Grand Canyon The Taj Mahal, India If you would like to know what I think the current Seven Wonders of the World are, see my listing of the Seven Wonders of the World . Ultimately, any list of the Seven Wonders of the World is subjective, based on the individual or group of individuals who developed the list.

One can not just create a list of the Seven Wonders and cause it to be authoritative. The list must stand the test of time The only list which is truly "valid" is the original ancient list of the Seven Wonders of the World. Every other list is simply an attempt to gain recognition for the impressive places on our planet or for the list makers themselves. Article edited and expanded by Allen Grove . Last standing wonder of the ancient world - The Hindu Last standing wonder of the ancient world July 01, 2013 19:59 IST Updated: July 01, 2013 20:28 IST Share Article July 01, 2013 19:59 IST Updated: July 01, 2013 20:28 IST more-in Man fears time, but time fears the pyramids. An Arab proverb The pyramids of Egypt have fascinated people since time immemorial. The finest of these are the pyramids of Giza located on the outskirts of Cairo. The Great Pyramid. It is the only one among the ‘seven wonders of the ancient world’ still standing.

However, since the past few years, International best-selling author Graham Hancock is of the view that the pyramids of Giza are much older than what the traditional Egyptologists would have us believe. According to the Belgian author Robert Bauval, the layout of the pyramids of Giza mirror the pattern of the three stars in the constellation of Orion as seen in the sky in 10,500 BC. One of the most famous visitors to the pyramids of Giza was Napoleon Bonaparte. He was spellbound when he saw the Great Pyramid. He asked to be left alone for one night inside the King’s Chamber which is located 140 feet above the ground inside the Great Pyramid. When he came out, the following morning, he looked visibly shaken and refused to talk about it. Years later, on his death bed, when somebody asked him what had happened then; he replied “No, what’s the use. You’d never believe me.” No one is allowed to climb the pyramids of Giza. Earlier this year, Vadim Makhorov, a photographer from Russia and his friends caused a stir when they climbed the Great Pyramid.

A different view has been emerging- the Great Pyramid is surely not just a tomb, if at all a tomb. Incidentally, no mummified body has ever been found inside it. Until 1889, it was the tallest building in the world. The Eiffel Tower which came up in Paris, later that year, surpassed its height. The entrance through which the visitors get into the Great Pyramid, today, is not the original approach. They make their way through the gaping hole which Caliph Al Mamoun had made when he broke in 820 AD. Orthodox Egyptologists say that the Great Pyramid was built circa 2500 BC as a tomb for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu. According to the Belgian author Robert Bauval, the layout of the pyramids of Giza mirrors the pattern of the three stars in the constellation of Orion as seen in the sky in 10,500 BC. Open, every day, from 8.00 AM to 11.00 AM and 1.00 PM to 4.00 PM. Only 300 people are allowed to go inside the Great Pyramid on any given day.

What Are the Original Seven Wonders of the World? - ABC News ABC News What Are the Original Seven Wonders of the World? By ABC News WATCH Legless Wrestler in Action 0 Shares After learning about some modern wonders like the amputee wrestler and the singing prodigy , you may find yourself asking: What were the original "Seven Wonders of the World"? The answer lies in ancient Greek history. The "wonders of the world" concept dates back to the fifth century B.C., when the Greek historian Herodotus contemplated the amazing achievements of art and architecture created by the Persians and the Greeks. However, Antipater of Sidon, who wrote in the second century B.C., is credited with putting together the first list of wonders. Many historians now believe that the list served as a guidebook for ancient "tourists" traveling to see the revered sites. The list that we acknowledge today was compiled in the Middle Ages and comprised the seven most impressive man-made monuments from the ancient world. Since the list came mostly from ancient Greek writings, though, only sites that would have been known to the ancient Greeks were included.

Today only one of the original wonders still exists, and there is doubt that all seven ever existed, but the concept of the wonders of the world has continued to excite and fascinate people everywhere for centuries. The Original Seven Wonders of the World The Great Pyramid of Giza Constructed around the year 2560 B.C., the great Pyramid at Giza is the only wonder that remains standing from the original list of seven. Egyptologists believe that the stunning monument, constructed from approximately 2 million blocks of stone and believed to have taken approximately 20 years and 20,000 men to complete, was built as a tomb for the fourth century Pharoah Khufu. Throughout history, experts have marveled at the remarkable accuracy of the pyramid's construction. The base, which covers 13 acres, is almost a perfect square and each corner is aligned almost exactly with the four points on a compass. Excavations have unearthed three chambers, known as the Unfinished Chamber, the Queen's Chamber and the King's Chamber. In addition, using a robot, researchers have explored many of the tunnels and alleyways that run deep into the monument.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were reportedly a centerpiece of the ancient metropolis of Babylon (about 50 miles south of modern day Baghdad). Strangely, the historical records of the Babylonians do not mention the wondrous hanging gardens, leading some scholars to doubt that they ever existed. Regardless of the omission, stories of the gardens spread over time throughout the ancient world, and ancient writers recorded numerous descriptions. The story goes that King Nebudchadnezzar II, who ruled in the seventh century B.C., built the hanging gardens to reproduce the mountain scenery that his wife was accustomed to from her homeland of Medina. Despite the romantic image of gardens that floated in midair, many experts now agree that if they existed at all, the hanging gardens were an elaborate series of gardens "terraced" one on top of another on a hilly countryside. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Standing more than 40 feet tall and constructed of ivory and gold, the statue of Zeus within the Temple at Olympia (on the west coast of modern Greece) was constructed by the Greek sculptor Pheidias around 435 B.C.

The giant and stunning white statue sat overlooking the grounds where the original Olympic games were held, and people came from around the Greek empire to pay homage to Zeus and participate in the games. Scholars agree that the statue remained in the temple for more than 800 years, but there is some debate about when and how the statue was destroyed. Some scholars believe that the statue was destroyed in a fire in the temple in the fifth century. Others believe that the statue was transported from the temple to a palace in Constantinople, where it perished in a fire around the year 462. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus Built around the year 550 B.C. by the architect Cherisphron, the great marble temple at Ephesus (located in modern day Turkey) was built in honor of Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting and fertility. The stunning marble structure was surrounded by 127 Ionic columns that reached to a height of 60 feet. The facade of the temple was adorned with bronze statues attributed to a number of expert sculptors of the era and overlooked a courtyard that served as a marketplace for people from near and far to trade their goods.

On July 21, 256 B.C., the night of Alexander the Great's birth, a man named Herostatus burned the main building to the ground, hoping to make his name immortal. Another temple was reconstructed on the site but was destroyed by the Goths in the year 262. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus Admired for its stunning beauty, the Mausoleum at Hailcarnassus (located near the modern city of Bodrum in Turkey) was built as the tomb for the Persian King Mausollos of Caria, and was completed around 35 B.C., a few years after Mausollos' death. The Mausoleum, which no longer exists, was exceptional for its massive size, with a base of about 1,2000 square feet and a total height of 140 feet. The burial chamber and the sarcophagus, which was built of white alabaster and adorned with gold, sat on top of a stepped podium and was surrounded by Ionic columns. Despite the Mausoleum's size, visitors were most impressed by the beautiful decorations and statues that adorned it.

Sixteen centuries after its construction, the Mausoleum was damaged by an earthquake, and in the early 15th century, crusaders destroyed what remained of the Mausoleum and used the bricks to build a castle that still stands today. The Colossus of Rhodes The 110-foot high statue of Colossus overlooked the ancient harbor of the Greek Island of Rhodes for only 56 years, but its size and construction inspired such awe in its visitors that centuries after its destruction it was included on the list of ancient wonders. The people of Rhodes commissioned sculptor Chares of Lindos to build the giant bronze statue of their patron deity Helios the Sun God in 294 B.C. Sadly, in 238 B.C., Rhodes was hit by an earthquake and the city's beloved Colossus fell. However, according to historical accounts, visitors to Rhodes were still awed by the statue even as it laid in ruins on the ground.

In 652, an invading Arab army destroyed the fallen Colossus, and some historical accounts assert that the army then sold off the pieces to "a Jew from Syria" who transported them on the backs of "900 camels." The Lighthouse (Pharos) of Alexandria The Lighthouse of Alexandria was located on the ancient island of Pharos, just off the coast of the Egyptian city of Alexandria. Designed by Sostratus of Cnidus in the third century B.C., construction of the lighthouse did not begin until 305 B.C., during the rule of Ptolemy Soter. The lighthouse, constructed of large blocks of stones, reached a height of about 400 feet and was one of the tallest structures created by man for many centuries. Initially the structure was intended only as a landmark for ships attempting to navigate into the harbor at Alexandria, but in the first century, the Romans transformed it into a lighthouse by lighting a fire at night and using reflecting mirrors during the day. After 16 centuries guiding ships to safety, two earthquakes severely damaged the revered lighthouse.

And in 1480, the Sultan of Egypt, Qaitbay, razed the remaining ruins and built a medieval fort on the site incorporating some of the original stone from the lighthouse. 0 Shares The seven wonders – old, modern and new Home » trivia » The seven wonders – old, modern and new The seven wonders – old, modern and new The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World that still survives. Can you name the other six wonders? They are: 1) The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which were built on the banks of the Euphrates river by King Nebuchadnezzar II. 2) The gigantic gold statue of Zeus was built by the sculptor Pheidias at Olympia. 3) The temple of Artemis was erected in the Asia Minor city of Ephesus in honor of the Greek goddess of hunting and wild nature. 4) The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was a huge tomb constructed for King Maussollos, Persian satrap of Caria. 5) The Colossus of Rhodes was a massive statue erected by the Greeks in honor of Helios the sun-god.

6) The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built by the Ptolemies on the island of Pharos. The Great Pyramid of Giza was built near the ancient city of Memphis for Pharaoh Khufu in the period of the Fourth Dynasty, between 2613 and 2494BC. The Greeks referred to it as the Pyramid of Cheops. A true wonder, it is immense: according to Mysteries of the Unknown , it covers a ground area of 13.1 acres (32,4 hectares), composed of some 2.3 million limestone blocks average two-and-a-half tonnes each, enough stone to build a wall of foot-square cubes two-thirds around the globe at the equator, a distance of 16,600 miles (26 500km). The oldest statue in the world is the Great Sphinx of Egypt. Carved out of limestone, it stands 65 ft (19,8 metres) high and is 240 ft (73 metres) long. Modern Wonders A list of the seven wonders of the modern world was compiled after World War One (after 1918).

The motorcar was omitted from the list, instead naming: (1) the radio; (also see History of Radio ) (2) the telephone; The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Also Visit the The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World See the famous Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: Walk through the lush Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Climb the great Lighthouse at Alexandria. Stand before the immense statue of Zeus at Olympia. Marvel at the beauty of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus... The ancient Greeks loved to compile lists of the marvelous structures in their world. Though we think of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World as a single list today, there were actually a number of lists compiled by different Greek writers. Antipater of Sidon, and Philon of Byzantium, drew up two of the most well-known lists. Why seven? The Greeks thought that the number had mystical significance. Perhaps because it was the total of the known planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) along with the Sun and Moon. Many of the lists agreed on six of the seven items. The final place on some lists was awarded to the Walls of the City of Babylon.

On others, the Palace of Cyrus, king of Persia took the seventh position. Finally, toward the 6th century A.D., the final item became the Lighthouse at Alexandria. Since the it was Greeks who made the lists it is not unusal that many of the items on them were examples of Greek culture. The writers might have listed the Stonehenge if they'd seen it, but this placs was beyond the limits of their world. It is a surprise to most people to learn that not all the Seven Wonders existed at the same time. Even if you lived in ancient times you would have still needed a time machine to see all seven. While the Great Pyramid of Egypt was built centuries before the rest and is still around today (it is the only "wonder" still intact) most of the others only survived a few hundred years or less. The Colossus of Rhodes stood only a little more than half a century before an earthquake toppled it. Take Our Tour So pack your bags and start this impossible tour through time and space. Some of the pages have 3D images, so if you're not familiar with how to view them, click here to visit our 3D page before you start.

Other Lists Over time other groups have created lists using the magical number seven. Though none of these lists are as old as the ancient wonders list, they are a starting point for exploring the marvels of our world: Wonders of the Modern World The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World isn't the only list of marvels people have created. In 1994 the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) decided to put together a list of the most remarkable civil engineering feats of the 20th century. This list is often referred to as The Seven Wonders of the Modern World and you can visit them by going to our Modern World Wonders page. Wonders of the Natural World In 1997 the Cable News Network (CNN) put togeather a list of ecological wonders. To visit these locations go to our Seven Wonders of the Natural World page. Bon voyage! Copyright Lee Krystek,1998-2011. All Rights Reserved

Question: What is the only ancient wonder of the world that still exists?
Answer: The Great Pyramid of Giza