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 7 Wonders of the Ancient World 7 Wonders of the Ancient World Share The 7 Wonders of the Ancient World names legendary landmarks long before modern times. Though only one still stands today, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are a captivating part of history. Watch this About.com video to learn more.

Show transcript Hide transcript Transcript: 7 Wonders of the Ancient World Hi, I'm Jade, and today with About.com I'm going to profile the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World using tips from the About.com guide site. While there are numerous lists of the top wonders of the world, The 7 Ancient Wonders of the World was one of the first. Assembled in the middle Ages. The list wasn’t put together until after all but one wonder had fallen or been destroyed. The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt This is the oldest wonder of the world and the only one still standing today. It was constructed as a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu around 2560 BC. The pyramid took between 10- 20 years to build and over 100,000 workers. At 481 feet high, the great pyramid of Giza was the highest man-made structure on earth for over 3,800 years. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon There is a lot of mystery surrounding this attraction.

Created around 600 BC in the area that is now Baghdad, it is widely accepted that this site was a series of gardens that were built on different terraces or steps and had beautiful flowers, trees, fruits and waterfalls. It is said that it was destroyed by an earthquake. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus Built around 550 BC for the Greek goddess Artemis, it was located in present day Turkey. This temple was known for bringing great wealth and prosperity- even though the temple itself suffered destruction three times. The last time, the temple was burnt down by Herostratus, on a quest for fame. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia in Greece Completed around 335 BC, this 40-foot tall sculpture covered in ivory and gold was built in honor to the god Zeus for looking over the Olympic games. It is best guessed that it did not survive a temple fire. The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus Built in 350 BC in Turkey, the mausoleum was a beautiful oblong structure built with 36 columns and many intricate adornments. The monument stood for hundreds of years, finally falling to an earthquake in the 14th century.

What still lasts today are a number of artifacts, that can be viewed at the British museum. The Colossus of Rhodes A110 foot statue of the god Helios, which was built between 292-280 BC. The statue was built after a long series of wars, where the last opposing army left defeated, abandoning much of their military equipment. It was this same equipment that the citizens used to build the Colossus of Rhodes. Of the Seven Wonders of the World, this one lasted the least amount of time. Pharos Lighthouse at Alexandria The last of the 7 ancient wonders to be constructed was Pharaohs Lighthouse at Alexandria. Architects started contraction in 270 BC in the harbor of Alexandria to help aid mariners at sea. It lasted an impressive 1500 years before being toppled by two earthquakes. In 1994 Archeologists found several pieces of marble blocks underwater that they believe were a part of the lighthouse. Thanks for watching. For more information, please visit About.com. About videos are made available on an "as is" basis, subject to the Terms of Use .

The Seven Wonders - Ancient History Encyclopedia The Seven Wonders the Great Pyramid at Giza , Egypt the Hanging Gardens of Babylon the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus the Colossus of Rhodes the Lighthouse at Alexandria , Egypt The Seven Wonders were first defined as themata ( Greek for 'things to be seen’ which, in today’s common English, we would phrase as 'must sees’) by Philo of Byzantium in 225 BCE, in his work On The Seven Wonders. Other writers on the Seven Wonders include Herodotus , Callimachus of Cyrene and Antipater of Sidon . Of the original seven, only the Great Pyramid exists today. Great pyramid at Giza The Great Pyramid at Giza was constructed between 2584 and 2561 BCE for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (known in Greek as `Cheops') and was the tallest man-made structure in the world for almost 4,000 years.

Excavations of the interior of the pyramid were only initiated in earnest in the late 18th and early 19th centuries CE and so the intricacies of the interior which so intrigue modern people were unknown to the ancient writers. It was the structure itself with its perfect symmetry and imposing height which impressed ancient visitors. Advertisement Hanging Gardens of Babylon The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, if they existed as described, were built by Nebuchadnezzar II between 605-562 BCE as a gift to his wife. They are described by the ancient writer Diodorus Siculus as being self-watering planes of exotic flora and fauna reaching a height of over 75 feet (23 metres) through a series of climbing terraces. Diodorus wrote that Nebuchadnezzar's wife, Amtis of Media, missed the mountains and flowers of her homeland and so the king commanded that a mountain be created for her in Babylon. The contoversy over whether the gardens existed comes from the fact that they are nowhere mentioned in Babylonian history and that Herodotus, `the Father of History', makes no mention of them in his descriptions of Babylon.

There are many other ancient facts, figures, and places Herodotus fails to mention, however, or has been shown to be wrong about. Diodorus, Philo, and the historian Strabo all claim the gardens existed. They were destroyed by an earthquake sometime after the 1st century CE. Statue of Zeus at Olympia The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was created by the great Greek sculptor Phidias (known as the finest sculptor of the ancient world in the 5th century BCE, he also worked on the Parthenon and the statue of Athena there in Athens ). The statue depicted the god Zeus seated on his throne, his skin of ivory and robes of hammered gold , and was 40 feet (12 m) tall, designed to inspire awe in the worshippers who came to the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. Not everyone was awestruck by the statue, however. Strabo reports, “Although the temple itself is very large, the sculptor is criticized for not having appreciated the correct proportions. He has shown Zeus seated, but with the head almost touching the ceiling, so that we have the impression that if Zeus moved to stand up he would unroof the temple” (Seven Wonders).

The Temple at Olympia fell into ruin after the rise of Christianity and the ban on the Olympic Games as `pagan rites’. The statue was carried off to Constantinople where it was later destroyed, sometime in either the 5th or 6th centuries CE, by an earthquake. Advertisement Temple of Artemis at Ephesos The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, a Greek colony in Asia Minor , took over 120 years to build and only one night to destroy. Completed in 550 BCE, the temple was 425 feet (about 129 m) high, 225 feet (almost 69 m) wide, supported by 127 60 foot (about 18 m) high columns. Sponsored by the wealthy King Croesus of Lydia , who spared no expense in anything he did (according to Herodotus, among others) the temple was so magnificent that every account of it is written with the same tone of awe and each agrees with the other that this was among the most amazing structures ever raised by humans.

On July 21, 356 BCE a man named Herostratus set fire to the temple in order, as he said, to achieve lasting fame by forever being associated with the destruction of something so beautiful. The Ephesians decreed that his name should never be recorded nor remembered but Strabo set it down as a point of interest in the history of the temple. On the same night the temple burned, Alexander the Great was born and, later, offered to rebuild the ruined temple but the Ephesians refused his generosity. It was rebuilt on a less grand scale after Alexander ’s death but was destroyed by the invasion of the Goths . Rebuilt again, it was finally destroyed utterly by a Christian mob lead by Saint John Chrysostom in 401 CE. Mausoleum of Halicarnassus The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was the tomb of the Persian Satrap Mauslos, built in 351 BCE. Mauslos chose Halicarnassus as his capital city , and he and his beloved wife Artemisia went to great lengths to create a city whose beauty would be unmatched in the world.

Mauslos died in 353 BCE and Artemisia wished to create a final resting place worthy of such a great king. Artemisia died two years after Mauslos and her ashes were entombed with his in the mausoleum ( Pliny the Elder records that the craftsmen continued work on the structure after her death, both as a tribute to their patroness and knowing the work would bring them lasting fame). The tomb was 135 feet (41 m) tall and ornately decorated with fine sculpture. It was destroyed by a series of earthquakes and lay in ruin for hundreds of years until, in 1494 CE, it was completely dismantled and used by the Knights of St. John of Malta in the building of their castle at Bodrum (where the ancient stones can still be seen today). It is from the tomb of Mauslos that the English word `mausoleum’ is derived.

Lighthouse of Alexandria: Ancient wonder of the world to be rebuilt in Egypt — RT News Tags History , Architecture , Culture , Egypt “Members of the Permanent Committee of the Egyptian Antiquities have approved an old project, submitted previously by the Alexandria governorate, aiming to revive the lighthouse,” Antiquities Council Secretary General Mostafa Amin told Egyptian newspaper Youm7. Research and the final construction plan have been submitted and now the final decision rests with Alexandria’s regional government, Amin said. The Lighthouse of Alexandria, also known as the Pharos Lighthouse, was the first of its kind in the world and remained one of the tallest man-made structures for centuries — 450 feet tall (137 meters). READ MORE: Older than oldest of 7 Wonders: 4,600 yo step pyramid uncovered in Egypt It was built on the island of Pharos by the Ptolemaic Kingdom in 280 BC after the death of Alexander the Great. A series of earthquakes in the region caused the structure’s final demise between the 3rd and 12th centuries, the Cairo Post reported, citing the Greco-Roman archaeology professor Fathy Khourshid.

“The original building comprised three stages: a lower square section with a central core, a middle octagonal section and a circular section at its top,” Khourshid said. READ MORE: Hanging by a thread: Babylon World Wonder at risk from oil The lighthouse used a mirror to guide ships during the day and fire by night. It was completely destroyed in the 14th Century and some of its pieces were used to build the Citadel of Qatibay in 1480, which is still part of the city’s landscape even today. New discoveries of the lighthouse’s remains were last made in Alexandria’s harbor in the 1990s. Pharos of Alexandria | ancient lighthouse, Alexandria, Egypt | Britannica.com Pharos of Alexandria lighthouse Pharos of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the most famous lighthouse in antiquity. It was a technological triumph and is the archetype of all lighthouses since. Built by Sostratus of Cnidus, perhaps for Ptolemy I Soter , it was finished during the reign of Soter’s son Ptolemy II of Egypt in about 280 bce.

The lighthouse stood on the island of Pharos in the harbour of Alexandria and is said to have been more than 350 feet (110 metres) high; the only taller man-made structures at the time would have been the pyramids of Giza . Much of what is known about the structure of the lighthouse comes from a 1909 work by Hermann Thiersch, Pharos, antike, Islam und Occident. According to the ancient sources consulted by Thiersch, the lighthouse was built in three stages, all sloping slightly inward; the lowest was square, the next octagonal, and the top cylindrical. A broad spiral ramp led to the top, where a fire burned at night. Pharos of Alexandria. Overview of the Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz Some descriptions report that the lighthouse was surmounted by a huge statue, possibly representing either Alexander the Great or Ptolemy I Soter in the form of the sun god Helios. Though it was well-known earlier, the Pharos does not appear in any list of wonders until the 6th century ce (the earliest list gives the walls of Babylon instead).

In the Middle Ages sultan Ahmed ibn Touloun replaced the beacon with a small mosque . The Pharos was still standing in the 12th century, but by 1477 the Mamlūk sultan Qāʾit Bāy was able to build a fort from its ruins. Illustration of the Pharos of Alexandria by Maerten van Heemskerck. Bettmann/Corbis Egypt to rebuild Lighthouse of Alexandria, once one of the Seven Wonders of the World - Telegraph Egypt to rebuild Lighthouse of Alexandria, once one of the Seven Wonders of the World Ruined lighthouse was once one of the world's tallest man-made structures for hundreds of years Illustartion of how the new Lighthouse of Alexandria might look By Louisa Loveluck, Cairo 4:49PM BST 08 May 2015 Egypt is to rebuild the ruined Lighthouse of Alexandria, a monument that was once regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the World .

Comprehensive studies and a final building plan has been submitted to Alexandria's governor for approval, Dr Mostafa Amin, a representative from Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, told privately-owned Egyptian newspaper Youm-7. Built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom in around 280 BC , the white marble lighthouse stood at an estimated 137m tall. It was among the world's tallest man-made structures for hundreds of years, garnering a mention in an epigram by the Greek poet Posidippus. "This tower, in a straight and upright line, appears to cleave the sky from countless stadiums away, during the day, but throughout the night quickly a sailor on the waves will see a great fire blazing from its summit," he wrote. But the lighthouse was badly damaged by three earthquakes between 956 and 1323, and in 1480, remnant stones were used to build the Fort Qaitbay. Dr Amin said the replica lighthouse will be built close to the original site. Lying for centuries on the sea bed, ruins from the Lighthouse of Alexandria were discovered by French archaeologists in 1994.

Egypt's forgotten palaces Jean-Yves Empereur, lead archaeologist, wrote at the time that he had found "columns of all sizes, in their hundreds, column bases and capitals, sphinxes, statues, and some immense blocks of granite which, given where they lie, certainly came from the famous lighthouse." Experts said the importance of Alexandria's lighthouse lies with the far-reaching influence of its innovative architecture. Its distinctive tapering tiers have been influential in both Islamic and western styles of architecture, according to Dr Judith McKenzie, an archaeology lecturer of the University of Oxford and the author of Architecture of Alexandria. "You still see that structure on church spires now if you look at any churches in London designed by Christopher Wren , and even minarets on the mosques of Cairo," she said. The word 'minaret' is derives from the Arabic for lighthouse. Little information about the location or the cost of the planned replica is publicly available at present. Egypt's antiquities ministry has previously been criticised for its poor record on the preservation and restoration of its heritage buildings and antiquity sites .

In an economy still reeling from Egypt's tumultuous 2011 uprising , Alexandria's architectural gems have often fallen prey to opportunistic developers, legal loopholes, and insufficient government oversight. Over the coming year, local courts will rule on whether dozens of buildings listed in 2008 as sites will be removed from an official list of heritage sites in preparation for their demolition. In April, local media reported that the walls of Fort Qaitbay have begun to split and crack as a result of groundwater seeping in. The Lighthouse of Alexandria The Lighthouse of Alexandria One of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World The Lighthouse of Alexandria, also called Pharos. (Photo by DEA Picture Gallery / Getty Images) Share By Jen Rosenberg The famed Lighthouse of Alexandria, called Pharos, was built around 250 BCE to help mariners navigate the harbor of Alexandria in Egypt. It was truly a marvel of engineering, standing at least 400 feet tall, making it one of the tallest structures in the ancient world. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was also solidly built, standing tall for over 1,500 years, until it was finally toppled by earthquakes around 1375 CE.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was exceptional and considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Why Did Alexandria Need a Lighthouse? The city of Alexandria was founded in 332 BCE by Alexander the Great . Located in Egypt, just 20 miles west of the Nile River , Alexandria was perfectly situated to become a major Mediterranean port, helping the city to flourish. Soon, Alexandria became one of the most important cities of the ancient world, known far and wide for its famous library. The only stumbling block to making Alexandria great was that mariners found it difficult to avoid the rocks and shoals when approaching Alexandria’s harbor. continue reading below our video What are the Seven Wonders of the World To help with that, as well as to make a very grand statement, Ptolemy Soter (Alexander the Great’s successor) ordered a lighthouse to be built. This was to be the first building ever built solely to be a lighthouse. It was to take approximately 40 years for the Lighthouse at Alexandria to be built, finally being finished around 250 BCE. What Did the Lighthouse of Alexandria Look Like?

There’s a lot we don’t know about the Lighthouse of Alexandria, but we do know what it looked like. Since the Lighthouse was an icon of Alexandria, its image appeared in many places, including on ancient coins. Designed by Sostrates of Knidos, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was a strikingly tall structure. Located on the eastern end of the island of Pharos near the entrance of Alexandria’s harbor, the Lighthouse was soon itself called “Pharos.” The Lighthouse was at least 450 feet high and made of three sections. The bottommost section was square and held government offices and stables. The middle section was an octagon and held a balcony where tourists could sit, enjoy the view, and be served refreshments. The top section was cylindrical and held the fire that was continually lit to keep mariners safe. At the very top was a large statue of Poseidon , the Greek god of the sea. Amazingly, inside this giant lighthouse was a spiraling ramp that led up to the top of the bottommost section. This allowed horses and wagons to carry supplies to the top sections. It is unknown what exactly was used to make the fire at the top of the Lighthouse.

Wood was unlikely because it was scarce in the region. Whatever was used, the light was effective – mariners could easily see the light from miles away and could thus find their way safely to port. How Was the Lighthouse of Alexandria Destroyed? The Lighthouse of Alexandria stood for 1,500 years -- an astounding number considering it was a hollowed out structure the height of a 40-story building. Interestingly, most lighthouses today resemble the shape and structure of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Ultimately, the Lighthouse outlived the Greek and Roman empires. It was then absorbed into the Arab empire, but its importance waned when Egypt’s capital was moved from Alexandria to Cairo . Having kept mariners safe for centuries, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was finally destroyed by an earthquake sometime around 1375 CE. Some of its blocks were taken and used to build a castle for the sultan of Egypt; others fell into the ocean. In 1994, French archeologist Jean Yves Empereur of the French National Research Center investigated the harbor of Alexandria and found at least a few of these blocks still in the water. Sources: Curlee, Lynn. Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

New York: Atheneum Books, 2002. Silverberg, Robert. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. New York: Macmillan Company, 1970. CIVL 1101 Netherlands North Sea Protection Works (Netherlands) Panama Canal (Panama) The Society sought nominations from civil engineering societies and distinguished engineering experts from around the world. From their consensus emerged the Seven Wonders, which were judged on factors such as pioneering of design and construction, contributions to humanity, and engineering challenges that were overcome. The list evokes the storied seven wonders of the ancient world, which first illustrated humanity's fascination with engineering works that seemingly defied the limits of nature. While only a few of the original wonders remain, the modern wonders represent civil engineering's legacy to the 20th century. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: The Pyramids of Egypt Temple of Artemis at Ephesus Mausoleum of Helicarnassus Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria "The original wonders were amazing sites to behold, but today's modern wonders are more than simply awe inspiring. They are functional, operational masterpieces that have revolutionized civil engineering and benefited humanity.

The Seven Wonders of the Modern World are a tribute to universal human desire to triumph over the impossible," added Charles A. Parthum, ASCE 1996 President. A glimpse at the future... To be considered a modern wonder, projects must have been completed and fully operational, thus several of the world's largest undertakings were not eligible for consideration. With Asia leading the way, the seven wonders of the 21st Century could be quite different. In another 50 years, the list of civil engineering wonders may include: Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge -- Links the city of Kobe with Awaji Island in Osaka Bay. With a main span of 6528 feet, Japan boasts the world's longest suspension span. Kansai International Airport -- This Japanese airport lies on a vast artificial island planted a full 3 miles from shore. Petronas Twin Towers -- One of the world's tallest building recently has graced Kuala Lumpur at a height of 1476-ft. Itaipu Dam Five miles wide and requiring enough concrete to build five Hoover Dams, the Itaipu Dam spans the Parana River at the Brazil/Paraguay border.

During its construction, workers shifted the course of the seventh largest river in the world by removing 50 million tons of earth and rock to dig a 1.3-mile bypass. The main dam, as high as a 65-story building, is composed of hollow concrete segments, while the flanking wings are earth and rock fill. Enough iron and steel was used at Itaipu to build 300 Eiffel Towers. Another marvel of Itaipu is its powerhouse -- half a mile long, half underwater and containing 18 hydroelectric generators each 53 ft. across. Some 160 tons of water per second pour onto each turbine, generating 12,600 mega watts --enough to power most of California. Itaipu currently supplies 28 percent of all the electric energy in Brazil's south, southeast and central-west regions, and 72 percent of Paraguay's total energy consumption. Channel Tunnel The 31-mile Channel Tunnel (Chunnel) fulfilled a centuries-old dream by linking Britain and the rest of Europe. It's more than a tunnel -- it rolls infrastructure and immense machinery into an underwater tunnel system of unprecedented ambition. Three concrete tubes each 5 ft.

thick, plunge into the earth at Coquelles, France and burrow through the chalky basement of the English Channel. They reemerge at Folkstone, behind the white cliffs of Dover. Through two of the tubes rush the broadest trains ever built -- double decker behemoths 14 ft. across -- traveling close to 100 mph. Passengers board not on foot, but in automobiles and buses. Maintenance and emergency vehicles ply the third tunnel, between the rail tubes. Meanwhile, machines are always at work, turning the Channel Tunnel into a living, intelligent structure. Huge pistons open and close ducts, relieving the pressure that builds ahead of the train's noses. Some 300miles of cold water piping run alongside the rail tracks to drain off the heat raised by air friction. CN Tower The world's tallest free-standing structure soars 1,815 ft. above the sidewalks of Toronto, three times the height of its better-known cousin, the Seattle Space Needle. The CN Tower, as heavy as 23,214 large elephants, was erected at an amazing rate of 18 ft. per day.

During construction, concrete flowed from the bottom of the tower as it ascended, while aircraft-type bombsights kept the tower plumb as it went up. Today the tower is off by a mere 1.1 inch. Designed with the aid of a wind tunnel, the CN Tower can withstand 260-mph gusts. The SkyPod, a seven-story structure 1,100 ft. high, was built around the base of the tower and jacked into place as one unit. A pair of 10-ton counterweights are attached to the mast to keep the tower from swaying too much. A Sikorsky helicopter hoisted the crowning antenna, for which the tower was originally erected. FM radio signals are broadcast from the base of the antenna, while television signals are sent from the top. Presently, 16 of Toronto's media signals are transmitted from the tower. The Panama Canal The dream of Spanish conquistadors and the failed ambition of famed French canal builder Ferdinand de Lesseps, the Panama Canal is one of civil engineering's greatest triumphs. Under the direction of U.S. Col.

George Washington Goethals, 42,000 workers dredged, blasted and excavated from Colon to Balboa. They moved enough earth and rubble to bury the island of Manhattan to a depth of 12 ft. -- or enough to open a 16-ft.-wide tunnel to the center of the Earth. The canal was finished on time and within budget. But after completion, a challenge remained: how to tame the flood waters of Chagres River, known to rise 25 ft. in a day during monsoon season? Solution: Civil engineers erected a dam that formed the world's then-largest man-made lake. Today the Canal operates much as it did in 1914. In each transit, 52 million gallons of fresh water is lost, but it is quickly replaced by Panama's heavy rainfall. The canal remains a testament to the combined skills of structural, geotechnical, hydraulic and sanitary engineers. The Golden Gate Bridge More than 60 years after its completion, the Golden Gate Bridge remains the world's tallest suspension bridge. Hanging from two 746-ft-high towers, its cables -- each a yard thick --are the biggest ever to support a bridge.

In fact, the Golden Gate Bridge contains enough cable to encircle the earth three times. To leap across the mouth of an ocean harbor, something never before accomplished, civil engineers planted one pier in the open sea, 1,000 ft. from the shore. Construction crews braved biting cold, 70-mph gusts and dizzying heights to complete the bridge in only four years. The bridge combines engineering strength and beauty. It survived the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and weather has shut it to traffic only three times in 60 years. Currently the span is undergoing a seismic retrofit to withstand a 90-second earthquake that measures 8.3on the Richter scale. Today, the Golden Gate Bridge remains one of the world's most revered, and photographed bridges. Empire State Building At 1,250 ft. the Empire State Building is the best-known skyscraper in the world, and was by far the tallest building in the world for more than 40 years. The building's most astonishing feat however, was the speed in which it rose into the New York City skyline. Construction was completed in only one year and 45 days, without requiring overtime.

Ironworkers set a torrid pace, riveting the 58,000-ton frame together in 23 weeks. While just below them, masons finished the exterior in eight months, and plumbers laid 51 miles of pipe and electricians installed 17 million ft. of telephone wire. The building was so well-engineered that is was easily repaired after a bomber crashed into it in 1945. The precise choreography of the operation revolutionized the tall building construction industry. Although it has been surpassed as the world's tallest building, the Empire State Building remains the standard against which all other skyscrapers have been judged for the last 65 years. North Sea Protection Works (Netherlands) Unique in the world, this vast and complex system of dams, floodgates, storm surge barriers and other engineered works literally allows the Netherlands to exist. For centuries, the people of the Netherlands have repeatedly attempted to push back the sea -- only to watch merciless storm surges flood their efforts, since the nation sits below sea level and its land mass is still sinking. The North Sea Protection Works consists of two monumental steps the Dutch took to win their struggle to hold back the sea.

Step One -- a 19-mile-long enclosure dam built between 1927 and 1932. The immense dike, 100 yards thick at the waterline, collars the neck of the estuary once known as the Zuiderzee. Step Two was the Delta Project to control the treacherous area where the mouths of the Meuse and Rhine Rivers break into a delta. The crowning touch was the Eastern Schelde Barrier, a two-mile barrier of tell gates slung between massive concrete piers. The gates fall only when storm-waters threaten. The North Sea Protection Works exemplifies humanity's ability to exist side-by-side with the forces of nature. Copyright ï¿½ 1996, 1997 ASCE. All rights reserved.

Question: One of the Seven Wonders of the World was at Alexandria. What type of structure was it?
Answer: A lighthouse