The Seven Wonders of the World
Since ancient times, numerous “seven wonders” lists have
been created. The content of these lists tends to vary, and
none is definitive. The seven wonders that are most widely
agreed upon as being in the original list are the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World, which was compiled by
ancient Greek historians and is thus confined to the most
magnificent structures known to the ancient Greek world.
Of all the Ancient Wonders, the pyramids alone survive.
The Pyramids of Egypt are three pyramids at Giza, outside
modern Cairo. The largest pyramid, built by Khufu (Cheops)
, a king of the fourth dynasty, had an original estimated
height of 482 ft (now approximately 450 ft). The base has
sides 755 ft long. It contains 2,300,000 blocks; the average
weight of each is 2.5 tons. Estimated date of completion is
2680 B.C.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were supposedly built by
Nebuchadnezzar around 600 B.C. to please his queen,
Amuhia. They are also associated with the mythical
Assyrian queen Semiramis. Archeologists surmise that the
gardens were laid out atop a vaulted building, with
provisions for raising water. The terraces were said to rise
from 75 to 300 ft.
The Statue of Zeus (Jupiter) at Olympia was made of gold
and ivory by the Greek sculptor Phidias (5th century B.C.).
Reputed to be 40 ft high, the statue has been lost without
a trace, except for reproductions on coins.
The Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus was begun
about 350 B.C., in honor of a non-Hellenic goddess who
later became identified with the Greek goddess of the
same name. The temple, with Ionic columns 60 ft high,
was destroyed by invading Goths in A.D. 262.
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was erected by Queen
Artemisia in memory of her husband, King Mausolus of
Caria in Asia Minor, who died in 353 B.C. Some remains of
the structure are in the British Museum. This shrine is the
source of the modern word mausoleum.
The Colossus at Rhodes was a bronze statue of Helios
(Apollo), about 105 ft high. The work of the sculptor
Chares, who reputedly labored for 12 years before
completing it in 280 B.C., it was destroyed during an
earthquake in 224 B.C.
The Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria was built by
Sostratus of Cnidus during the 3rd century B.C. on the
island of Pharos off the coast of Egypt. It was destroyed by
an earthquake in the 13th century.
(Some lists include the Walls of Babylon in place of the
second or seventh wonder.)
Since ancient times, numerous “seven wonders” lists have
been created. The content of these lists tends to vary, and
none is definitive. The seven wonders that are most widely
agreed upon as being in the original list are the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World, which was compiled by
ancient Greek historians and is thus confined to the most
magnificent structures known to the ancient Greek world.
Of all the Ancient Wonders, the pyramids alone survive.
The Pyramids of Egypt are three pyramids at Giza, outside
modern Cairo. The largest pyramid, built by Khufu (Cheops)
, a king of the fourth dynasty, had an original estimated
height of 482 ft (now approximately 450 ft). The base has
sides 755 ft long. It contains 2,300,000 blocks; the average
weight of each is 2.5 tons. Estimated date of completion is
2680 B.C.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were supposedly built by
Nebuchadnezzar around 600 B.C. to please his queen,
Amuhia. They are also associated with the mythical
Assyrian queen Semiramis. Archeologists surmise that the
gardens were laid out atop a vaulted building, with
provisions for raising water. The terraces were said to rise
from 75 to 300 ft.
The Statue of Zeus (Jupiter) at Olympia was made of gold
and ivory by the Greek sculptor Phidias (5th century B.C.).
Reputed to be 40 ft high, the statue has been lost without
a trace, except for reproductions on coins.
The Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus was begun
about 350 B.C., in honor of a non-Hellenic goddess who
later became identified with the Greek goddess of the
same name. The temple, with Ionic columns 60 ft high,
was destroyed by invading Goths in A.D. 262.
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was erected by Queen
Artemisia in memory of her husband, King Mausolus of
Caria in Asia Minor, who died in 353 B.C. Some remains of
the structure are in the British Museum. This shrine is the
source of the modern word mausoleum.
The Colossus at Rhodes was a bronze statue of Helios
(Apollo), about 105 ft high. The work of the sculptor
Chares, who reputedly labored for 12 years before
completing it in 280 B.C., it was destroyed during an
earthquake in 224 B.C.
The Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria was built by
Sostratus of Cnidus during the 3rd century B.C. on the
island of Pharos off the coast of Egypt. It was destroyed by
an earthquake in the 13th century.
(Some lists include the Walls of Babylon in place of the
second or seventh wonder.)
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