The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
The ancient Greek historian Herodotus began to compile a list of the Ancient Wonders of the World as early as the fifth century BC. In the second century BC complete lists of Seven Wonders were made, although most did not contain the Pharos of Alexandria but instead included the Walls of Babylon. In the sixth century AD, the Walls of Babylon had been replaced by the Pharos, and by the Middle Ages a list was agreed upon that still exists today. These Seven Ancient Wonders are described in the paragraphs below, appearing in chronological order.
The Pyramids of GizaOf all the wonders of the ancient world, the Great Pyramid is by far the most well known. The construction of pyramids in Egypt probably began about 2700 BC, when an architect named Imhotep built a step pyramid at aqqrah out of stone blocks rather than the traditional mud bricks. This pyramid was to be the tomb of Zoser, the second pharaoh of the third dynasty, who reigned form 2737-2717 BC. The design for the step pyramid was modified by other third dynasty pharaohs, and by the beginning of the fourth dynasty King Snefru constructed the first true pyramid at Dahshor. The design of the true pyramid was again used by Snefru’s son Khufu (Greek: Cheops), who built the first of the three pyramids at Giza. Khufu’s pyramid, known as the Great Pyramid, is the largest of the three, with an original height of 481 feet and a base length of 755 feet per side. The height today is only 451 feet, the result of looters stripping the outer white limestone and the slight settling of the pyramid base. Approximately 2.3 million blocks went into the Great Pyramid, each weighing about 2.5 tons. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that the Great Pyramid was constructed over a 20 year period with the labor of about 100,000 men. The precision of the architecture is reflected in that the four corners of the base are in alignment with the four points of the compass. Some of the outer limestone still remains atop the second pyramid, which was built by Khufu’s son Khafer (Chephren), who succeeded his brother Redjedef (2613-2603 BC) to the throne. Khafer’s pyramid was 471 feet high when constructed, with the base about 707 feet per side. The Great Sphinx, located very near the pyramids, is said to have the face of Khafer and the body of a lion. The last of the immense Giza pyramids was built by Menkaure (Mycerinus), who ruled from 2578 to 2553 BC. This pyramid is the smallest of the three, reaching a height of only 218 feet and base lengths of 356 feet.
Contrary to popular belief, the three Giza pyramids are not a collective wonder, only the Great Pyramid is endowed with this status. The incredible size and design of the pyramid, accompanied by the limited building technology of the Egyptians, has awed scientists as well as common men for thousands of years. Interestingly, it is the oldest wonder and the only one still intact today, which is why it is considered the greatest architectural feat in the history of mankind.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built at the Royal Palace of Babylonia, which was located on the Euphrates river about 50 km south of modern Baghdad, Iraq. There are two accounts as to the creation of the Gardens. The more popular belief is that King Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC) of Babylonia built them to comfort his wife, Amyitis, who missed the mountain surroundings of her homeland. The other possible creator of the Gardens is Queen Sammu-ramat (Semiramis), who lived two centuries before Nebuchadnezzar. There are no known remains of the Gardens that would verify their existence. In fact, only ancient Greek historians and poets mention the Gardens; Babylonian writings say nothing of them. Many people today believe that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon never existed, that the Greek poets and historians saw them only in their own minds. However, if they did exist as the Greeks claim, they contained elevated terraces that were stepped to form mountain-like structures. Exotic plants and animals inhabited the gardens, and large irrigation systems pumped water throughout the terraces. The Greek historian Philo wrote of the Gardens:
"The Hanging Garden has plants cultivated above ground level, and the roots of the trees are embedded in an upper terrace rather than in the earth. The whole mass is supported on stone columns... Streams of water emerging from elevated sources flow down sloping channels... These waters irrigate the whole garden saturating the roots of plants and keeping the whole area moist. Hence the grass is permanently green and the leaves of trees grow firmly attached to supple branches... This is a work of art of royal luxury and its most striking feature is that the labor of cultivation is suspended above the heads of the spectators."
Statue of Zeus
The Statue of Zeus was crafted over an eight year period at Olympia, Greece and was finished in 430 BC. Phidias, its creator, was perhaps the finest sculptor in all of the ancient world. A magnificent temple was constructed to house the 40 ft. tall statue. This temple attained a religious significance far greater than any other Greek temple in the world of antiquity. The magnificent statue was made primarily of gold and ivory molded over a wooden frame. The King of Gods was depicted as sitting on his throne with a symbol of Nike (victory) in his right hand and a scepter crowned by an eagle in his left. The statue was decorated with ebony, ivory, precious stones, silver, gold, sphinxes and winged symbols of victory. The Temple flourished until the fourth century AD, when it was closed after the Olympic Games were banned by the Christian Emperor Theodosius. Fires, floods and earthquakes damaged and eventually destroyed the temple in 426 AD. The statue was transported to Constantinople where it was kept until 462, when it was destroyed by a severe fire.
Temple of Artemis
The Temple of Artemis was built in Ephesus (modern day Selcuk, Turkey) about 550 BC. It was dedicated to Artemis (Roman: Diana), twin sister of Apollo and goddess of the hunt, childbirth, the harvest, nature, and the moon. Croesus, the King of Ancient Lydia, sponsored the construction of the temple, which was made almost entirely of marble. It contained a statue of Artemis, depicting the goddess standing straight with her hands outstretched, that was made of such precious materials as gold, silver, and ebony. The temple was also glorified by the other incredible works of art contained in it, as well as its enormous size (about 350 by 180 feet). Many ivory, bronze, and gold statues and other art works contained in the temple came from as far as India. The original temple was burned by a madman named Herostratus in 356 BC, rebuilt under Alexander the Great and again destroyed by the Goths in 262 AD. Sadly, the magnificent temple was never restored, making it, like five of the other ancient wonders, known to us only through the words of historians.
Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum, Turkey) was the tomb of Mausolus, a tyrant King of Caria, a kingdom in the Persian Empire. It was built from 353 to 351 BC by Artemisia, the sister and widow of Mausolus. The base of the mausoleum was formed by a 60 ft. high stepped podium. A colonnade was above this, which consisted of 36 columns supporting the roof. The roof was a 24-step pyramid with a four horse marble chariot fixed at the top. The total height of the mausoleum was 140 ft., 20 ft. of which was the chariot statue. Many other statues of all sizes adorned the mausoleum both inside and out. These were constructed by the four prominent Greek sculptors of the time: Scopas, Bryaxis, Leochartes, and Timotheus. An earthquake probably partially destroyed the mausoleum around the 13th century, and by 1522, Crusaders had completely disassembled the structure and used the blocks in buildings and castles. The name of King Mausolus inspired all similar burial chambers to be known as "mausoleums".
Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes was a 110 ft. high statue of Helios, the Greek sun god, erected near the opening of the harbor of Rhodes, an island in Greece. It was built from about 292-280 BC after a peace agreement between the Macedonians and the Rhodians. A war between those two groups had been fought, and when the Macedonians left Rhodes in peace, they left a wealth of military equipment behind. The Colossus was built at the harbor to celebrate the end of this war. It was made of bronze with a white marble base and was reinforced with iron and stone. Unfortunately, it was toppled just 56 years later by an earthquake, leaving the Colossus lying on its side, which is how it remained until 653 AD. In this year Arabs invaded Rhodes and tore apart the Colossus, selling the bronze for scrap. Many people believe the medieval myth that the Colossus straddled the harbor, but in reality it stood off to one side. The design for the Statue of Liberty was inspired by the Colossus.
Pharos of Alexanderia
The Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria was constructed by Sostratus for Ptolemy II, ruler of Egypt, in about 280 BC on the island of Pharos in the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt. This lighthouse had a square base, an octagonal midsection, and a cylindrical top. There was a large statue on the top of the Pharos, probably of Alexander the Great or Pyolemy I Soter. The total height of the structure was slightly more than 440 ft., with either a fire burning or a mirror reflecting sunlight at the top. In the Middle Ages, the Arabs who conquered Egypt neglected to maintain the lighthouse. It was rattled by earthquakes in AD 956, 1303 and 1323, and by the 15th century it was destroyed. In 1477 the Mamlk sultan Q’it By built a fort over the ruins of the Pharos, using the rubble of the once marvelous structure in walls and fortifications.