While new lists have been made over time of the Seven Wonders of the World, the original list dates back to the 2nd century BCE. Back in antiquity, most of the world was not yet known to those who created this first list of wonders, so only a certain region of the world was covered. In 2000, a new official list of the Seven Wonders of the World was created to incorporate man-made structures all across Earth.
This post will observe what is now known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid was built near Cairo, Egypt around 5,000 years ago. Of the original seven wonders on this list, the Great Pyramid is the only one that is still standing to this day.
For the first 3,800 years of its existence, the Great Pyramid was the largest man-made structure on Earth. The purpose of its construction was to serve as a tomb for an Egyptian pharaoh name Khufu. The Great Pyramid originally stood at 481 feet (146.6 m) tall. However, today it stands at 454.4 feet (138.5 m) tall. This is mostly due to the removal of the top limestone layer over time.
Colossus of Rhodes
In 280 BCE, a gigantic statue of the Greek sun god Helios was erected in Rhodes, Greece. The statue served as a gateway into the city’s port.
Prior to the statue’s construction, Rhodes had been under constant siege by foreign invaders for an entire year. Eventually, the Greeks won and forced the invaders out of their land. Following this victory, the Greeks built the Colossus of Rhodes as a celebration.
The statue stood 108 feet (32.9 m) tall, which is about the same as the modern-day Statue of Liberty without its base. It was the tallest statue in the Ancient World. 54 years after it was built, the gigantic statue was destroyed by a massive earthquake, leaving it only a memory in history.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Although there are only mentions of it in history, the Hanging Gardens were said to have been created in the ancient city of Babylon (located in modern-day Iraq) between 605 – 562 BCE. It was designed by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife, Queen Amytis.
Amytis had moved to the desert city of Babylon for her husband, though she missed the green hillsides from her homeland. Therefore, the King found it to be a good idea to create the Hanging Gardens for the Queen as a beauty of nature. Its destruction, and exact location, remain unknown.
Lighthouse of Alexandria
The Ptolemaic Kingdom was responsible for building the Lighthouse of Alexandria sometime between 280 – 247 BCE. The Lighthouse was built to be used at the port in Alexandria, Egypt. Its construction took twelve years to complete. Once finished, the Lighthouse became one of the tallest man-made structures on Earth (behind the Great Pyramid).
The Lighthouse of Alexandria stood at 330 feet (100.5 m) tall, and was in use for over one thousand years. Between 956 – 1323 CE, a series of earthquakes slowly deteriorated the Lighthouse and eventually caused it to collapse.
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Mausolus was the mighty ruler of the Achaemenid Empire. In 353 BCE, he died, just as every other ruler does. However, a special tomb was designed for Mausolus. This tomb, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, was completed in 350 BCE in the ancient city of Halicarnassus, Greece (modern-day Bodrum, Turkey).
The Mausoleum stood at 148 feet (45.1 m) tall and was one of the most extravagant buildings of its time. Of the six out of seven wonders that have been destroyed, the Mausoleum lasted the longest, all the way up until roughly 1400 CE when a series of earthquakes brought the Mausoleum to ruins. The modern word “mausoleum” comes from this.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Zeus was the Greek god of thunder, and was thought to be the sky itself. He had his own temple built in Olympia, Greece. Around 453 BCE, Greek sculptor Phidias decided to build a statue of Zeus within the temple. When completed, the statue was 41 feet (12.4 m) tall and portrayed Zeus sitting on a throne.
The locals believed that if Zeus were to ever stand up, he would unroof the temple. Many Greeks used the temple as a place of worship. The Statue of Zeus, along with the Temple of Zeus, stood until it was destroyed in a large fire around 425 CE.
Temple of Artemis
Greeks clearly loved their gods, and they built many temples because of this. One temple was built for Artemis, goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, the Moon, and chastity. She was also the daughter of Zeus.
The Temple of Artemis was constructed in the ancient city of Ephesus (located in modern-day Turkey). Although its construction date is unknown, what is known is that the temple was destroyed and rebuilt twice. By 401 CE, however, the temple lay in ruins. Today, small remains of the Temple of Artemis can viewed where the grand wonder once stood.
Conclusion
The Original Seven Wonders of the World only cover a small part of the world, mainly Greece, Egypt, Turkey, and the Middle East. This is a major reason why a new list was eventually created. Plus, six of these wonders are no longer in existence. Regardless, the history of the wonders are preserved and passed along to remember what ancient humans were capable of building.
Which of these wonders is your favorite?
