The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

1. The Great Pyramid of Giza

This pyramid was the tallest man-made structure for over 3,800 years! One of the main reasons why this is a great wonder is the fact that all sides of the base of the pyramid have only 58-100 mm in error lengthwise. Taking over 20 years to build this pyramid, it was made for king Khufu. Eventually, like most pyramids, the treasure inside this had been stolen by looters and thieves.

2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

This second wonder of the ancient world is really a wonder within itself! Many people don’t believe that this was ever created while others do believe it was. Some people also have alot of controversy as to who actually created the gardens and why. It was said that around 600 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar II constructed these gardens in the area of what is now present day Iraq. He had created this garden for his wife who wanted fragrant trees and plants, similar to those that were in her home back in Persia. If these gardens really were created, then it is alleged that after two severe earthquakes, the gardens were completely destroyed.

3. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia

This third wonder of the world is the ancient statue of Zeus, in a temple, sitting down. This statue of Zeus was created by Pheidias, circa 432 BC in the temple name: “the temple of Zeus.” This statue of Zeus was made of him seated down on a throne. The statue was 39 feet or 12 meters tall and if Zeus was to “stand up” it was said that he would have unroofed the temple. Although there isn’t any replicas of this statue scaled down, there have been many accounts between many historians who have contributed some detail of this magnificent statue.

4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

The temple of Artemis, A.K.A the temple of Diana, was created for and dedicated to the god Artemis. The temple was created around 550 BC at Ephesus which is today present day Turkey. Artemis was actually a goddess of Greek origin. Artemis was the virgin twin of Apollo and was highly respected by the Greek. This temple was actually destroyed by an arsonist in 356 BC and then it was later restored at 326 BC.

5. Mausoleum of Maussollos

Here is a picture of the tomb of Maussollos in ruins as it is today.

Built between 353 and 350 BC, this was a tomb but for Mausolas who was a Satrap back during the time of the Persian Empire. The tomb originally stood tall over 40 feet and was considered by many as an architectural masterpiece. Built by Artemisia, she had wasted no time in making this tomb for her greatly beloved husband. She had ordered the tomb to be built by some of the best sculptur in all of Greece and in the end a masterpiece was born.

6. The Colossus of Rhodes

The Colossus of Rhodes was really a statue that depicted the Greek god Helios. It stood over 25 meters tall which made it close to one of the tallest man made structures of the ancient world. After about 40 years of finishing construction, the statue was destroyed by and earthquake and was never built again. Its pieces lay on the ground where they had fallen for many years and it had become quite a tourist attraction.

7. The Lighthouse of Alexandria

This lighthouse was built around the time of the 3rd century on the Egyptian Island of Pharos. This building was actually intended to be a landmark for the island but was later converted into a lighthouse because of increasing need for one. This statue was considered the tallest building created by man up until around the time of the 14th century.