The Seven Wonders of the World

The Colossus of Rhodes this enormous structure statue took 12 years to complete but was completely destroyed 50 years later. This structure spanned the entrance to Mandraki Harbor.  The task was created by the sculptor Chares of Lindos. The base was made of white marble, with the statue built from the base to the summit. The construction stood through time until an earthquake occurred in Rhodes in approximately 226 BC.

The Status of Zeus at Olympia was a statue of the great Greek God Zeus. It stood in the ancient town of Olympia, on the west coast of what is now modern Greece. The temple where the statue was held was designed and built by the architect Libon around 450 BC. The temple stood through years of natural disasters, until it was ravaged by fire in the fifth century AD.  However, the main statue survived until a fire in AD 462 at the palace at Constantinople where it had been transported to and was left in ruins.

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The Great Pyramid of Giza in the ancient city of Giza stand the only remaining wonder of the world. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is located in the capital of Egypt, Cairo, in the tourist region of the Giza Plateau. It was built by the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu around the year 2560 BC as his burial tomb. The pyramids are great architectural structures and they were completed in a long span of time. This pyramid is reported to have been constructed for over 20 years. Its initial height was around 481 feet high. It was the tallest structure on Earth for more than 43 centuries.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was the most beautiful gardens of its time, the most exotic animals, terraces and beautiful monuments were to be found there. This is the wonder of the world has yet to be proven. It is said to have been located on the east bank of the Euphrates River south of what is today Baghdad, Iraq. It is said that these wondrous gardens were built by the king Nebuchadnezzar.

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus this great temple was built and dedicated to the Greek Goddess Artemis. It was located in the ancient city of Ephesusin Turkey. The temple was built in 550 BC by the Lydian King Croesus. The temple drew everyone from merchants and peasants to kings and nobles visit the temple. The temple survived until 356 BC when it was burnt it to the ground.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria a fully functional wonder of the world lies on an ancient island of Pharos, which is now near the city of Alexandria, Egypt. The lighthouse was designed by Ptolemy Soter in 290 BC, but was not completed in his lifetime. This lighthouse stood for centuries and was used to mark the harbor. In 956 AD an earthquake struck Alexandria and damaged the lighthouse. Other earthquakes shook the lighthouse and the life of the lighthouse was totally ended in 1480.

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus a beautiful temple was located in the city of Halicarnassus. It was finished around 350 BC and stood on the Aegean Sea in southwest Turkey. The tomb was created for king Mausollos of Caria, and designed by wife Artemisia. The temple lasted for 16 centuries until an earthquake damaged the roof.  In the early 15th century, it is said that the Knights of St. John of Malta invaded the region and used the blocks from the Mausoleum to build their fortress.

Did these seven wonders truly exist or are they fabrications of an ancient people’s myths? One might ask that question but for now there is the famous Seven Wonders of the World.