The Seven Wonders has always been the subject of much debate throughout the ages. They were symbols of man’s creativity, skill, and vision. Their greatness and wonder have echoed down through the ages and the mind still boggles at how ancient man was able to design and build these great structures. The list of wonders was originally complied by Philo of Byzantium in 225 B.C. It is clear to see that each one of these wonders merit their place on the list!
The Great Pyramid of Giza
The only one of the Wonder’s to survive the ages. It is the largest of the three pyramids located outside Cairo. It was built sometime between 2700 B.C and 2500 B.C. The Great Pyramid is known as Khufu and it took 2 million blocks to build. The Pyramids has not only influenced history and the modern world. it has also brought its splendour online, through many online games like Lara Croft: Temples and Tombs the game is playable at Aspers Casino Online. It is just one example of how the Egyptians still influence culture today.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Build by Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife – because she missed her homeland. It was believed to have stood at 75ft tall and contained a collection of exotic plants and trees. There remains a lot of debate as to whether it existed or not. Many records of the time do not mention it being part of ancient Babylon.
Lighthouse at Alexandria
Ptolemy I order the great lighthouse at Alexandria to be built to aid ships that entered the busy port. It became known as one of the largest structures in the ancient world. It could be seen far out to sea. There was a fire at the top, which was used during the night, and during the day there was a mirrors that reflected the sun it could be seen for great distances.
Colossus of Rhodes
This was a huge statue of the god Helios – he was the patron god of the island. It stood the harbor of Rhodes. The height of the statue was 110 feet and was bigger than most statues. It was wrecked by an earthquake in 226 BCE and lay in ruins for many years. The Bronze statue was then taken away and melted down in the East.
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
The Mausoleum was built after the death of Satrap Mausolus around 351 BCE. Halicarnassus was in what is now Bodrum, Turkey. It became one of the busiest ports in the Eastern Mediterranean and the capital of the small kingdom. King and his wife were both buried there, and the pair were both remembered for over seeing the growth of the small nation.
Zeus at Olympia
Set within Olympia’s Temple of Zeus, the statue was believed to be 40 feet tall. It is the most famous depiction of the god known. It was built by Phidias using ivory and gold. Zeus’ head almost touched the ceiling of the temple as he remained seated. The temple eventually fell into disrepair and the Christians took the statue to Constantinople where it was destroyed.
Temple of Artemis
Finally, we have this temple that was built in Ephesus. It measured 425 feet long, and 225 feet wide and contained 60-foot columns. By all accounts, the temple was magnificent and was believed to be one of mankind’s greatest achievements. It was burned down by a man called Herodotus and was rebuilt a few times before being destroyed in 401 CE.
