home Pike All the old wonders of the world. Wonders of the world

All the old wonders of the world. Wonders of the world

Daria Nessel| Dec 15, 2016

The Pyramid of Cheops

Neither he nor his wife lived to see the completion of construction. The architects and sculptors completed the work they started on their own initiative so that people could admire this masterpiece of architecture.

The crypt of Mausolus stood in Halicarnassus for 1700 years, until an earthquake destroyed the three-tiered 50-meter walls, decorated with bas-reliefs and sculptures.

Four marble horses at a gallop, with the royal couple, crowned this tombstone, called the mausoleum. Since then, all such structures are called mausoleums.

From 270 to 220 BC on the shore of the island of Rhodes stood, amazing in its size, a monument to the sun god Helios in the form of a young man with a torch in his raised hand. Delightful on the outside, in reality it consisted mainly of mortar, its power was only a mirage that soon dissipated.

The statue of the radiant handsome man collapsed, unable to withstand the vibrations of the earth's surface, and lay there for 900 years, until the iron and bronze were sent for smelting, leaving no mention of the place where it was located.

The 32 m clay-filled giant is the progenitor of the colossi that appeared later, such as, for example, the Statue of Liberty in the USA. There is a project for a virtual embodiment of the Colossus of Rhodes.

Alexandrian lighthouse

The signal tower on the island of Pharos at the entrance to the harbor was erected in 280 BC. in five years and served for almost 1000 years, showing the right path to sailors and reliably protecting the capital of Egypt from attack from the sea.

The design proposed by the architect Sostratus was implemented so successfully that in the future all coastal lighthouses decided to build according to its model.

The giant fire, which burned day and night on the third level, was visible at sea almost 100 km away, thanks to mirror reflectors made of polished bronze plates, first used here.

Strong seismic shocks destroyed the building, leaving only the ruins on which another fortress was built.

In 2015, the Egyptian authorities decided to restore the Alexandria Lighthouse.

Some of the disappeared ancient wonders of the world have been reconstructed as mini-copies in the miniature park in Istanbul: the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, the Halicarnak Mausoleum.

It is better to see in reality once than to hear (read) a million times in order to understand and appreciate these beautiful works of art.

The 7 wonders of the ancient world are the results of human genius, covered with a veil of mystery and legend, created many centuries ago and almost all of them sank into the abyss without a trace.

Why exactly 7 wonders of the world? Were there really so few of them? In fact, this list should be much longer, but seven has been revered since ancient times as a magical, divine number in which providence manifests its will.

Maybe that’s why so many colors of the rainbow, notes, and days of the week are known. This is where the expressions come from: behind seven seals, seven circles of hell, in seventh heaven...

In those distant times, the Greeks annually determined a list of wonders, making it a kind of lottery, because there was so much to choose from. Until the ancient Greek poet Antipater of Sidon, in his famous poem about the 7 wonders of the world, named the objects that he considered worthy of this title.

I’m an Image Caption ready-to-use.

Later it became fashionable and ancient historians, poets and writers began to repeat it. The Seven Ancient Wonders of the World were built within 2,500 years before Christ. The geography of their location is the Mediterranean region: the territory of modern Egypt, Greece, Iraq, Turkey. This unprecedented surge of creative energy and talent took place here, leaving a bright mark on world culture.

The Pyramid of Cheops

The largest of all existing pyramids in the Giza Valley, dating from 2540–2560 BC, 146 m high (currently 138 m), with a base of just over five hectares. This is the memorial complex of Pharaoh Cheops and the only one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world that has survived to this day.

A stone monolith, completely filled with heavy, weighing more than 2 tons, blocks of cut limestone with three granite burial chambers inside. Today you can hear many hypotheses about the purpose of rooms, and new ones are constantly being put forward.

More than 5 million tons - this is the weight. Over the course of twenty years, 4 thousand builders laid them out in a geometrically correct form during a period when wheels were unknown in Egypt.

Looted in ancient times, the tomb of Khufu keeps the secret of its creation, continuing to attract the attention of scientists and archaeologists.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Babylonian miracle, built by order of Nebuchadnezzar 3000 BC. for his wife, the daughter of the Median king, so that she could dispel longing for her native land.

Four platforms, placed in tiers on powerful supports, were like a mountain hill, planted with rare trees and bushes. It was an oasis of peace and coolness in the sultry and noisy Babylon.

The name of Semiramis, a legendary woman who lived several centuries earlier, was connected by people's rumors with this unique creation, creating beautiful fairy tales. Amytis, for whose sake the birds sang and the streams gurgled, is forever forgotten by history.

Statue of Olympian Zeus

In Olympia from the 7th century BC. popular athletic competitions were held. The patron of athletes participating in competitions and citizens of the polis was the formidable head of Olympus. He was feared and respected, so a palace was built for him, suitable for such a powerful protector.

The marble temple was the largest ever dedicated to deities. An impressive ivory and gold statue of the thunder god, created by the sculptor Phidias, sat on a throne in the center of the building.
The optical effect, thanks to which the figure of the Thunderer seemed to shine in the twilight of the room, amazed those present.

For almost a millennium, the Olympians brought gifts to, until Emperor Theodosius the Second ordered the burning of the temple of the supreme pagan god in order to strengthen the formation of the Christian religion.

The Temple of Zeus at Olympia is reproduced in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Residents of Ephesus in the 5th century BC. In honor of their patroness, Artemis, the always young goddess of the hunt, they erected a magnificent temple. They worked for almost a hundred years, experiencing serious difficulties with the foundation, located on shaky, swampy soil.

Seven Wonders of the World

More than 2,000 years ago, writers began compiling lists of amazing buildings and structures they had seen or heard about. Around 120 BC a Greek poet named Antipar of Sidon described seven such places. All of them can be found in a small area in the eastern Mediterranean - an area that ancient Greek writers knew well. Few have been outside of it. Perhaps this list was a kind of tourist guide. The list of wonders has survived to this day, although only one of the listed structures remains standing. They are known as the Seven Wonders of Antiquity.

Great Pyramid of Giza

This graceful Egyptian pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of Antiquity. In addition, this is the only miracle that has survived to this day. At the time of its creation, the Great Pyramid was the tallest structure in the world. And she held this record, apparently, for almost 4000 years.

The Great Pyramid was built as the tomb of Khufu, known to the Greeks as Cheops. He was one of the pharaohs, or kings, of ancient Egypt, and his tomb was completed in 2580 BC. Later, two more pyramids were built at Giza, for Khufu's son and grandson, as well as smaller pyramids for their queens. The pyramid of Khufu is the largest.

The pyramids stand in an ancient cemetery in Giza, on the opposite bank of the Nile River from Cairo, the capital of modern Egypt. Some archaeologists believe that it may have taken 100,000 people 20 years to build the great pyramid. It was created from more than 2 million stone blocks, each of which weighed at least 2.5 tons. Workers pulled them into place using ramps, pulleys and levers, and then pushed them together without mortar.

When the main structure was completed, it resembled a series of steps. They were then covered with blocks of white limestone with a polished, shiny surface. The blocks were so tightly fitted to each other that it was impossible to insert even a knife blade between them from the outside. Upon completion of the work, the Great Pyramid rose 147 meters. Now its top has collapsed, in addition, at present, only the pyramid of Khufu’s son has retained its limestone cladding at its very top. The base side of the Great Pyramid reaches 230 meters. It occupies more area than nine football fields.

The ancient Egyptians believed that when a person died, their body should be preserved so that the spirit could continue to live after death. They removed the internal organs, filled the body with salts and wrapped it in linen shrouds. So the body turned into a mummy. The mummy was then buried along with clothing, food, jewelry and other items useful for the afterlife. Khufu's mummified body was placed in a burial chamber at the heart of his pyramid.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The Hanging Gardens were one of the most famous wonders of the ancient city of Babylon. However, although archaeologists have found the supposed ruins of the gardens, it is impossible to prove that these are exactly them. All we know is that the gardens really existed because people saw and described them.

Greek and Roman writers say that the gardens were built around 600 BC. by order of Nebuchadnezzar II, ruler of Babylon. This city lay on the banks of the Euphrates River, south of today's Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. Legend tells that the king ordered the construction of gardens for the sake of his young wife Amytis, who was homesick, hoping that they would remind her of her native Persian mountains.

The Hanging Gardens were probably built next to the river and overlooked the city walls of Babylon. They were arranged in the form of terraces, the highest of which may have risen 40 meters above the ground. Nebuchadnezzar ordered every imaginable species of trees and flowers to be planted in the garden. They were transported from all over the empire on oxcarts and river boats. The success of gardeners must have depended on a good irrigation system, for which water from the Euphrates was used. Water could be raised to the upper terrace using a chain of buckets attached to a wheel that was turned by slaves. And then it must have flowed through the gardens in streams and waterfalls, so that the ground always remained wet.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Croesus was the last king of Lydia, an ancient region in Asia Minor that is part of modern Turkey. He was famous for his enormous wealth and in 560 BC. built a magnificent temple in Ephesus. The city itself was founded 1000 years earlier. According to legend, its founders were the Amazons.

Croesus decided to build a temple in honor of the moon goddess, the patroness of animals and young girls. The Greeks called her Artemis, and the Romans called her Diana. The temple was built from limestone and marble quarried by workers in the nearby mountains. The supporting structures of the temple consisted of about 120 marble columns. The giant columns reached a height of 20 meters. The huge blocks from which they were made had to be pushed into place using blocks, after which they were fastened with metal pins. When the building was covered with a roof, the artists gave it a finished look, decorating it with sculptures and ornaments. In the center of the temple stood a statue of Artemis. It was one of the largest classical temples, much larger than the Parthenon, built later in Athens. The platform he stood on. reached 131 meters in length and 79 meters in width.

Two hundred years later, in 356 BC, the temple was burned to the ground. It was set on fire by a man named Herostat, who just wanted to become famous. By a strange coincidence, the temple was destroyed on the day that Alexander the Great was born. Years later, Alexander visited Ephesus and ordered the temple to be restored to its original location.

The Temple of Alexander existed until the 3rd century AD. Gradually, the bay in Ephesus was covered with silt and the city lost its importance. The temple was plundered by the Goths and later flooded. Today, only a few foundation blocks and one restored column remain from the temple at Ephesus.

Zeus statue in Olympia

Almost 3,000 years ago, Olympia was an important religious center in Southwestern Greece. The ancient Greeks worshiped Zeus, the king of the gods, and held regular festivals there in his honor, which included athletic competitions. The first Olympic Games, as they came to be called, were probably held in 776 BC. After this, the games were held every four years for 1,100 years. They were of great importance; During the games, all wars stopped, so as not to interfere with the participants and spectators getting to the place.

In the 5th century BC. The citizens of Olympia decided to build a temple of Zeus. The majestic building was erected between 466 and 456. BC. It was built from huge stone blocks and was surrounded by massive columns. For several years after construction was completed, the temple did not have a worthy statue of Zeus, although it was soon decided that one was necessary. The famous Athenian sculptor was chosen as the creator of the statue.

The sculptor's name was Phidias, and he had already created two majestic statues of the goddess Athena. At Olympia, Phidias and his assistants created, first of all, a wooden frame, which was supposed to serve as the backbone of the statue of Zeus. After this, they covered the frame with plates of ivory, representing the skin of the god, and leaves of gold, representing his robe. Workers hid the joints so that the completed statue looked like a monolithic figure.

Zeus sat on a throne inlaid with ebony and precious stones. The finished statue reached 13 m in height and almost touched the ceiling of the temple. It seemed that if Zeus stood up, he would blow the roof off. Platforms for spectators were built along the walls so that people, having climbed onto them, could see the face of God. After its completion in 435 BC. The statue remained one of the greatest wonders of the world for 800 years.

Around 40 AD Roman Emperor Caligula wanted to move the statue to Rome. Workers were sent after it, but, according to legend, the statue burst into a burst of laughter and the workers fled. Then, in 391 AD, after adopting Christianity, the Romans banned the Olympic Games and closed the Greek temples. A few years later, the statue of Zeus was transported to Constantinople. In 462 A.D. the palace in which the statue stood was destroyed by fire. An earthquake occurred in the Olympic region in the 4th century. The temple and stadium were destroyed by floods, their remains covered with silt. This helped the fragments of Olympia survive for more than 1000 years.

mausoleum in Halicarnassus

Mausolus was the ruler of Caria, part of the Persian Empire, from 377 to 353. BC. The capital of the region was Halicarnassus, which became a tourist center in modern Turkey under the name Bodrum. Mausolus succeeded his father as lord of the city and satrap of the province.

Mausolus married his sister Artemisia. Gaining more and more power, he began to think about a tomb for himself and his queen. This must have been an extraordinary tomb. Mausolus dreamed of a magnificent monument that would remind the world of his wealth and power long after his death. Mausolus died before the tomb was completed, but his widow continued to supervise the construction until its completion, around 350 BC. The tomb was called Mausoleum, after the king, and this word came to mean any impressive and majestic tomb.

The ashes of the royal couple were kept in golden urns in the tomb located at the base of the building. A row of stone lions guarded this room. A structure reminiscent of a Greek temple, surrounded by columns and statues, rose above a massive stone base. At the top of the building was a step pyramid. It was crowned, at a height of 43 meters above the ground, by a sculpture of a chariot drawn by horses. There were probably statues of the king and queen on it.

Eighteen centuries later, an earthquake destroyed the Mausoleum to the ground. In 1489, Christian knights - St. John began to use its ruins for a castle, which they built nearby. They built part of the fortress walls from green stone blocks, characteristic of the main part of the Mausoleum. A few years later, the knights discovered the tomb of Mausolus and Artemisia. But they left the burial unguarded overnight, and it was plundered by looters who were attracted by gold and jewelry.

Another 300 years passed before archaeologists began excavations here. They discovered parts of the Mausoleum's foundation, as well as statues and reliefs that had not been broken or stolen. Among them were huge statues that archaeologists believe depicted the king and queen. In 1857, these finds were transported to the British Museum in London. In recent years, new excavations have been carried out, and now only a handful of stones remain at this site in Bodrum.

The Colossus of Rhodes

The colossus was the name given to a giant statue that stood in the port city of Rhodes, an island in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of modern Turkey. In ancient times, the people of Rhodes wanted to be independent traders. They tried not to interfere in other people's wars, and yet they themselves were repeatedly conquered.

At the end of the 4th century BC. the people of Rhodes celebrated the victory. They just successfully defended their city, which was kept under siege by Greek soldiers for a whole year. The Greeks, realizing that they could not win, even abandoned part of the siege works. The people of Rhodes decided to sell these buildings and build a statue of Helios, revered by them as the sun god, in order to thank him for his intercession.

We don't know exactly what the statue looked like or where it stood. But we know that it was made of bronze and reached a height of about 33 meters. It was created by sculptor Haret and took 12 years to build.

The bronze shell was attached to an iron frame. The hollow statue began to be built from the bottom, and as it grew, it was filled with stones to make it more stable. The Colossus was completed around 280 BC. For many centuries, people believed that the Colossus towered over the entrance to the Rhodian harbor. But this could not be. The width of the mouth of the harbor was approximately 400 meters, but the statue was still not that colossal. Descriptions suggest that it stood in the center of the city and looked out over the sea and harbor.

Approximately 50 years after completion of construction, the Colossus collapsed. During the earthquake it broke at the level of the knees. The oracle ordered not to restore the statue, and it remained lying where it fell. So it lay there for more than 900 years, and they went to Rhodes only to look at the wreckage of the defeated god. In 654 AD. The Syrian prince captured Rhodes and removed the bronze plates from the statue. They said that he took them to Syria on 900 camels.

Alexandrian lighthouse

In the 3rd century BC. a lighthouse was built so that ships could safely pass the reefs on their way to Alexandria Bay. At night they were helped in this by the reflection of flames, and during the day by a column of smoke. It was the world's first lighthouse, and it stood for 1,500 years.

The lighthouse was built on the small island of Pharos in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Alexandria. This busy port was founded by Alexander the Great during his visit to Egypt. The building was named after the island. It must have taken 20 years to build and was completed around 280 BC, during the reign of Ptolemy II, king of Egypt.
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The list of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World includes the most famous art monuments of the Ancient World. For their beauty, uniqueness and technical complexity they were called miracles. The list has changed over time, but the number of miracles included in it has remained unchanged. According to some versions, the author of the classical version of the list is considered to be the ancient Greek engineer and mathematician Philo of Byzantium, who lived in the 3rd century BC. e.

We have already talked about each of these miracles separately, so we advise you to also follow the links in the article, where a lot of useful information is available. We will pay special attention to the Egyptian pyramids - the first wonder of the world, talking about each of the pyramids:

The Egyptian pyramids top the list of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World, which is not surprising, since they are the only one of the wonders of the world that have survived to this day. These stone structures became the greatest monuments of ancient Egyptian architecture. They served as tombs for the Egyptian pharaohs and were supposed to provide eternal housing for the immortal spirit of the rulers. The period of construction of the pyramids dates back to the 2nd-3rd millennia BC. During this time, more than a hundred of these structures were built. The largest of them is the Cheops pyramid. Its original height was 146.6 m, and the length of the side face was 230.33 m. However, time and earthquakes have somewhat changed its appearance, and to date, the height of this majestic structure reaches only 138.8 m, and the length of the side face is ~ 225 m The rest of the Egyptian pyramids are significantly smaller in size.

A thousand years after its creation in 1550-1397. BC. The Sphinx was buried under the desert sands. A story is carved on the stele located between the Sphinx's front paws. It described how the young prince Thutmose, who was hunting here, fell asleep in the shadow of a stone body. In a dream, the Sphinx appeared to him in the form of Horus and predicted the prince's future accession to the throne and asked to free him from the sand. When Thutmose found himself on the throne a few years later under the name of Pharaoh Thutmose IV, he remembered his dream and carried out the first restoration. Apart from natural erosion, the most serious damage was caused to the Sphinx by the Mamluks, who knocked off its nose with a cannon shot (Muslims had an extremely negative attitude towards the image of a person). The statue was finally cleared of sand in the mid-1920s.

The statue is 57 m long and 20 m high, the width of the face is 4.1 m, the height of the face is 5 m - depicts a pharaoh who combines the power of man, god and lion. At the same time, the Sphinx is considered the chief of the guards of the necropolis; he was identified with the god Horus

Pyramid of Cheops, second pharaoh of the IV dynasty. This pyramid still remains the largest architectural creation of human hands. At its base it is a square with a side of 227.5 meters. The height during construction was 146.6 meters, and now the pyramid is 9 meters lower: the top stones fell during earthquakes. The construction of the pyramid (and it was completed around 2590 BC) took 2.3 million stone blocks weighing two and a half tons each. The total volume of the pyramid is 2.34 million cubic meters. The faces of the pyramid are oriented to the cardinal points, and their angle of inclination to the base is 51o52". The entrance is located on the north side. The individual blocks, according to the Arab historian Abdel Latif (12th century), are so precisely adjusted to each other that it is impossible to push between them blade of knife.

There are no inscriptions or decorations inside the Cheops pyramid. There are three burial chambers there. The pharaoh's burial chamber is a room about 11 meters long, five meters wide and almost six meters high. The walls of the tomb are decorated with granite slabs. The red granite sarcophagus is empty. Neither the pharaoh's mummy nor the funeral utensils were found. It is believed that the pyramid was plundered in ancient times.

The second largest ancient Egyptian pyramid. Located next to the Great Sphinx, as well as the pyramids of Cheops (Khufu) and Mikerin on the Giza Plateau. Built in the middle of the 26th century BC. e. the structure with a height of 143.5 m was called Urt-Khafra. The base of the pyramid is a square with sides of 215.16 meters (that is, 410 cubits); the error from a perfect square is no more than 8 cm. The parallel approach is almost ideal and is equal to 1'15". The side faces are oriented along the four cardinal directions with an error of no more than 5'26".

Height: 105.07 m (~200 royal cubits) Base side length: 188.60 m (~360 royal cubits) Perimeter: 754.4 m; Area: 35,570 m2 Volume: 1,237,040 m3 Tilt angle: 54°34" and 43°21"

The Bent Pyramid is an Egyptian pyramid in Dahshur, the construction of which is attributed to Pharaoh Snefer (XXVI century BC). The southern pyramid in Dahshur is called “broken”, “cut” or “diamond-shaped” for its irregular shape. It differs from other Old Kingdom pyramids in that it not only has an entrance on the north side, which was the norm, but also a second entrance, which is open higher up, on the west side. The northern entrance is located approximately 12 m above ground level, leading into a sloping corridor that descends underground into two rooms with ledges. From these two rooms, a passage leads through the shaft into another small chamber, which also has a ledge in the form of a roof. The entrances on the north side of the pyramid were made during the Old Kingdom. This was due to the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians. Why there was a need for a second, western entrance here remains a mystery. In this pyramid, no trace of the presence of a sarcophagus was found, which would have been located in these rooms. Sneferu's name was written in red paint in two places in the "broken" pyramid. His name was found on a stele that stood inside the fence of the small pyramid. To explain the non-standard shape of the pyramid, German Egyptologist Ludwig Burchardt (1863-1938) proposed his “accretion theory.” According to it, the king died unexpectedly and the angle of inclination of the pyramid's faces was sharply changed from 54 degrees 31 minutes to 43 degrees 21 minutes in order to quickly complete the work. Kurt Mendelsohn proposed an alternative: the pyramid at Medum and the southern pyramid at Dahshur were built at the same time, but an accident occurred at Medum - perhaps the casing collapsed after the rains - and this incident forced a hasty change in the angle of the sides of the pyramid at Dahshur, when it was already half built.

Located on the road to Fayoum, about 100 km south of Cairo. The shape is non-standard. It consists of 7 steps, of which only 3 are visible today. It is made of limestone blocks. It was built for Pharaoh Huni, the last ruler of the Third Dynasty. His son Snofru expanded and enlarged the pyramid, adding an 8th step and making the sides of the pyramid smooth.

Base size 144 m Height (originally) 93.5 m Height (today) 65 m Slope 51°50"35.

In 393, Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned the Olympic Games as a pagan event. At the beginning of the 5th century, the statue of Zeus was transported to Constantinople, where some time later it died in a fire.

Ancient wonder of the worldNo. 4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

In 550 BC, in the city of Ephesus, located in Asia Minor, the construction of a temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis was completed. It was a large white stone building, but history has not preserved its detailed description. In 356 BC A resident of Ephesus named Herostratus burned the temple of Artemis in order to glorify his name. However, by the beginning of the 3rd century AD. e. A new one was built on the site of the burnt temple. The second temple of Artemis was larger than the previous one. Its width was 51 m and its length was 105 m. The roof of the temple was supported by 127 18-meter columns installed in 8 rows. Statues of its builders, Praxiteles and Scopas, were installed inside the temple.

At the end of the 4th century AD, the temple was closed by order of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, and then partially dismantled for new buildings.

Ancient wonder of the worldNo. 5. mausoleum in Halicarnassus

This tomb was built in the middle of the 4th century BC. e. in the city of Halicarnassus, located on the territory of modern Turkey. It became a tomb for King Mausolus, the ruler of one of the regions of Asia Minor, and was named a mausoleum after him. The Tomb of Mausolus is a brick building faced with white marble. The Roman writer and historian Pliny the Elder claimed that the length of this structure was 60 m and the height was 46 m.

This mausoleum existed for almost two thousand years and was finally destroyed only in the 16th century, when the Knights of St. John dismantled its remains to build a fortress.

Ancient wonder of the worldNo. 6. The Colossus of Rhodes

In the 3rd century BC, this gigantic statue was installed on the Greek island of Rhodes. Work on it continued for about 20 years. The result was a clay statue with a metal frame, trimmed with bronze sheets and depicting the sun god Helios. The height of this colossus, standing on a white marble pedestal, almost reached 36 m. About 13 tons of bronze and 8 tons of iron were spent on its production.

Around 280 BC, the world's first lighthouse was completed on the small Mediterranean island of Pharos, located near the port of Alexandria. This work took about 20 years. The height of the Alexandria lighthouse was 135 m, and the light from it was visible at a distance exceeding 60 km. A fire was constantly burning at the top of the lighthouse, the light from which was directed out to the sea using polished bronze plates. During the day, a column of smoke served as a guide for sailors.

In the 12th century AD. e. The Alexandria Bay ceased to be used due to filling with silt, and the Faros Lighthouse lost its significance. In the 14th century, it was damaged by an earthquake and then dismantled by Muslims to build a fortress.

There are many mysterious and enigmatic places in the world. But only a few of them are recognized as genuine miracles, which had no equal on Earth! From this article you will learn which of the 7 wonders of the world have survived to this day, and which have sunk into oblivion forever. We present to your attention the 7 wonders of the world - the list consists of the following items:

This exclusive complex is included in the list of 7 wonders of the world. The basis of the Gardens of Babylon was a monumental building with four tiers, erected in the shape of a pyramid. Hanging greenery combined with fountains and ponds turned it into a real oasis. According to an ancient legend, these gardens were created for the wife of the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II named Amytis.

To maintain the green miracle in a viable state, a large amount of water was required. The problem was solved at the expense of human resources, or rather, slave labor. The slaves continually rotated a wooden wheel to which leather wineskins were tied. This wheel took water from the river (according to another version, from some underground sources). Water was pumped to the very top tier, and from there flowed down through a complex system of numerous channels.

After the death of the ruler Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon for some time became the residence of Alexander the Great. After the death of the great commander, the city gradually began to fall into disrepair; the Gardens of Babylon were also left without proper care. After some time, a nearby river overflowed its banks, which led to the erosion of the foundation of the building.

Pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops

This existing geographical feature, which is also one of the 7 Wonders of the World, is sometimes called the Great Pyramid of Giza. It serves as the tomb of the Egyptian ruler Cheops (Khufu). The pyramid was erected near Giza, a suburb of Cairo. To create this miracle, it took the joint efforts of 100 thousand people. According to archaeologists' calculations, the work lasted about twenty years.

Zeus statue in Olympia

A truly monumental structure was erected in honor of the Thunder God. The Temple of Zeus was entirely built of marble, including even the roof. Along the perimeter of the sanctuary there were 34 columns made of limestone. The walls of the temple were covered with picturesque bas-reliefs depicting the labors of Hercules.

But the list of 7 wonders of the world included not the temple complex, but the statue of Zeus. The ancient Greek sculptor Phidias worked on bringing this masterpiece to life. The body of the god was created from ivory; a great many rare gems and about 200 kg of gold without the slightest admixture of ligature were also used to decorate the statue. The Thunderer's eyes seemed to flash lightning, and his head and shoulders shimmered with an unearthly light.

According to legend, lightning struck the center of the marble floor of the temple. This was regarded as an expression of approval from Zeus. An altar made of copper was erected at the site of the impact. The statue of Zeus was destroyed in a fire that occurred in the temple in 425. There is another version, according to which it was transported to Istanbul, where the figure of the Thunderer burned down in 476.

The ancient city of Halicarnassus was famous for the residences of nobles, theaters and green gardens. But the list of 7 wonders of the world does not include these architectural beauties, but the tomb of the cruel ruler Mausolus. The mausoleum had 3 levels, the total height of the building was 46 meters. This man-made masterpiece combines several architectural styles.

Traditional columns, as well as statues of horsemen and lions, were used to decorate the mausoleum. At the very top there was a sculpture of King Mavsol, proudly seated in a horse-drawn chariot. The mausoleum stood for about 19 centuries; the cause of its destruction was a strong earthquake. An interesting fact is that some of the fragments of the mausoleum were used to build the fortress of St. Peter.

The Faros lighthouse was built in the 3rd century BC, it is also included in the world famous list of 7 wonders of the world. This facility was supposed to help sea vessels safely overcome coastal reefs and avoid shipwrecks. During the day, the sailors were guided by a column of smoke, and at night they could navigate by the flames.

The Alexandria lighthouse rose 120 meters above sea level, its signals could be seen at a distance of up to 48 km. The upper part of the structure was decorated with a statue of Isis-Faria, who was revered as the patroness of sailors. To make the flow of light as efficient as possible, the builders used an original system of curved mirrors.

The Faros lighthouse, like many other objects from the list of 7 wonders of the world, was destroyed in a rather trivial manner. It was destroyed by a powerful earthquake that occurred in the mid-14th century. Scientists discovered some fragments of the Alexandria lighthouse on the seabed during research in 1996.

The Colossus of Rhodes

This statue was made in honor of Helios (the sun god). It was assumed that the height of the figure would be 18 meters, but later they decided to make it 36 meters. The statue in the form of a young god was cast from bronze and was located on a marble pedestal. Construction took place on a hill created artificially. There were stones inside the figure, which was done to increase the stability of the structure.

The sculptor Hares, who worked on the Colossus of Rhodes, made a miscalculation in determining the amount of materials needed. The master had to borrow a lot of money to be able to complete his masterpiece. Hares was completely ruined and surrounded by creditors, the sculptor committed suicide.

The Colossus of Rhodes was destroyed by an earthquake that occurred in 222 or 226 BC. The statue broke at the knees, and its fragments continued to lie in place for about 1000 years. Fragments of the Colossus were sold by the Arabs, who captured Rhodes in 977. To remove parts of the sculpture, it was necessary to equip a caravan consisting of 900 camels.

By the way, have you ever wondered why there are only seven wonders of the world? In this case, we recommend that you read the article “” - and the secret meaning of this “lucky” number will be revealed to you!

In Ancient Greece, it was invented to choose from the best works of human hands, which should be equal to the magical number seven, in their opinion. All creations were created during the reign of Alexander the Great, at the very height of his reign. Only one representative of the list has survived to this day - the Pyramid of Giza. The rest of the greatest historical monuments were destroyed by time.

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Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

However, earlier, in the fifth century BC, the poet and The philosopher Herodotus described three amazing works of man, which were incredible for their contemporaries. Since then, the countdown of ancient wonders of the world began.

Currently, you can find different enumerations, shorter ones, as well as lists exceeding seven objects. There is a lot of controversy among the world of scientists about the eighth candidate. Everyone offers their own version and explanation.

Wikipedia provides the following list:

In the article we will look at each of the seven points in more detail.

The ancient monument is located in Egypt, in the northwest of Cairo. It took millions of slaves 20 years to build this miracle. The work continued even after the death of Pharaoh Cheops. Subsequently, the pyramid became the tomb of this ruler.

The height of the pyramid is 147 meters, the area at the base is 53,000 square meters. At the moment the height is slightly lower, as the building has been covered with sand. The entrance to the tomb of the pharaoh is located at an altitude of 15.5 meters, there is only one entrance. There is another name for this monument - the Pyramid of Giza.

They built a pyramid from limestone blocks; in total, more than two million pieces were needed, one weighing more than 2 tons. If such a structure were built in our time using all modern technologies, it would take about 6 years and 450 workers.

Without a doubt, this is the best monument to human greatness.

The greatest monument of Greece. The basis for the garden was a four-tier building in the shape of a pyramid. This is a real oasis. Greenery hung from each tier, and there were fountains and ponds. Since so many plants required large amounts of liquid, the problem had to be solved. The following was invented: slaves spun a wooden wheel without stopping. With the help of a rotating wheel, the water rose to the upper floor and from there flowed down through a complex system.

There was a period when the Hanging Gardens were the residence of Alexander the Great, after his death everything fell into disrepair, the gardens were left without maintenance. Then the foundation was washed away by the waters of the overflowing river.

It is believed that King Nebuchadnezzar created these gardens for his wife so that they remind her of home.

Zeus in Olympus

BC, a temple was built in Olympia in honor of the lord of the gods - Zeus in Greece. Inside this temple is located huge statue of Zeus 20 meters high. It was made of wood, with ivory plates on top. Clothes and shoes were covered with gold.

There were limestone columns along the entire perimeter of the building. The temple itself was entirely made of marble. The pedestal of the statue was of enormous size; it depicted the Olympic Games and the life of the gods.

However, it is not the temple itself that is considered a world miracle, but the statue of Zeus.

Included in the list of seven world wonders tomb of the ruler Mausolus. The tomb had 3 levels and a total height of 46 meters.

It is interesting that this work of human hands combines several architectural trends. Columns were present as decoration, which refers to traditional decoration. At the top there is a sculpture of the king in a chariot drawn by four horses. Mavsol built his tomb under his personal control.

The building collapsed due to a powerful earthquake.

Artemis of Ephesus

The temple was built by the Amazons, who are considered its founders. But soon the temple was burned and new construction began under the leadership of Khersiphron. The temple was located on the coast of Asia Minor. It was a huge temple made of white marble. It consisted of 127 columns, each 18 meters high. Inside the building there was a sculpture of Artemis.

Temple of Artemis - best example of ancient Greek architecture, namely a representative of the Ionic style.

The Colossus of Rhodes

Statue in honor of the sun god Helios. The young man is 36 meters high, cast entirely from bronze. The pedestal for the statue is marble. To make the figure more stable, stones were placed inside. The sculpture had a rather tragic fate; when calculating the materials for the statue, they made a mistake, and subsequently had to borrow a lot of money to complete the project. As a result, the master was ruined and committed suicide.

The Colossus of Rhodes was destroyed by an earthquake.

Lighthouse Alexandriysky

As planned, this lighthouse was supposed to help ships pass coastal reefs and not crash. At night, flames were visible at the lighthouse, which helped to navigate.

The Faros lighthouse was 120 meters above sea level. The uniqueness of the building is that for many centuries nothing was built higher than the lighthouse. The lighthouse was destroyed by an earthquake; some of the debris was found in 1996 during a study of the seabed.

Wonders of the modern world

In our time, no less great and important structures and buildings were created. Of the ancient wonders of the world, you can only see the Cheops pyramid with your own eyes; we can only fantasize about other representatives after reading the historical description. In 2007, a new list of the seven wonders of the world of our time was compiled. These included such structures as:

Let's talk about each miracle in a little more detail:

Chinese Wall

In the 3rd century BC they began to build a wall for defensive purposes. The wall was supposed to protect:

From the attack of the Mongols
One state from another

The length of the Chinese wall is about 9 thousand kilometers. During construction, a large number of people died due to the difficult work and the resulting epidemics.

Christ statue

The main symbol of Brazil is the statue of Christ the Redeemer. It stands on Mount Corcovado, at the very top. The height of the statue is 38 meters, arms are outstretched to the sides. This monument was built to commemorate the centenary of Brazil's independence. Funds were collected from all residents, parts were manufactured in France.

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal Palace is the pinnacle of the Mongolian architectural style. It took 20 years to build. The palace is snow-white, making it look fabulous. The tomb contains Mamtaz_mahal and Shchakha-Jakhana, descendants of Tamerlane. The tombs are reliably protected from earthquakes by minarets located along the edges of the palace, there are four of them.

Coliseum

A huge amphitheater from antiquity, it can accommodate more than 50 thousand people. Gladiators once performed in its arena.

Machu Picchu

The city located in Peru, it is called the city in the sky, it is located at an altitude of 2500 meters above the sea. Previously, the building was the residence of the emperor.

Petra

Jordanian city in the rock, 900 meters above sea level. A road leads to the city along a natural crevice, which has become the city wall.

The houses were built in the traditional way from stone. In ancient times, Petra was a trade route connecting Damascus and the Red Sea.

Chichen Itza

Famous city in Mexico Chichen Itza. In the city there is a pyramid, the Temple of Kukulkan, 24 meters high. The pyramid has 365 steps, according to legend, equal to the number of days in a year. There is also a deadly well there, 50 meters deep; it used to be used for sacrifices; living people were thrown into it.

One civilization is replaced by another, leaving the greatest legacy of architecture, which in one form or another has survived to our times. Our earth is full of wonderful buildings and structures of mankind, and it is difficult to give a definite answer to the question of what miracles there are in the world and how many there are. There is much debate about whether there is an eighth item on the list.