The Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, all located in Egypt or the ancient Mediterranean region, were works of art and architecture commonly regarded as the most wondrous structures of ancient times. These wonders include: the Pyramid of Egypt, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
Possibly what makes these seven wonders of art and architecture so spectacular is their sheer size and extravagance. Considering when these works were constructed, from 2560 to 246 BC, they are monuments of ingenuity and desire. In addition, in most cases, their longevity suggests the superior workmanship of the tasks. These Seven Wonders of the Ancient World have fascinated mankind for centuries with their magnificent descriptions of beauty and strength, which will never be equaled.
The Pyramids of Egypt are located in the city of Giza. Giza,
a part of Greater Cairo Egypt sits at the west bank of the Nile. The pyramid itself stands 8
km southwest of Giza. It stands behind the great sphinx.
Although there were
three pyramids constructed in Egypt, the Great Pyramid of Khufu is the only pyramid to
hold the title of an ancient wonder. This pyramid at Giza is the oldest of the seven ancient
wonders. It was built around the year 2560 BC and is the only wonder of the ancient
world which is still present.
The Great Pyramid was built for the Egyptian
pharaoh Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty, hence the name the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The
purpose of the construction of this monument was to serve as a tomb for Khufu upon the
event of his death.
The Great Pyramid of Khufu survives in a form that resembles its
original condition. This structure was built at 145.75 m high, consisting of more than 2
million blocks of stone, each weighing several tons. The pyramid covers 13 acres of land.
It was built so that each side faced either north, south, east, or west. The entrance of the
pyramid is located on the north face. Corridors and galleries lead to the heart of the
pyramid which is the kingís burial chamber.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were a
mountain like series of planted terraces. They were located on the east bank of the River
Euphrates about 50 km south of Baghdad in current day Iraq.
Nebuchadnezzar II, ruler of the Babylonian kingdom from 604 to 562 BC is credited for building the Hanging
Gardens for his wife, a Median princess called Amytis. Legend has it that he had the
Gardens constructed like the native vegetation of his wifeís homeland.
While
Babylonian history makes no mention of the Gardens, detailed descriptions can be found in
accounts from Greek historians. The Hanging Gardens were believed to be built with large
stone terraces built on top of one another. On these terraces Nebuchadnezzar had planted
tropical flowers and trees similar to the vegetation found in his wifeís homeland. There
was a complicated irrigation system fed by waters from the nearby Euphrates River that
constantly kept the gardens moist. To this day, there is not anything remaining of this
wonder.
The Temple of Artemis, was known for its striking
architecture. It was located in the ancient city of Ephesus near the town of Selcuk, about
50 km south of Izmir in modern day Turkey.
Built in 550 BC, the temple was
commissioned by the Lydian King Croesus and designed by the Greek architect
Chersiphron. It was built to honor the Greek goddess Artemis, and functioned as a
marketplace and a place of religious study. It fell victim to arson in 356 BC. Over the
next twenty years the temple was rebuilt and restored to its original beauty. It was
destroyed again by the invading Goths in 262 AD. Attempts have been made to rebuild
the temple, but only a few columns have been resurrected.
The rectangular
temple was made of marble with a decorated face overlooking a beautiful courtyard. The
temple was surrounded by over a hundred large columns with Ionic capitals and carved
circular sides. Inside, in contained many fine works of art, beautiful statues and paintings.
Historians describe it as one of the largest and most complex architectural structures of
ancient Greece.
One of the most spectacular Wonders, the Statue of Zeus, was located in the
ancient town of Olympia, on the west coast of Greece, approximately 150 km west of
modern day Athens. It was extravagant, enormous, and inspiring even by ancient Greek
standards.
The temple of Zeus was designed by the architect Libon and was
completed about 450 BC to celebrate the Olympics and to honor their ruler of the gods.
Over the years with the rise of ancient Greece, it was decided that a majestic statue be
added to the temple. The status of Zeus was created by the Greek sculptor Phidias to be
the central feature of the temple. Over the years earthquakes, landslides, floods, and fires
greatly damaged the statue until it was completely destroyed by fire in AD 462.
The statue was 40 feet height. The ivory and gold figure of Zeus sat upon a throne
made of ebony, glass, and gems. In one of his hands he held a scepter with an eagle and in
the other he held a figure of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. Carvings and paintings
depicting ancient Greek myths and legends were found in the base of the throne. The
statue of Zeus was perhaps the greatest masterpiece of the sculptor
Phidias.
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was located in the city of
Bedrum on the Aegean Sea, in modern day southwest Turkey. Today virtually nothing exists of the original structure.
King Mausollos ruled Caria from 377 to 353 BC,
and the Mausoleum was constructed to serve as his tomb. The project was commissioned
by his wife and sister Artemisia, and its actual construction began during his lifetime. It
was completed around 350 BC, three years after his death. It survived for 16 centuries
until invaders from Malta destroyed the Mausoleum and used the stones to construct a
massive castle which still stands today.
The Mausoleum was about 140 feet tall, 120
feet long, and 100 feet wide. This massive structure was surrounded by 36 columns. The
burial chamber and sarcophagus was made of white alabaster decorated with gold. The
Mausoleum is most notable because of the beautiful statues surrounding the structure
itself. A statue of a chariot being pulled by four horses crowned the building. The
courtyard surrounding the Mausoleum contained life sized statues of people, lions, horses,
and other animals. It was this great ancient tomb that gave the term mausoleum to
describe all large burial chambers.
One of the more controversial Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World is the Colossus of Rhodes. It was located at the entrance
of the harbor of the Mediterranean island of Rhodes in Greece.
The Colossus was
designed by the architect Charles of Lindos and built by the citizens of Rhodes in 280 BC.
Colossus, meaning statue, was designed to guard the entrance to the harbor of Rhodes and
represents the sun god, Helios. It stood at the entrance of the harbor for approximately 56
years until a strong earthquake hit Rhodes. The city was badly damaged and the Colossus
was split at the knees. Restoration plans were stopped when an oracle advised against the
re construction.
The statue was said to have stood about 120 feet high. The figure
was cast with outer bronze skin parts with a base of white marble. It had an iron and
stone framework. While the shape and size of the Colossus has never been proven, its
position was said to be standing up straight with his right arm up holding a torch while he
grasped a spear with his left hand. Even though it had long since disappeared, the
Colossus inspired the French sculptor Auguste Bertholdiís Statue of
Liberty.
The last of the six Wonders to be destroyed was the
Lighthouse of Alexandria. It was located on the island of Pharos on the northwest coast
of the Egyptian Delta.
The Lighthouse was built during the reign of Ptolemy II
between 283 and 246 BC. Designed by Sostratus, the Lighthouse was dedicated to the
Savior Gods, Ptolemy Soter and his wife Berenice. Dangerous sailing conditions and the
in distinguishable characteristics of the coastline necessitated the construction of the
Lighthouse to mark the harbor. The Lighthouse was destroyed 1500 years after its
construction by a series of violent earthquakes in the 14th century.
The white
marble Lighthouse was composed of three sections. The bottom was a square, the middle
was octagonal, and the top was circular. Itís total height was approximately 117 m. In
the top, a mirror was used to guide ships during the day while fire was used at night. The
legendary mirror was said to have been used to detect and destroy enemy ships before
they could reach the harbor. A statue of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, crowned the
building. Because it survived for so many years, the architectural influence of the
Lighthouse can be seen all along the Mediterranean.
Additional Links
The Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World
The Seven Wonders
of the Ancient World Illustrated Catalog
Resources
Casson, Lionel. A History of the Ancient World. New York.
Oxford University Press, 1965.
El-Abbadi, Dr. Mostafa. "Alexandria: Thousand-Year Capital of Egypt."
Alexandria, the Site and the History. New York. New York University Press, 1993.
"Seven Wonders of the World." Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. 1998 ed. CD-ROM.
Redmond, Washington. Microsoft, 1997.
Starr, Chester G. A History of the Ancient World. New York. Oxford University Press,
1983.
Tompkins, Peter. Secrets of the Great Pyramids. New York. Harper & Row, 1971.
My name is Jennifer Gordon. I am currently a Junior at the University of Alabama in Huntsville pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. My ultimate goal is to teach at the Kindergarten level.