A Brief History
As it is said, “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it” (George Santayana, but you will see this quotation in many different forms), today we will go way back into History and find some things that may be worth repeating after all, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This list consists of the generally accepted list of “wonders” but feel free to nominate anything you think belongs on this list. (Note: List is by age, starting with the oldest.)
Digging Deeper
7. Great Pyramid of Giza (Egypt), 2561BCE.
The only one on the list that is still standing, it was actually the tallest man-made structure in the world (481 feet tall) for 3800 years until surpassed by the Cathedral of St. Nikolai in Hamburg, Germany in 1874. (Or perhaps 1300 with the completion of the Lincoln Cathedral Spire in England.) It was built as a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu. A massive 88 million cubic feet and 5.9 million long tons, the structure used over 2.3 million blocks of stone and was originally covered in an outer shell of polished white limestone. Removal of the limestone and erosion has decreased its current height to about 455 feet. Arguments about the nature of the workforce (slave or free people) and the methods of construction still abound unresolved. The work force has been estimated at over 14,000 workers on average for 20 years, with a peak of 40,000 working on the project. Despite the mighty bulk of the tomb and its holy implications, the tomb’s chambers were looted long ago (perhaps 1600 to 1100 BCE). Entrance to the interior is through the aptly named “Robbers’ Tunnel.”
6. Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Iraq), 600 BCE.
Whether this ancient wonder even existed is questioned, but we tend to believe it did with so many references to it. Its actual location is also unknown. Built by King Nebuchadnezzar II (maybe) for his foreign born wife who allegedly missed the greenery of her home, not just a park type of garden, but a tiered structure with many levels of plants and trees and hanging vines making it look something like a mountain of plants or a plant covered giant structure. Scholars debate the extensive canals and irrigation schemes that such a garden would necessitate. The date of destruction may be around 100 CE.
5. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (Turkey), 550 BCE (second phase).
(This one was actually destroyed in 356 BCE and rebuilt in 323 BCE for a third time. The first temple would have been far less impressive and built a hundred years earlier.) Built by the ancient Greeks to honor their Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon (sometimes referred to by the Roman name, Diana). The Temple was perhaps the first Greek Temple built with marble columns, which stood 40 feet tall. The base of the Temple was 377 feet by 151 feet, making it quite large for its day. The third rebuild in 323 BCE was bigger yeat, 450 feet by 225 feet, with columns 60 feet high. The site of the Temple was rediscovered in 1869 by a British archeological expedition.
4. Statue of Zeus at Olympia (Greece), 435 BCE.
A 43 foot tall statue of Zeus seated on a throne made of a wooden frame covered with plates of ivory and gold. The bejeweled throne was made of cedar and adorned with ivory, ebony, and gold as well as precious stones. Exactly when and how the statue was destroyed is unknown as conflicting accounts vary. It may have been lost to a fire in 475 CE, but we really are not sure. Legend has it that the demented Roman Emperor Caligula ordered the statue dismantled and brought to Rome where the head could be replaced with the likeness of Caligula, but the statue gave a mighty laugh at the workmen sent to do the job and the job was abandoned.
3. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (Turkey), 351 BCE.
Designed by Greeks for the Turkish puppet of the Persian Empire, Mausolus and his wife Artemisia II (who was also his sister). With a height of 148 feet it would dwarf other buildings, and the sides were covered in relief sculptures. Destroyed by a series of earthquakes from the 12th to the 15th Century CE, the ruins can still be visited. The lions (statues) that once guarded the Mausoleum are now guarding the British Museum in England. The building was so beautiful, that when Alexander the Great seized the city in 334 BCE he refused to allow its destruction.
2. Colossus of Rhodes (Greece), 292 BCE.
This giant statue of the Greek Titan Helios, God of the Sun (before Apollo), soared nearly 100 feet tall at the entrance to the harbor at Rhodes, but was destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BCE, giving it a short life as Wonders of the World go. Built with iron tie bars and a bronze plate skin, then filled with stones, the statue stood atop a 49 foot tall marble pedestal, either round or octagonal shaped and 60 feet in diameter. Construction was either with giant earthen ramps or modified siege towers used as scaffolding. Why was the statue not rebuilt? Because the Oracle at Delphi said not to.
1. Lighthouse at Alexandria (Egypt), 280 BCE.
Built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom, this giant lighthouse guarding the harbor at Alexandria was perhaps 393 to 450 feet tall, making it one of the tallest man-made structures in the world throughout its existence. Like many other ancient structures, earthquakes repeatedly damaged the lighthouse from 956 through 1323 CE, causing it to become an abandoned ruin. By 1480 CE the stones had been taken for use on other projects. During the daytime, a giant mirror at the top reflected sunlight to ships at sea, and at night a fire was lit and reflected by the giant mirror. The stone blocks of the base were sealed with lead instead of mortar to better protect them from the waves.
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Historical Evidence
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<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="12520 https://www.historyandheadlines.com/?p=12520">52 Comments
Hmmmm! I wonder
The lighthouse, looks like an absolutely amazing structure. Especially in that time period. Truly incredible.
I loved the Hanging Gardens, absolutley beautiful.
I find it amazing the things that they could build in this time period, truly incredible.
One out of seven is not bad seeing as they were created thousands of years ago.
Cool article. I found it very interesting some of the structures they were able to build with the lack of tools they had from their time, truly amazing.
I still can’t believe that ancient people were able to build these incredible structures without the modern tools and understanding of architecture that we have today. I would love to visit the remaining ancient wonders of the world.
It is such a shame that no one will ever see these in there original glory. It would be awesome to go back in time and travel to see all of these. Damn earthquakes ruin everything.
I hope to see the pyramids one day being that it is the last one still standing. But if I could only choose one and they were all an option I think I would want to see the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The architecture and planning required along with the beauty would be fascinating to see. It would be interesting to see what structure of our world today that we have created may be considered wonders to the generations in the future looking back as far as we are now.
It is really sad to think that most of these great wonders are not still existing today. They would certainly be great tourist attractions if they were still existing. This article makes me want to visit Egypt to see the pyramid. How was a force of slaves able to construct such a enormous structure with just their hands. They did not have cranes or power tools that we have the luxury of using today. It certainly took a great amount of man power in order to accomplish this great feat.
It is incredible how people could make such massive structures that far back. It is hard to believe they could without the tools we have today. I think it is amazing what they could do.
I think the part that stands out the most is how many beautiful structures got destroyed and are no longer standing for us to see today. It is amazing the size and detail that some of the buildings that are still standing for us to see.
It is a shame that most of these structures are no longer standing. It would have been great for tourists to travel to these places. Today though, the Great Pyramids still stand and are a destination spot for travelers to see how great an accomplishment it was.
It is truly incredible that they were able to build this kind of stuff back then. It truly amazes me!
I am actually 100% Egyptian, so it is super interesting to see that 2/7 of the wonders were in Egypt! Very cool. And I actually visited the Great Pyramids, and they are, to say the least, vey impressive.
It is devastating to know that most of these wonders are not still in existence today. I’ve always anted to visit the pyramids, and thinking about all the other ones I would have loved to have seen if they were not destroyed is so saddening. They are/were very magnificent.
It’d be really cool if we were to try and rebuild some of these structures that were lost just as a sort of tribute to historical achievements and accomplishments and to be able to see first hand what they could have looked like before they began deteriorating.
It is crazy to think about how these ancient societies managed to create such epic wonders with so little technology at their disposal.
It is so interesting to learn about the great creations from ancient times. They didnt have any of the tools we do nowadays to build things so it is really awesome to learn about these great creations
It blows my mind that they could build such big beautiful structures in these time periods.
In regards to the temple of Artemis at Ephesus being burned down and rebuilt on the birth and death of Alexander the Great, respectively, that is an odd coincidence. If I could see any of these today, I would love to see the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Knowing what the ancient civilizations were able to build these amazing structures is remarkable. We can only imagine all the amazing things that the builders could create using technology that we have today.
I think the one wonder that I would have loved to visited is the statue of Zeus at Olympia. I think it’s incredible that the Greeks were able to built such a huge statue. Along with this great statue, I would have love to also have seen the statue of huge Athena that was once in the Parthenon.
The statue of Zeus would have been magnificent to see just like the rest of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Knowing the history of these people is important in order for us to live the way that we do.
Wheres king kong on this list?
It is amazing that the Lighthouse at Alexandria in 283 BCE stood between 393-450 ft tall. It is amazing that with the technology and resources of the past that the people were able to build such large and magnificent structures.
Its very impressive how the lighthouse was able to be built so tall at that point in time. This list forgot the 8th wonder of the world, 4117 Bushnell Road aka “The Bush”
i would do anything to be able to see the Hanging Gardens. As mentioned in the article, we’re not too sure how feasible the descriptions of them are, but if they were as amazing as they were described to be it is really a shame that they are gone.
The Great Pyramids, as cliche as it can be, are something I want to see before I die. I am truly fascinated with their history, and their purpose. To think with the technology they had back then, and how much man power was required, these were quite the feat. Cannot wait till the day I get to see them in person.
I think that of all of the 7 ancient wonders, I would most like to have been able to see the hanging gardens of Babylon. What did they look like? How were they irrigated? What did the population think about them? We may never know the answers to so many of these questions but it is fun to speculate!
That so many wondrous sites have been lost to the ages is an unparalleled tragedy. This makes even more clear how important the preservation of still-existing cultural wonders, such as the Great Pyramids, truly is.
I would love to visit the great pyramid of giza. Seeing history with your own eyes is very powerful to me.
This list of Ancient Wonders could have been longer, I know, but was limited to seven because Greeks (I looked this up) considered the number seven to represent perfection and plenty.
I wonder what structures built since 1900 will be considered “Wonders” far off in the future? Nowadays, we have so many structures that –it can be argued– match if not exceed the grandeur of the Ancient Wonders.
It would be cool to visit some of these wonders and see how talented the designers and architects were. It is sad to see that most of the wonders were damaged by naturally occurring events such as earthquakes.
It’s truly a shame that only one of these monuments still stands today, it would have been amazing to see the lighthouse!
I was surprised to learn that Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was located in the Persian Empire.
For one reason or another, it is saddening to know that a lot of these structures didn’t make it to the modern day. Some of these wonders were marvels of human achievement and I would have loved to see them!
It very disappointing that these structures were not able to make it to the modern world. These would be considered great feats even if they were accomplished today.
It is truly a shame that these ancient structures did not make it through the years. It would have been amazing to see what these building would look like today.
Hey we talked about those in class! I enjoyed seeing them again.
I would have loved to travel the world and been able to sight see these wonders of the world. Just as food for thought, maybe our current society will have buildings and or sculptures that will be considered wonders in the far off furture.
I don’t think people really appreciate exactly just how hard it would have been to construct any of this, without our moder technology to help. By that argument these peoples ability to problem solve, i think far exceeds our modern day ability. We have so many machines and computers to help us plan and help us think. They just had to plan and hope it worked. They couldnt run simulations for natural disasters.
I really wish these things still all stood today, i would love to go visit them.
I wish all of these structures still stood, especially the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. It sounded really beautiful.
At first, as we read about these buildings that no longer exist due to some sort of demolition, and the first thing that comes to mind is, “That would never happen in today’s time.” But it is way more prevalent in today’s time. Think of all the buildings and huge arena’s that have been demolished because it was “outdated” and needed renovations. These buildings are now just ideas in our minds, just like the ancient buildings in this article.
I would of loved to have seen the hanging gardens. Always been interested in them.
I really wish the hanging gardens were still there, well wherever they might have been. I bet they were beautiful.
i would love to visit all these destination that are still here ! and if theyre not they should make replicas !
It’s tragic that these structures are gone. I can only imagine their beauty while in their prime. The hanging gardens would have been amazing to see.
I wish I could see all of these structures today, the Hanging Gardens sound especially beautiful.
It is sad that some of these wonders are gone! I would have loved to visit them! I wonder if they will add anything else onto this list and make it more than just 7 one day.
I believe we’re forgetting about Kong at #8, but that’s neither here nor there. All of these places would have been amazing to visit, but sadly that doesn’t appear to be the case.