7 wonders of the world list and location. The Great Wall of China. Alhambra Palace and Fortress
Story ancient world interesting and beautiful. She attracts many of our contemporaries. Even after many years, people are interested in the way of life of their ancestors. And, of course, the most famous monuments of the ancient world - the Seven Wonders of the World - arouse curiosity.
The wealth of antiquity
It is impossible to tell about the ancient world with a few words. This is a huge layer of time that begins in those distant times when man first appeared and goes all the way to the Middle Ages. During this time, people managed to create a lot. It was then that inventions appeared that are still considered brilliant to this day.
Much of what was created before our era and in the first centuries after the birth of Christ is useful to this day. Any lawyer can talk about the enormous importance of Roman law, and philologists will talk about the role played by ancient languages that are now considered dead.
It was then that world religions were born. Then Zeus and Artemis were worshiped, then Jesus was born. The wonders of the ancient world are countless. But among them there are seven main ones.
Seven wonders of the world
The history of the ancient world would be incomplete without telling about the Seven Wonders of the World. The list of them has changed over the centuries. But the number remained unchanged. There were always seven of them. The world was built around religious beliefs. Therefore, this number was not chosen by chance. Seven is the number He was considered the most beautiful of all the gods. He was a patron of the arts. And his number was a symbol of completeness and perfection.
The very first list of the Seven Wonders of the World was created in the 3rd century before the birth of Jesus. It included the most significant architectural monuments that were created at that time by people. Many miracles of that time have not reached ours.
Pyramids of Giza
The Great Pyramids are an important part that the history of the ancient world cannot do without. The most famous of them was She is recognized as the largest. Therefore, it is difficult to imagine the hellish torment that the slaves experienced during the construction of this wonder of the world. During the construction of the pyramid, a mortar was used, which is still stronger and more durable.
No one can say for sure why these grandiose structures were erected. Previously it was believed that these were the tombs of the rulers of Egypt - the pharaohs, as well as their spouses. But researchers were never able to find the remains of the bodies of these important Egyptians. Until now, this wonder of the world gives rise to many questions and mysteries. And the silent Sphinx continues to protect them.
Babylon
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are that wonder of the ancient world that has not survived to our times. The gardens were once the most grandiose building in Babylon. Now, not far from Baghdad, you can find what is left of them. But some scientists are willing to argue that those ruins are not a reminder of the world's second greatest wonder.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the most romantic gifts not only in the history of the ancient world, but also in human history in general. The Babylonian ruler noticed that his beloved wife Amytis was missing her native land. In dusty Babylon there were no those beautiful gardens that they were used to enjoying in childhood. And then, so that his wife would not be sad, he ordered this structure to be erected.
Some people think that this is only beautiful legend. In the writings of Herodotus there was not a word about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. But they are described in detail by Berossus. The history of the ancient world holds many mysteries. And this is one of them.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
The names of the gods of the ancient world remained known after many centuries. Even now people can talk about the powerful god Zeus. And BC, a new wonder of the world was created, dedicated to this patron of the ancient Greeks.
The appearance of the statue and the temple in which it was located is closely connected with the Olympic Games. When they gained fame and began to attract all kinds of people, it was decided to build a temple dedicated to the father of all gods.
In order to create a statue of Zeus, the famous master Phidias was invited to Athens. From ivory and precious metals, he created a new wonder of the world, the glory of which quickly spread across different lands.
The statue of Zeus from Olympia did not survive to our times. Her troubles began when a Christian who disliked paganism took the throne. For a long time it was believed that the statue did not survive the looting of the temple. Centuries later, the remains of the temple and statue were found. Thanks to these finds, scientists were able to see for themselves and show others this wonder of the ancient world.
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
Artemis is one of the most famous goddesses of antiquity. She helped women in labor endure pain and was the patroness of hunters. And the residents considered her their protector. For the glory of their goddess, the townspeople decided to erect a temple that would have no equal. They wanted not only to glorify their city, but also to earn the favor of Artemis.
The temple took a very long time to build. The first architect, Kharsifron, did not have time to see his brainchild. His work was continued by his son, and after him by other architects. In the center of the temple was a statue of Artemis. But what took so long to build was destroyed in a short period of time. Herostratus, who madly wanted to become famous, but did not know how to do it, set fire to the temple. If this miracle of architecture were intact now, it would surpass everything that has ever been built by mankind.
Halicarnassus Mausoleum
The Halicarnassus Mausoleum is one of the most luxurious tombs ever invented by man. The mausoleum was named after the formidable and cruel ruler Mausolus, who was able to ensure that his lands became rich and strong.
It took a long time to build the mausoleum. It began to be built during the life of Mausolus, but when the ruler died, his tomb was not yet ready. After the death of Mausolus, the mausoleum was supplemented with statues of gods, who guarded the king’s body and did not allow it to be disturbed. In addition to the gods, in the tomb one could see statues of Mausolus himself and his beautiful wife Artemisia.
The mausoleum joined the list of wonders that have not survived to this day. He survived many wars. But over time it was dismantled to build Christian churches.
Colossus of Rhodes
Rhodes is one of the richest cities, which went down in history as the birthplace of the sixth wonder of the world. The Colossus was the largest structure. He was a tall, strong young man holding a torch above his head. It is in his image and likeness that centuries later will be created
The Colossus of Rhodes is also on the list of wonders of the world that our generation will not see. The young man's legs could not bear his weight. Therefore, during an earthquake, the statue fell into the water. It lay on the coast for about ten centuries. And only then it was decided to melt down the Colossus.
Alexandria Lighthouse
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World amazed their contemporaries. And people of our time are surprised when they learn about those magnificent creations of the human mind. It occupies a worthy place on the list Alexandria Lighthouse.
It was built in a city named after Alexander the Great. Over the centuries, this lighthouse has illuminated the path for many travelers and traders. But this grandiose structure could not survive into our century. Nature itself destroyed him. The lighthouse did not survive the strongest tremors. Only at the end of the last century were scientists able to show what that wonder of the world looked like.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are something that will always attract people's attention. Until now, these human creations are surrounded by mysteries. And it is unlikely that all questions will ever be answered.
Pyramids of Giza
Every person, regardless of the level of education and social status, has heard about seven wonders of the world, representing the greatest monuments of human civilization since ancient times. Few people remember the entire list, and almost all of them have not survived, however, even in our time, attempts are being made to compile new, alternative lists of attractions that can compete with the ancient creations of human genius.
The first who tried to formulate human achievements in the form list of wonders of the world, were the ancient authors of ancient Hellas, whose written heritage has survived to this day.
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
"Father of History" Herodotus was the first to point out architectural wonders that existed in his time. His work mentions three majestic buildings on greek island Samos - mountain tunnel, temple of Hera and dam.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Beginning with Herodotus, the list of attractions grew, changed and was supplemented by other Greek authors until it was formulated in its final form as a list of seven points.
Historically and geographically 7 Wonders of the Ancient World are related to the territories conquered by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC.
They were scattered throughout all territories of the Ecumene - from ancient egypt to Babylon and ancient Greece.
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
The most ancient wonder of the world, but ironically the only one that has survived to this day is the main Egyptian attraction - Pyramid of Cheops, included in the complex. When selecting the new Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramid was awarded the title of “Honorary Candidate”.
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
Second wonder of the world, semi-mythical Hanging Gardens of Babylon, existed for 7 centuries until they died in a flood of the 1st century BC.
The third miracle, huge Temple statue of Zeus at Olympia, made of ivory, precious woods and inlaid with gold, stood for 9 centuries, but burned down in a fire in the 5th century AD.
In the Turkish city of Selcuk you can still see the ruins of the fourth wonder of the world, Temple of Artemis in, which at one time was larger in size huge temple Jupiter in .
Statue of the Colossus of Rhodes
Halicarnassus Mausoleum lasted longer than all other attractions of the ancient world (with the exception of the Pyramid of Cheops).
Amazing architectural monument stood proudly for 19 centuries, but the elements overcame it too - the mausoleum was destroyed by an earthquake.
Lighthouse in Alexandria
The ruins of the colossal structure can currently be seen in Bodrum, Turkey.
Earthquakes also destroyed two other ancient monuments - a bronze statue of the Colossus of Rhodes(destroyed in the 3rd century BC) and in Egypt (destroyed in the 14th century).
New seven wonders of the world
At the beginning of the 21st century, on July 7, 2007, on the day of the “three sevens”, new seven wonders of the world were named in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon, each of which may well compete with lost architectural treasures.
The project was organized by the non-profit organization New Open World Corporation (NOWC) on the initiative of the Swiss Bernard Weber. The selection of the new seven wonders of the world from the famous architectural structures of the world took place via SMS messages, telephone or Internet. About 100 million votes were taken as part of the selection of attractions, but since the conditions did not prohibit voting more than once, this list began to be questionable almost immediately after publication.
However, at present this is the most famous of such ratings and therefore, along with it, is the main guide for tourists actively traveling around the world with
Great Wall of China
One of the undisputed leaders of the list - one of the largest and ancient monuments architecture in the world. Its total length is 8851.8 km, in one of the sections it passes near Beijing. Construction began in the 3rd century BC. e. during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. A fifth of the then population of the country, i.e., about a million people, took part in the construction.
Today the wall is a symbol of China, both for the Chinese themselves and for foreigners. At the entrance to the restored part of the Wall you can see an inscription made by Mao Zedong - “If you have not visited the Great Wall of China, you are not a real Chinese.”
Machu Picchu
The famous statue of Jesus Christ, with outstretched arms and gaze turned towards the city, stands on the top of Mount Corcovado in. At the foot of the monument there is observation deck, which offers amazing views of sandy beaches, huge bowl, bay and peak Sugarloaf, similar in outline to a piece of sugar.
White Temple Wat Rong Khun
Along with the main lists of wonders of the world, new, alternative lists exist and continue to be compiled - author’s and based on survey results.
Statue of Liberty in New York
As a modern alternative to the famous Cheops pyramids a glass pyramid of Paris (France) was proposed.
The most striking among modern temple complexes is considered to be the Buddhist one opened in 1997 in Thailand. This temple, according to journalists, is quite capable of eclipsing the ruins Temple of Artemis in Other similar structures include one built in 1604 in Amritsar (India), in (Japan) and Church of the Holy Family in Barcelona (Spain).
Temple complex Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Dubai "Garden of Miracles"(UAE), where on an area of 72 thousand square meters. m grow 45 million flowers, also (according to journalists) can compete with Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The royal botanical records also fully comply with the formal criteria. Kew Gardens(UK), Royal Flower Park Keukenhof(Netherlands) and gardens (France).
Compare with 137-meter Alexandria lighthouse lighthouses are capable of beauty these days Lindau(Germany) and lighthouse "Cape Florida"(USA). And the lighthouse Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) almost catches up with Alexandrinsky in height - 133 meters.
Acropolis in Athens
Statue of Zeus at Olympia, according to the logic of journalists, today it may eclipse Golden Buddha in (Thailand) - the world's largest golden statue of a deity. At the same time, it does not matter at all that Buddha is not nearly as stern and angry as Zeus the Thunderer.
And Mausoleum at Halicarnassus there were followers in modern world, this title was awarded to the mausoleum and Mausoleum of V.I.Lenin in Moscow.
Alhambra Palace and Fortress
And finally, the statue Colossus of Rhodes journalists compared it with a statue in (Brazil), which is comparable to the ancient structure not only in height, but also in its location by the sea.
At the same time, some new lists of wonders of our time are deliberately narrowed to cover sites by location or time of creation.
Easter Island
For example, ratings by country have been repeatedly compiled (in Russia, Portugal, Belgium and others) or exceptional objects have been identified underwater world(cracks, reefs, islands and even underwater ruins).
The finals of the competition for the title of man-made new wonders of the world also included other equally worthy attractions, and some of them, in the opinion of many people, are much more worthy of being on the final list of “the very best.”
Timbuktu
In particular, obvious competition could come from the American one, which is larger in size and installed 40 years earlier. . It is also quite surprising that the final list of seven wonders does not mention Cambodia - the largest religious building ever created by humans.
All these great monuments of human civilization were on the list of contenders, along with, Sydney Opera, in Spanish Granada, Eiffel Tower , Moscow Kremlin,, moai sculptures on , castle , Buddhist temple in and city.
Seven new wonders of nature
Iguazu Falls
Komodo Park
Seven new wonders of nature is a competition also organized by the Swiss non-profit organization “Corporation of New Open World” (NOWC), which, with the help of a worldwide popular vote, found the seven most surprising natural places on Earth.
Project "Seven New Wonders of Nature" started at the end of 2007. Until 07/07/09, the nomination and preliminary selection of all candidates took place, among whom was the Russian natural pearl - Lake Baikal. Voting was completed by the mystical date - 11/11/11.
The main wonders of nature included the most long river peace - Amazon and its jungle; the largest underground river- in the Philippines.
Angel Falls
Grand Canyon
The list was also adorned with the impressively picturesque Vietnamese, picturesque South America, most large island South Korea - Jeju, national parks(Indonesia) and Table Mountain(SOUTH AFRICA).
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 many are available useful information. 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 (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 fitted to each other that it is impossible to push between them knife blade.
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.
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 projection 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 southern pyramid in Dahshur were built at the same time, but an accident occurred in Medum - perhaps the casing collapsed after the rains - and this incident forced them to hastily change the angle of the sides of the pyramid in 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 Snefru 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 miracle SvetaNo. 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 it 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 at 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. Colossus of Rhodes
In the 3rd century BC this giant 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 manufacture.
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. Alexandria Bay ceased to be used due to filling with silt, and Faros lighthouse has lost its meaning. In the 14th century, it was damaged by an earthquake and then dismantled by Muslims to build a fortress.
In all centuries, people were proud and carefully protected the achievements of their civilizations. The memory of these achievements has survived to this day, becoming a worldwide property. The Seven Wonders of the World is a classic list of outstanding human creations.
An interesting fact is that it was well known even before our era. In ancient schools, children were taught various sciences, and knowledge of the 7 wonders of the world was mandatory.
In this article we will provide you not only with a list of 7 wonders of the world, but also make brief description each of them.
List of 7 wonders of the world
Well, now photos and descriptions of the masterpieces of antiquity, which we call nothing less than seven wonders of the world.
1 wonder of the world - Pyramid of Cheops
The exact date of construction of this grandiose structure is unknown. However, scientists suggest that it is around 2600 BC.
The original height of the Cheops pyramid was 146 meters (that's like 5 nine-story buildings), while now it is approximately 138 m. The angle of inclination of the walls is from 51° to 53°. The average weight of the blocks from which the pyramid is built is 2.5 tons, although some blocks reach 80 tons.
No cement or other binding substance was used in construction. The stone blocks of the first wonder of the world are simply stacked on top of each other. The surface of the pyramid was lined with limestone slabs. Today the coating is almost completely destroyed.
There are three chambers inside the pyramid: the underground, the Queen's Chamber and the Pharaoh's Chamber. There was only one entrance to this structure, and it was located at a height of 15 meters from the ground. But in 820 another, artificial entrance was made to the Cheops pyramid.
The purpose of this stunning building is still unknown. It was previously believed that the pyramids played the role of tombs for the pharaohs. However, such a simplified view of such a majestic and complex structure has not been taken seriously for a long time.
There are also suggestions that the Cheops pyramid was an ancient space observatory, or was a powerful energy generator.
2 wonder of the world - Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are considered the 2nd wonder of the world. Built this amazing building in 605 BC, but already in 562 BC. it was destroyed due to flooding.
Even though hanging gardens Babylon is named after the Assyrian queen Semiramis (800 BC), Nebuchadnezzar II built them in honor of his wife Amytis.
But the Hanging Gardens were included in the list of 7 wonders of the world with the name of Semiramis.
The structure consisted of four floors. All of them were equipped with cool rooms for royal walks. Columns 25 m high supported each tier.
The terraces were covered with special lead leaves and filled with asphalt to prevent water for watering the plants from leaking out. On top of all this was sprinkled with earth of such thickness that trees could grow there freely. One can only imagine how much weight the columns of the lower tier could bear.
Water for irrigation was pumped up from the Euphrates River using a cunning system. The slaves constantly turned the wheel to supply water, since the majestic building with stunning gardens required a lot of moisture.
To see the place where the 2nd wonder of the world was located - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, you will have to go to Iraq, since the ruins of ancient Babylon were found there.
3rd wonder of the world - Statue of Zeus at Olympia
By the name of the 3 wonders of the world - the statue of Zeus, it is not difficult to guess to whom this architectural masterpiece was dedicated. The fact is that the Greeks built a temple to the pagan god Zeus in 465 BC, but the statue of Zeus, which is considered one of the 7 wonders of the world, appeared there only 30 years later.
The statue of Zeus itself was made of ivory and reached a height of 17 meters (like a five-story building). At the base of the monument there was a square slab, 6 m wide and 1 m high.
The effect produced on the Greeks by the third of the wonders of the world was stunning. The fact is that the ratio of the sizes of the temple itself and the statue of Zeus inside it was such that it seemed as if Zeus would now rise and break through the roof of the temple, since otherwise he would simply not be able to straighten up.
The statue of Zeus stood in Olympia for about 800 years. At the beginning of the 5th century AD, the temple was destroyed, and the statue was preserved cultural heritage was transported to Constantinople. In 425 she died in a fire.
4th wonder of the world - Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
IN ancient greek city Ephesus in 560 BC The Temple of Artemis of Ephesus was built, which later became one of the 7 wonders of the world.
The height of the temple was 18 m, width – 52 m, length – 105 m. The roof was supported by 127 columns.
Over the creation of this architectural masterpiece some of the best masters of antiquity worked. The statue of Artemis itself was made of gold and ivory.
The temple had not just religious significance, but was also a cultural and economic center.
Who burned the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus?
In the summer of 356 BC. e. The Temple of Artemis, one of the 7 wonders of the world, was burned by a resident of the city of Ephesus. The name of the temple arsonist is Herostratus.
You may ask why Herostratus needed to destroy such a unique architectural monument?
By his own admission, he did this in order to go down in history and perpetuate his name forever. Despite the fact that he was executed for this crime, the name of Herostratus has indeed survived to this day.
However, the great commander Alexander the Great restored the temple of Artemis of Ephesus to its previous form, allocating colossal funds for this matter.
In 263, the fourth wonder of the world was plundered and destroyed by the Goths.
The remains of the Temple of Artemis from Ephesus can be found in Turkey, in the city of Selcuk, Izmir province.
5th wonder of the world - Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
The Halicarnassus Mausoleum, included in the list of 7 wonders of the world, appeared in 351 BC. The author of the idea is the king of Caria named Mausolus together with his wife, Queen Artemisia.
Thus, they decided to perpetuate their name following the example of the Egyptian pharaohs. It must be said that his idea was successful, since the fifth wonder of the world is still associated with his name.
The mausoleum building was three-tiered.
The first tier was a massive base, surrounded around the perimeter by statues of ancient Greek heroes. Inside, after the death of Mausolus and his wife, their tombs were to be placed.
The second floor was used as a temple to serve pagan cults. There were 36 columns on it that supported the upper, main part of the Halicarnassus mausoleum.
The third tier looked like a pyramid consisting of 24 steps. At the very top, the main value of the mausoleum was installed: a majestic statue representing a chariot with King Mausolus and his wife Artemisia.
It seems incredible, but in the British Museum you can see statues of both royal spouses that have been well preserved to this day.
The Mausoleum in Halicarnassus, which became one of the seven wonders of the world, was destroyed in the 13th century due to a large-scale earthquake.
In Turkish resort town In Bodrum you can find the site where the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus once stood.
6th wonder of the world - Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes entered the classic list of the Seven Wonders of the World almost immediately after its creation in 280 BC.
But first, let's tell the background story of the appearance of the sixth wonder of the world. Almost immediately after the death of Alexander the Great, Demetrius I attacked Rhodes, one of the largest port cities.
Having held the siege of the city for more than a year, for unknown reasons he abandoned everything he had there and left with his army.
As a token of gratitude, the residents of Rhodes decided to sell the huge property that was in their hands and use the proceeds to build a monument to Helios, the sun god.
The main architect and sculptor of this masterpiece was Jerez. The original idea of the inhabitants of Rhodes was to build a statue that would be 10 times higher than the average height of a person, that is, 18 meters.
But then they decided to double the height, for which they allocated an even larger amount of money to Jerez. But they were not enough to continue construction. However, Jerez could no longer stop.
He borrowed enormous amounts of money from wealthy friends and relatives and continued to work tirelessly to create a monument that would later join the Seven Wonders of the World.
Ultimately, after 12 years of titanic work, the world saw the 36-meter Colossus of Rhodes. It consisted of an iron frame, finished with clay, and was lined with bronze. The Colossus was located right at the entrance to the harbor, and was visible from all the nearby islands.
It is interesting to note that the fate of the sculptor Jerez himself was tragic. After completing his masterpiece, he was persecuted by creditors. Ultimately, he committed suicide.
In total, 13 tons of bronze and 8 tons of iron were used to build the Colossus of Rhodes. However, 65 years after its appearance, around 225 BC. The Colossus of Rhodes fell into the sea, breaking at the knees. By the way, the expression “colossus with feet of clay” appeared precisely after this.
Eyewitnesses left information that the finger of the statue alone was so thick that two adults could barely grasp it.
The height of the colossus was approximately 60 m (like an eighteen-story building). In a supine position rhodes statue lasted almost 900 years. Then it was dismantled and sold by the Arabs, who by that time had captured Rhodes.
In the end, it should only be noted that there is no exact data about what the Colossus of Rhodes, included in the seven wonders of the world, actually looked like.
7th wonder of the world - Lighthouse of Alexandria
The last, seventh wonder of the world is the Lighthouse of Alexandria, built in the 3rd century BC. It is also called the Faros Lighthouse.
The idea of creating this lighthouse was quite practical. The fact is that not far from Alexandria there was the island of Pharos with an important bay. At that time it was of great importance for passing merchant ships.
Probably Sostratus of Cnidus ( chief architect lighthouse) dreamed that his brainchild would be included in the seven wonders of the world and glorify his name for centuries.
The project was implemented during the reign of the Egyptian Ptolemy II. 20 years were allotted for construction, but Sostratus completed the work in just 5.
An interesting fact is that when Sostratus was asked to imprint the name of Ptolemy on the Alexandria lighthouse, he acted very cunningly. First, he carved his name on the stone, and on top of the plaster he laid out the name of the ruler.
A few decades later, the plaster collapsed, and the residents saw the name of the true master and author of the seventh wonder of the world.
The Alexandria Lighthouse consisted of three towers.
The lowest part was a technical floor, where workers and soldiers lived, and all equipment for maintaining the lighthouse was stored.
The second part looked like an octagonal tower, around which there was a ramp. Fuel for the fire was supplied through it.
The topmost, key tower of the lighthouse was equipped with a complex system of mirrors, thanks to which the light from the fire was visible so far.
The total height of the Faros lighthouse was about 140 meters. At the very top of the head was a statue of the god of the seas - Poseidon.
It is worth mentioning the reviews of contemporaries who saw the Alexandria Lighthouse in person. So some travelers talked about the amazing statues that were located at the lighthouse.
The first of them raised her hand at sunrise, pointed at it throughout the day, and after sunset the hand dropped.
The second - 24 times a day made a sound with last second every hour that passes.
The third indicated the direction of the wind.
The Alexandria lighthouse illuminated at night water surface over a distance of over 60 km. During the day, a column of smoke rose from it, which also served as an important indicator for ships.
In 796, after standing for almost 1000 years, the seventh wonder of the world, the Faros lighthouse, was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake. In the 15th century, Sultan Qait Bey founded a fortress on its foundation, which still exists today.
An interesting fact is that in 2015, the Egyptian authorities approved a project to rebuild the lighthouse.
Well, here we go all seven wonders of the world. Of course, this list was disputed at various times by certain figures, but it is still considered classic.
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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.
Alexandria 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.
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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.
Pyramid of Cheops
The greatest 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 hewn 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.
