7 wonders of the world list title. Seven Wonders of the World

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 remember the entire list, and almost all of them have not survived, however, 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

Zeus statue in Olympia

The "father of history" Herodotus was the first to point out the architectural marvels that existed in his time. His work mentions three majestic buildings on the Greek island of Samos - a mountain tunnel, a temple of Hera and a dam.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Starting with Herodotus, the list of sights grew, changed and 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 the Oikoumene - from ancient Egypt to Babylon and ancient Greece.

mausoleum in Halicarnassus

The most ancient wonder of the world, but ironically the only one that has survived to this day is the main Egyptian attraction - The Pyramid of Cheops included in the complex. When choosing 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.

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 exceeded the size of Jupiter's huge temple.

Statue of the Colossus of Rhodes

Mausoleum of Halicarnassus lasted longer than all other attractions of the ancient world (with the exception of the Pyramid of Cheops).

An 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 a 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 III century BC) and in Egypt (was destroyed in the XIV 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", in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon, new seven wonders of the world were named, each of which may well compete with the lost architectural treasures.

The project was organized by the non-profit organization New Open World Corporation (NOWC) at the initiative of the Swiss Bernard Weber. The selection of new seven wonders of the world from the famous architectural structures of the world took place via SMS, telephone or the Internet. As part of the selection of attractions, about 100 million votes were accepted, but since the conditions did not prohibit voting several times, this list became questionable almost immediately after publication.

However, at present it is the most famous of these ratings and therefore, along with it, it is the main reference point for tourists actively traveling around the world with

The great Wall of China

One of the undisputed leaders of the list is one of the largest and oldest architectural monuments in the world. Its total length is 8851.8 km, in one of the sections it runs near Beijing. Construction began in the 3rd century BC. e. during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi. One 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 the inscription made by Mao Tse Tung - "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 eyes on the city, rises on top of Corcovado's mountain. At the foot of the monument there is an observation deck, which offers amazing views of the sandy beaches, a huge bowl, the bay and the Sugarloaf Peak, similar in shape to a piece of sugar.

White Temple Wat Rong Khun

Along with the main lists of wonders of the world, there are and continue to be compiled new, alternative lists - author's and based on the results of surveys.

statue of liberty in new york

As a modern alternative to the famous the Pyramid of Cheops the glass pyramid of Parisian (France) was proposed.

The most striking among modern temple complexes is the Buddhist one opened in 1997 in Thailand. This temple, according to journalists, is quite capable of overshadowing the ruins Temple of Artemis in Among other similar structures - built in 1604 in Amritsar (India), in (Japan) and Sagrada Familia in Barcelona (Spain).

Angkor Wat temple complex, 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 kew gardens(Great Britain), Royal Park of Flowers Keukenhof(Netherlands) and gardens (France).

Compare with 137 meters Lighthouse of Alexandria beauty in our days are capable of lighthouses in Lindau(Germany) and lighthouse "Cape Florida"(USA). And the lighthouse Jeddah(Saudi Arabia) almost catches up with Alexandria in height - 133 meters.

Acropolis in Athens

Statue of Zeus at Olympia according to the logic of journalists, today it can outshine golden buddha in (Thailand) - the world's largest golden statue of a deity. At the same time, it does not matter at all that the Buddha is far from being as severe and angry as Zeus the Thunderer.

And at Mausoleum at Halicarnassus there were followers in the modern world, this title was awarded to the mausoleum and Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin in Moscow.

Palace and fortress of the Alhambra

And finally the statue colossus of Rhodes journalists compared it with a statue in (Brazil), which is comparable to an ancient building 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 down to cover attractions by location or time of creation.

Easter Island

So, for example, ratings by country were repeatedly compiled (in Russia, Portugal, Belgium and others) or exceptional objects of the underwater world were determined (cracks, reefs, islands and even underwater ruins).

In the finals of the competition for the title of man-made new wonders of the world, other no less worthy sights also turned out to be, and some of them, according to many people, are much more worthy of being on the final list of the “most-most”.

Timbuktu

In particular, the obvious competition could be made by the superior in size and established 40 years earlier by the American . It is also quite surprising that the final list of the seven wonders does not mention Cambodia - the largest religious building ever created by people.

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 the castle, a Buddhist temple in and the 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 New Open World Corporation (NOWC), which, through a worldwide popular vote, has found seven of the most amazing natural places on Earth.

Project "Seven New Wonders of Nature" launched at the end of 2007. Until 07.07.09, nomination and preliminary selection of all candidates took place, among which was the Russian natural pearl - Lake Baikal. Voting was completed by the mystical date - 11/11/11.

Among the main wonders of nature included the longest river in the world - Amazon and its jungle; the largest underground river is in the Philippines.

The only one of the 7 wonders of the world of the Ancient World that has survived to this day is the Great Pyramid of Giza - the Pyramid of Cheops. In the suburbs of the capital of Egypt, Cairo, this ancient monument was designed and built as the tomb of the most famous pharaoh Cheops (Khufu) and is recognized as the tallest building of its time. It's hard to believe, but the height of this miracle of art is almost 147 meters (imagine five nine-story buildings stacked on top of each other). Initially, the pyramid occupied an area larger than seven football fields, and the length of one of the sides of its base was over 230 meters.

The construction of the Great Pyramid, according to the official version of Egyptologists, was completed in 2540 BC. It took the combined efforts of 100,000 people to create this truly extraordinary miracle. According to the calculations of archaeologists, the work lasted about 20 years.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

It is generally accepted that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which, according to one of the many versions, were built around 600 BC by order of the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife, the Median princess Amitis. In the future, the daughter of King Cyaxares began to be called the name of the Assyrian queen.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was a four-story building resembling a pyramid in shape, the tiers of which, held by powerful columns, were both balconies and terraces. Hanging unique plants, combined with fountains and ponds, turned the Babylonian structure into a real oasis.

To supply the gardens with water, a special irrigation system was designed: hundreds of slaves turned wheels with buckets for days on end. When Babylon fell into decay, there was no one to irrigate, the unique flora of the hanging gardens perished. Finished the job - finally destroyed the palace - frequent earthquakes. Babylon disappeared from the face of the earth, and with it the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the most beautiful monuments of antiquity, disappeared into oblivion.

Zeus statue in Olympia

In the 5th century BC, the sports and religious center of ancient Greece was Olympia, where the god Zeus was most revered. It was to him, the head of the ancient Greek Pantheon, that the Olympians unanimously decided to build a majestic temple. To implement the plan, the Athenian sculptor Phidias, known for his sculptures, was invited to Olympia. The task before the master was not easy: to create a structure that surpasses all his previous creations in its monumentality. Phidias gave the go-ahead. Work has begun.

It took the sculptor and his apprentices ten years for the Ancient World to see this wonder of the world. The temple was entirely made of marble. Columns made of limestone were installed along its perimeter. On the walls of the temple there were picturesque bas-reliefs depicting Zeus and the twelve labors of Hercules.

The thunder god himself, called "the embodiment of male beauty", was made of ivory and reached a height of 13 meters. He sat majestically on a throne carved from ebony and covered with chased gold plates, and almost touched the ceiling of the temple.

The masterpiece of Phidias did not go unnoticed. For many years, writers and philosophers admired him, referring the statue of Olympian Zeus to the best creations of mankind. But in 476 there was a fire during which this wonder of the world was lost.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

The initiator and "sponsor" of the latest version of Artemision, the temple of Artemis of Ephesus, was. The construction of this wonder of the world, which began in 323 BC, from limestone and marble, continued for many years. The "highlight" of the temple, its main distinguishing feature, was 127 giant columns installed in nine rows. The interior decoration of Artemision was fascinating. Everything was here: marvelous statues made by the best architects of that time, and beautiful paintings by famous artists. And in the center of this splendor stood a statue of the goddess Artemis - the patroness of love relationships and the family hearth.

Artemision, rebuilt by Alexander, lasted six centuries. It was robbed and destroyed by the Goths, flooded by numerous floods. Today, the existence of this wonder of the world is evidenced by only one single column, restored from the wreckage.

mausoleum in Halicarnassus

Ancient Halicarnassus, in which the "father of history" Herodotus was born, was known for its architectural beauties. White marble temples built in honor of Ares and Aphrodite, Salmakin's fountain, theaters and palaces attracted foreign guests to the city. But the real "pearl" of Halicarnassus, a wonder of the world, was the tomb of the despotic king, which he began to build during his lifetime.

Pytheas and Satyros, the best architects of that time, worked on the tomb, which consisted of three tiers and reached a height of 46 meters. Decorating the building - creating marble figures of gods, animals and horsemen - was entrusted to Leohar and Skopas.

Everyone knows that there were only seven wonders of the world in the world. Which of them have survived, and which have sunk into oblivion?

Six of the seven wonders of the world, unfortunately, have not been preserved. And only one thing remains to please the eyes of tourists. Moreover, the wonder of the world, which has survived to this day, is the most ancient. How old is he, where is he? We will definitely answer this question. But first, let's remember them all, and in order, starting with the youngest - built in the 3rd century BC.

Six wonders of the world that have not survived to this day

The Colossus of Rhodes is a giant (colossal), at that time, ancient statue of the ancient Greek sun god Helios, erected on the island of Rhodes (in the Aegean Sea), in the city of the same name.

The statue was commissioned by the inhabitants of Rhodes from the sculptor Haresu. Initially, they planned that it would be ten times higher than human height, but subsequently increased the height of the project to 36 meters.

Construction began in 292 BC. and it lasted 12 years. The Colossus of Rhodes stood on a marble pedestal, had an iron frame and was lined with bronze plates, and the internal volume was filled with clay. At the same time, it is known that its construction took about 8 tons of iron and about 13 tons of bronze.

The Colossus of Rhodes stood for only about 55 years and was destroyed by an earthquake around 225 BC.

The lighthouse of Alexandria was built in the third century BC in ancient Egypt on the island of Pharos in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Alexandria. It was built from 5 to 20 years (here the data differ) during the reign of the king of Egypt, Ptolemy II. The approximate year of completion of construction is 283 BC. The name of the architect is known, he was Sostratus of Cnidus.

The lighthouse of Alexandria was made of marble (or faced) and had three levels:

• the lower level was rectangular and had living quarters
• the middle level was octagonal
• upper level - the cylinder in which the lighthouse fire burned

The lighthouse of Alexandria received another name in honor of the island on which it was built - the Pharos lighthouse. It was about 130 meters high, and its light was visible to ships, according to various sources, at a distance of 50 to 80 kilometers.

The lighthouse stood intact until 796 AD. This year a strong earthquake severely damaged it. It was restored, but not in full. It is known that in the 14th century its height was only 30 meters. And in the 15th century, Sultan Al-Ashrafom Saif al-Din Qait-bey built the Qait-Bey fortress on this site, which exists to this day.

The Mausoleum in Halicarnassus is the tombstone of Mausolus, the ruler of the Carian people. The ancient city of Halicarnassus, where the mausoleum was built, was located on the territory of modern Turkey (the city of Bodrum).

The construction of the mausoleum was ordered by the wife of Mausolus Artemisia III during the life of her husband. The Greek architects Satyr and Pytheas undertook the construction. Also, the well-known sculptors Briaxides, Leohar, Skopas and Timofeos were involved in the work.

The mausoleum was built for eight years from 359 to 351 BC. Mausolus did not wait for the completion of construction and died in 353.

The resulting structure was 45 meters high, the first level was decorated with 36 columns and many statues, a pyramid towered above it, on top of which there was a marble quadriga - a two-wheeled chariot with four horses harnessed to it.

The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus stood for 19 centuries and the ball was destroyed by a strong earthquake in the 13th century.

For reference: the word “mausoleum” comes from the name Mausolus.

The Olympic Games, in honor of the god of thunder and lightning - Zeus, were held in ancient Greece from 776 BC. They enjoyed great popularity. And now, after 300 years, the Greeks decided to build a temple in honor of their main god and patron of the Olympic Games. In 470 BC, they began to collect donations for its construction.

When funds were raised, the construction of the temple began, which lasted ten years between 466 and 456 BC. The temple of Zeus turned out to be truly grandiose: a marble roof measuring 27 by 64 meters was supported by 34 limestone columns. Each column was 10.6 meters high and over 2 meters in diameter. And the total area of ​​the building was 1728 square meters.

The temple was built. After some time, the question arose of creating a statue worthy of the god Zeus. The famous Athenian sculptor Phidias undertook its creation. To do this, he needed a gigantic workshop equal in area to the temple itself, which was built 80 meters from it.

The opening of the statue of Zeus at Olympia took place in 435 BC. e. It was made in the technique of chrysalephantine sculpture: the wooden frame was pasted over with ivory plates, and the cape, the scepter with an eagle in the left hand, the statue of the goddess Nike in the right hand, and the olive wreath on the head were covered with gold. And with all this, Zeus sits on a golden throne. Information about the height of the statue varies: together with the pedestal, it was 12-17 meters.

The statue has existed for over 800 years. The last written evidence of it dates back to 363. And in the 11th century, the historian Georgy Kedrin claimed that in the 5th century the statue was still intact. She could be transferred to Constantinople, where she burned down during a fire in 476. According to another version, she was not transported anywhere, and she died along with the temple in a fire in 425.

The temple of Artemis of Ephesus, as you might guess, was located in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, not far from the modern city of Selçuk (the extreme west of Turkey). The temple was erected in honor of Artemis, the goddess of hunting and fertility, and the patroness of all life on Earth.

Funds for the construction of the temple were donated by the Lydian king Croesus, and the project was developed by the architect Khersifron. He erected the walls and colonnade of the temple. Without waiting for the completion of construction Hersifron died. The construction was continued by his son Metagenes, and the architects Paeonius and Demetrius completed the construction of the temple.

The Temple of Artemis was built around 550 BC. And in 356 BC. e it was destroyed by fire, which, according to legend, a resident of Ephesus named Herostratus. Thus, Herostratus simply wanted to become famous and achieved his goal.

By 323 BC, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus had been completely restored by the architect Alexander Deinocrates. And the funds for this were allocated by Alexander the Great. The temple turned out to be exactly the same as its previous version, except that it was raised to a higher stepped base. The roof was supported by 127 columns standing in eight rows and having a height of 18 meters. The length of the temple was 105 meters, and the width was 52. Inside the temple was decorated with sculptures, bas-reliefs and paintings.

The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus successfully existed for several centuries, before it was sacked by the Goths in 263 AD. And at the end of the 4th century, it was closed and destroyed by Christians, in connection with the prohibition of paganism.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon - the most controversial wonder of the world. It is not known for certain if they even existed. Moreover, if they existed, then not at the time when Queen Semiramis lived.

The legend is as follows: the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II entered into a military alliance with Cyaxares, the king of Media, and in order to secure the alliance, he married the daughter of Cyaxares, whose name was Amitis (Amanis). Amitis moved in with her husband in Babylon (the ruins of Babylon are located on the outskirts of the modern city of El Hill in Iraq), which was a dusty and dry desert city.

Amitis missed her mountainous and green homeland - Mussels. And to extinguish this boredom, Nebuchadnezzar II ordered the construction of green hanging gardens. They were supposedly created in 605 BC.

And Semiramis, the legendary queen of Assyria, the wife of King Nin, lived two centuries earlier. So the “hanging gardens of Babylon” would be more correct to call the “hanging gardens of Amitis”. As for the term “hanging garden”, it implies a garden that is located on the roof, gallery or special stone supports. Plants in it grow on a bulk soil layer.

According to the legends, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon existed until the first century AD.

The Pyramid of Cheops is the oldest and highest wonder of the world. And besides, the only one that has survived to this day. And that means the most durable. It is located on the Giza plateau at the base of the Nile Delta, not far from Cairo, in Egypt.

Although about 4500 years have passed since the construction, we know (how reliable this knowledge is is a question) who was its architect. He was the nephew of Cheops - Hemiun. Presumably, the construction was completed somewhere around 2540 BC and took about 20 years.

It is impossible to say for certain the exact date of the start of the construction of the pyramid of Chiops. Different methods of its determination gave different results, which fit into the following period: 2850 - 2560 BC. At the same time, Egypt celebrates the official date for the start of construction: August 23, 2560 BC. e.

The pyramid of Cheops is made of blocks of granite and limestone (mainly limestone). Now it has a stepped appearance, but originally it was lined with white limestone (the so-called Jura marble) and had sloping slopes. Somewhere this lining has been preserved. The slopes of the pyramid shone peach in the sun, and the top was crowned with a gilded stone - a pyramidion.

The height of the pyramid is 135.5 meters (originally - 146.6 meters). The sides of the base are approximately 230 meters long. The base area is about 53,000 square meters. And the average weight of one stone block is 2.5 tons. At the same time, the heaviest block weighs 35 tons. In total, there are about 2.3 million blocks in the pyramid. The total weight of the pyramid is 6.5 million tons.

For more than 3,000 years, the pyramid of Cheops was the highest human creation, and in 1311, Lincoln Cathedral was built in England, the spire of which already towered 160 meters. True, in 1549 the spire collapsed. Now the height of the cathedral does not exceed 83 meters.

As for the purpose of the pyramid of Cheops, it is not known for certain. It is logical to assume that it is the tomb of the pharaoh Cheops (Khufu), but no mummies were found in it.

The eighth wonder of the world

Officially, the eighth wonder of the world does not exist. This term is used to call some of the grandiose structures of mankind that could claim the title of a wonder of the world, but ... but there are only seven wonders of the world and this list cannot be expanded.

The first man on planet Earth appeared 2 million years ago, such conclusions help to make archaeological excavations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania. During its existence, humanity has evolved, leaving behind bright traces of its existence.
What can so clearly demonstrate to us the level of development, religion, power in different periods of human life on earth, no matter how the work of human hands? Architectural monuments are a real treasure trove of history. This is what helps us remember our majestic past, our former power, recreate lost historical information, be proud of our ancestors and believe in the strength of modern society.
7 Wonders of the World- this is the most striking demonstration of the majesty of past years. Why exactly 7? Let's start with the fact that the 7 wonders of the world were identified in ancient times. The number "7" was considered holy, the number of the great god Apollo, it was a symbol of completeness and impeccability.
There are stories about these delightful historical monuments back in the Hellenistic era - this is the period of time that ends with the death of Alexander the Great, or rather, 323 BC. The ancient papyri that have come down to us say that the wonders of the world were the subject of study at school.
The first to describe the 7 wonders of the world known today was Herodotus. True, the ancient Greek historian in his work "History" displayed only three monuments. And in the 3rd century AD, a complete list of the “7 Wonders of the World” appeared to the world, which has survived to this day.
With the passage of time, the list has changed several times, the old has been removed, the new has been added. Nevertheless, we will now consider the wonders of the world that were in the very first ancient list that has come down to our days.
The 7 wonders of the world include: the Pyramid of Cheops and the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt, the Statue of Zeus in mainland Greece, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Babylon, the Temple of Artemis and the Mausoleum in Halicarnassus in modern Turkey, the Colossus of Rhodes towered on the island of Rhodes
Of all these majestic historical monuments, only one has survived to this day, the rest of the masterpieces of architecture, unfortunately, were destroyed.
The Pyramid of Cheops. This is the only wonder of the world that has survived to this day. The largest pyramid at Giza was built around 2000 BC. The base of the building is square, its height reaches 147 meters, but due to the fact that sandstorms and strong winds occurred around the pyramid for several millennia, one of the 7 wonders of the world went underground a little, significantly reducing its height.
According to scientists, the construction of this tomb lasted for thirty years. But the body of the pharaoh was never found inside the walls of the tomb - this fact is a mystery to this day.
Looking at this historical monument is breathtaking. The Pyramid of Cheops is striking in its beauty and grandeur. Could ancient Egyptian slaves have been able to build such a masterpiece without modern tools? How did they do it?


Hanging pyramids of Babylon. In fact, the Hanging Gardens should have been called "hanging". During archaeological excavations, historians came across a palace complex, which was made in the form of a pyramid. The whole pyramid was covered with a lot of vegetation, which, as it were, hung from the tiers of the building.
One of the seven wonders of the world was built in the 7th century BC, by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II, who at that time ruled Babylon the Great.
Nebuchadnezzar entered into an alliance with the ruler of Media, Cyaxares, who was reinforced by the marriage of the Babylonian king and the daughter of Cyascarus Amitis. Amitis from Media, a country with a rich nature filled with greenery and fresh air, was forced to move to Babylon, a city built on arid terrain, dusty and sandy. Watching how his wife suffers, a caring husband decided to give his wife a gift - to create a kind of oasis where Amitis will feel at home. Nebuchadnezzar did just that, thereby giving birth to one of the 7 wonders of the world - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Why Gardens of Babylon? The answer to this question is very simple: it is a mistake of the ancient historians. They assigned the gardens to the Assyrian queen Semiramis, who lived two centuries earlier.
The exact location of the Hanging Gardens is still a mystery. Historians have several hypotheses about this.


Zeus statue in Olympia. According to Greek mythology, Zeus is the main god. He is worshiped by thunder and lightning, sky and air, he is feared by other gods.
The statue of Zeus, which struck the minds of mankind, was erected in the 5th century BC in the temple of Zeus at Olympia. The temple was made of marble, and struck with its majesty and beauty. For the manufacture of the statue of the Thunderer, one of the most famous and talented architects of Greece, Phidias, was invited.
In 435, the opening of the statue took place. At that moment, all of Greece froze in amazement. No wonders of the world could compare with the power, strength, beauty of the statue of the great god Zeus. Zeus was made of gold and ivory. She was sitting on a golden throne, in her hands was a golden scepter, a golden eagle proudly sat at her feet, and a wreath adorned her head.
It is known that the statue still existed in the 5th century AD. But after the adoption of Christianity by the Greeks, all the temples were closed. Theodosius I ordered the statue to be taken apart. After that, the great work of art burned down, either in Constantinople, or in Greece itself.


Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The Temple of Artemis was built in the 6th century BC. But before this architectural structure acquired the form in which it became one of the wonders of the world, it was built many times and destroyed many times.
The inhabitants of the ancient world, namely Greece, worshiped the great goddess of fertility Artemis. At a certain point, having chosen a place where they mainly made sacrifices for the goddess, the inhabitants of Ephesus began construction. Wooden buildings could not withstand natural destruction, so the temple was built several times.
Finally, the famous and talented sculptor Hersiphon built a better temple in 450 BC, but after a hundred years it was burned down. Then the followers of the sculptor decided to make the temple out of marble. It was the greatest masterpiece of art, and it was he who became one of the 7 wonders of the world. The majestic building was of enormous proportions: it was 105 meters long and 51 meters wide.
Unfortunately, already in 263 the temple was plundered by the Goths. In the 4th century AD, a single religion, Christianity, was proclaimed, which demanded the destruction of all pagan cultural monuments.


Mausoleum in Halicarnassus. When exactly the construction of the mausoleum began is still unknown. It is considered the beginning of construction around the 4th century BC. The time when Kariya was still a colony of the Persian Empire.
The ruler of Caria, Mausolus, began construction during his lifetime. Finished it, already the wife of Mausolus.
By the way, the name "mausoleum" came from the name of the ruler - Mausolus.
The finished building was amazing, it was so beautiful. The mausoleum at Halicarnassus was a large architectural building, inside of which there was its own courtyard. Thin and at the same time very powerful carvings adorned the decoration of the building.
How exactly the mausoleum was destroyed is not known. The Maltese raid in the 15th century, or an earthquake, completely destroyed the historical monument.
The remains of the mausoleum were found in 1977 as a result of archaeological excavations by Christian Jeppez.


The Colossus of Rhodes. The Colossus of Rhodes is the penultimate one in the ancient list of 7 wonders of the world.
Unfortunately, if you now want to admire one of the most powerful monuments of ancient architecture - the Greek 36 meter god of the sun - Helios, then you will not succeed. Since the greatest historical monument was destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BC. That work of art, which for 12 years was created by the greatest ancient sculptors, stood for only 60 years.
The decision to create such a sculpture of impressive size was prompted by the gratitude of the inhabitants of Rhodes, for the allegedly great Helios contributed to the fact that Demetrius of Macedon was able to protect the city from the conquerors.
Now they are trying to restore one of the 7 wonders of the world. According to the plan of modern architects, the statue will be increased in size by another 30 meters, and there will be an entertainment complex inside it.


Alexandrian lighthouse. The list of "Wonders of the World" ends with a work of art that was located near Alexandria.
Alexandria was a port city, and the Mediterranean coast was too shallow and rocky. Therefore, in 285, on the island of Pharos, near Alexandria, a grandiose structure began.
As a result of long work, a 120-meter statue, consisting of three compartments, appeared to the world. In the upper compartment of which a huge fire burned. Stone and marble are the main components of the structure, which was supposed to be built for centuries. But, unfortunately, the fate of the magnificent tower was not destined for such a long existence. After standing for almost 1000 years, the masterpiece of ancient art collapsed as a result of an earthquake.


Wonders of the world, how many mysteries and secrets are there? There's so much we don't know yet, and we'll never know. One thing becomes clear, it is necessary to carefully protect our cultural values ​​so that our descendants can admire the amazing historical monuments with their own eyes.

Everyone has heard about the wonders of the world, but confusion often arises with what exactly they consider to be such. Often, this list includes those buildings and monuments that, of course, have great historical and cultural value, but are not included in the official list. In addition, in 2007, new "wonders" were chosen in Portugal, so we can say that there are already more than seven of them. All of them have made a huge contribution to the culture of mankind. About the seven wonders of the world, Wikipedia and other encyclopedias write in great detail. Let's look at a brief description of each.

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The wonders of the Ancient World are studied at school in history lessons. It included those structures that were created before our era. None of them have survived to this day, except for the pyramids of Cheops in. These include:

• Pyramid of Cheops.
• Statue of Zeus at Olympia.
• Colossus of Rhodes.
• Alexandrian lighthouse.

Pyramid of Cheops and Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Both structures belong to the legendary tombs, but the time of their construction is very different.

Interestingly, the pyramid of Cheops - the oldest wonder in the world and, at the same time, the only one that has survived to this day. It was created approximately two thousand years BC. e., and there are still disputes about the mysteries of its construction and sometimes absolutely incredible theories are put forward. For example, the shape of the location of the pyramids exactly repeats the location of the stars in the constellation Orion, so some consider the pyramids a gift from alien civilizations. Every year, thousands of tourists from all over the world come to see them. Indeed, the building is striking once and for all.

This building, like all the mausoleums built later, was named after King Mausolus, who ordered, after his death, to erect a monument similar to the pyramids of Egypt, and glorifying the king himself and his wife. The building was not only a tomb, but also a temple. On the first tier the king rested, and on the second it was possible to hold services. Both the statues of the gods and the statues of Mausolus himself and his wife Artemisia were installed in the mausoleum. The statues of the royal couple have survived to this day, you can find their photos and even look at them in the British Museum.

The gardens got their name from the legendary Queen Semiramis, but, oddly enough, she has nothing to do with them. Two centuries after her death, the Babylonian king decided to marry the daughter of the king of Media - a country immersed in gardens and greenery. Babylon stood in the desert, and in order to impress the bride, the ruler ordered the creation of gardens of unprecedented beauty. Pots with plants bloomed so luxuriantly that they almost hid the building on the walls of which they were located, and seemed to hang in the air. The building looked especially majestic in the middle of a barren desert, when the traveler saw a magical garden in the endless sands, symbolizing the greatness of Babylon and its king.

supreme greek god reached the height of a five-story building, to work on it, the architect Phidias demanded the creation of a workshop that repeats the temple in which the statue was installed. At the same time, Zeus, sitting on the throne, seemed to “not fit” into the temple, if the statue could stand up, it would break the vault. Thus, the greatness of God was emphasized.

Materials were also selected appropriate: ivory and gold. Interesting: Phidias in those distant times, when physics had not yet reached its peak, managed to choose the material and location of the statue in such a way that it seemed that the light falling on it was reflected, and it seemed to glow from within. After the establishment of Christianity and the closure of pagan temples, Zeus was transported to Constantinople, where, unfortunately, he burned down.

Its significance was great, the building was used not only for religious ceremonies, but also for public meetings and even trade. The best sculptors and architects worked on the building, the building was striking in its beauty and majesty. It is also famous for the fact that it was burned by the hot-tempered youth Herostratus, who thus decided to leave his name in history. It is worth noting that he really succeeded. Fortunately, the temple has been restored.

The Colossus of Rhodes

The colossus with feet of clay collapsed seventy years after its construction, but it rightfully occupies a place among the wonders of the world. There are disputes about its height, indicate sizes from forty to sixty meters. There is a legend that ships easily sailed between his legs, although this theory is now controversial. According to the descriptions found, the colossus could not be in the port, but on land, in the city of Rhodes. It was erected as a gratitude to the god Helios for the fact that he defended the city from enemy troops who left after a year of siege. Interestingly, the chief sculptor of the colossus committed suicide, as he borrowed a huge amount to complete his creation, which he was unable to return.

Alexandrian lighthouse

Lighthouse of Alexandria - this structure saved the life of more than one ship, since its light spread for sixty kilometers. Built among reefs and rocks, the lighthouse, one hundred and thirty-five meters high, pointed the way to a life-saving bay in one of the most dangerous places in the sea. According to the surviving descriptions, the sculptures inside the lighthouse were very interesting:

• One of them pointed to the position of the sun all day, and at night her hand dropped.
• The other was set up like a clock, striking the hour every sixty minutes.
• The third always pointed with her hand in the direction the wind was blowing, and thus was used as a weather vane.

To perpetuate his name, the sculptor, who was required to glorify the king, went to the trick - he carved his name on a stone, covered it with plaster and wrote the name of the king. Centuries later, the plaster crumbled, and the name of the architect, Sostratus of Knidos, has come down to us.