The 7 Wonders of the Ancient World

What are the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World? Everyone has heard of them, but somehow no one knows the specifics about these remarkable constructions. Which structures are considered the wonders of the world? Where were they located? What makes them wonders of the world? How were they destroyed? Today, we will solve all the riddles that might be swirling in your mind. Hold on tight, because we are about to take a journey through time!

But let's start from the very beginning. First of all: Of these 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, only one remains today: The Pyramids of Giza. All the other wonders were unfortunately destroyed by natural causes or wars.

One of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World is the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, which was built in the 4th century BC.

The sculptor Phidias created the 12-meter tall, gilded statue of the god Zeus and placed it in a temple in Olympia. The statue depicted Zeus seated on a throne. In his left hand, he held a scepter, and Nike, the goddess of victory, sat on his right hand.

Centuries later, this wonder was removed and transported to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). There it was destroyed in a great fire in 475 AD. By the way: The Temple of Zeus no longer exists either, as it was destroyed by several earthquakes.

Our next of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World was located in Greece, specifically on Rhodes. The Colossus of Rhodes is a bronze statue of the sun god Helios.

It was completed around 292 BC and was destroyed just 66 years later in an earthquake. Only the legs of the bronze figure remained intact after the earthquake.

But what is the story behind the statue? The Rhodians built this wonder after the siege of Rhodes had ended positively for them. It served as a thank you to the sun god, who was also the protector of their city-state.

The remains of the bronze figure were destroyed during the Arab invasion.

In present-day Bodrum lies another former wonder. This is the Tomb of King Mausolus II. The construction of this wonder began in 368 BC and was completed in 350 BC. The Persian king died during construction in 353 BC.

The tomb consisted of a colorful mix of architectural styles, which was very unusual for this time. Since there were no cameras or similar devices back then, you have to use your imagination to picture the mausoleum.

You can envision the structure as follows: A base plate formed the foundation, on which stood a prism body containing the actual mausoleum, topped by a pyramid. The latter was inspired by the Pyramids of Giza. An earthquake reduced the tomb to ruins in 1304.

All passionate sailors will surely be amazed by the next wonder. It is the first lighthouse ever built. The lighthouse on the island of Pharos off Alexandria was constructed between 299 and 279 BC.

It was estimated to be 115 to 160 meters tall and was made entirely of white stone... impossible to miss. Over time, several earthquakes destroyed the lighthouse until it finally succumbed and collapsed in 1323.

Now we come to perhaps the most famous of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. The Pyramids of Giza are the only classical wonder that remains completely intact. It is a miracle, as the pyramids have been standing for over 4500 years. They were built over a period of 120 years, specifically from 2620 to 2500 BC. This wonder consists of a total of three pyramids:

The most impressive part: The pyramids were built purely by human labor and without any machinery. The height differences during construction were compensated by dragging the loads over uneven terrain.

This structure is perhaps the most mysterious of all, as it is not even 100% certain if it ever existed. If this enigmatic structure did exist, it would be located in present-day Iraq, presumably in Babylon. But what were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?

In principle, the structure was the world's first botanical garden. Around 600 BC, the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II ordered this terraced building to be constructed to please his wife Amytis.

The square building had several levels through which no water could seep.

The individual levels were artistically planted with countless plants and trees.

The last of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World is the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The remains of the temple are located in the west of present-day Turkey, near the small town of Selçuk. As you might guess, this temple was dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis.

This wonder was built over a period of 120 years and consisted of 127 solid marble columns. In 356 BC, the structure was destroyed by arson and was rebuilt on the same site.

However, the second structure was also flattened in the 3rd century AD.

And there you have it: The 7 Wonders of the Ancient World! Except for the Pyramids of Giza, unfortunately, you cannot visit any of these impressive structures. But you can go to the places where they once stood. In most places, you can learn more about the history behind the wonders and imaginatively take a journey back in time.

I don't have a time machine, but I do have a travel search engine that can help you find suitable offers for your next trip.