Seven Wonders of the World - photos and descriptions of the great mysteries of history. Seven Wonders of the World of Our Time: Description

The beautiful creations of nature and humanity in different centuries were considered the most amazing. But another era has come and today “I and the World” will show you the wonders of the world of our time.

At the beginning of the 21st century, they decided to update the list of the Seven Wonders of the World. To achieve this, almost 100 million people around the world voted for the beautiful creations of the planet. And in 2007, the results of a survey were announced, where the modern beauties of the Earth were presented.

How many and what curiosities have survived to this day? Let's start in order.

Colosseum (Italy)

Of all the buildings of that time, the Colosseum is the most grandiose and almost preserved to this day. Here, hundreds of slave gladiators, as well as many exotic animals, fought and died for the amusement of the citizens of Rome.

The amphitheater is 57 meters high and 527 meters in circumference. A huge canopy was attached at the top, and everything inside was covered with marble. 36 elevators were raised manually by slaves, each with 10 people.

Eight years later, when the amphitheater was completed, a festival was held that lasted for 100 days, and thousands of animals and hundreds of gladiators were killed in the arena. Entrance was free, so everyone could watch the bloody spectacles, especially many women. The battles always began at dawn and ended when the last rays of the sun touched the horizon. And on holidays everything lasted for several days.

Great Wall (China)

The wall stretches across northern China for 8,851.9 km. Construction began in the 3rd century BC. e., where more than 1,000,000 people took part. Construction lasted 10 years, but there were too many problems: there were no roads, not enough water and food for the builders, and epidemics were raging. As a result, the local population rebelled against further construction and the ruling dynasty.

The next government that came to power continued construction. But this drained the people and the treasury, and the wall itself did not provide the protection that the authorities hoped for. Enemies could easily penetrate weakly fortified places, or simply bribe the guards.

Ancient city in Peru

Machu Picchu is an old “lost city of the Incas” built high in the mountains. This city, one of the world's wonders, was built in the 15th century at an altitude of 2450 meters above sea level. The architecture of the stone buildings harmoniously fits into the beauty of the mountain landscapes.

In the city, astronomical structures were invented that made it possible to observe the celestial bodies - this is a water mirror 0.92 by 0.62 m, a gnomon monolith and a temple resembling an observatory.

Fruits and vegetables, medicinal plants, and coca (cocaine) were grown here. And higher in the mountains there were pastures for domestic animals and useful metals were mined here.

During the entire existence of the city, the Spaniards and other conquerors never managed to reach it. After the collapse of the Inca Empire, the inhabitants left the city and it was abandoned for 400 years.

Nabataean city

The ruins of ancient Petra were located at the intersection of trade routes of the Red and Mediterranean seas. In the city you could admire more than 800 attractions. The structure was considered an artificial oasis, built among rocks and sand, and consists almost entirely of stone buildings.

At one time, Petra was conquered by the Roman Empire, but after the fall of Rome, the city was forgotten for almost 2,000 years. And only at the beginning of the 19th century it was discovered by a Swiss traveler.

Tomb in India

One of the most beautiful wonders of the world is. The architecture seamlessly intertwines Persian, Islamic and Indian styles. Construction lasted 21 years, day and night. The temple was built in honor of the emperor's beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth.

To build the tomb, building materials were brought to India from all over Asia, and the temple was built by more than 20,000 workers. The building rises 74 meters. At one time, British soldiers and officials plundered the Taj Mahal, picking out precious stones from the walls of the temple. At the end of the 19th century, the tomb was reconstructed and modified, and the garden was given an English appearance.

The beautiful snow-white mausoleum with five domes and four minarets seems to hover over an artificial reservoir, reflected on the water surface.

Statue of Christ (Brazil)

The famous 38-meter statue of Christ the Redeemer. It is regularly struck by lightning and therefore there are always stones nearby for restoration.

Every year, almost 2,000,000 tourists visit the huge monument to see not only it, but also the picturesque picture that opens at the foot of the statue. You can get to the top by highway or by rail with a miniature train. Funds were collected “from the whole world” for the construction of the statue and the work lasted about 9 years.

In the initial version, the pedestal was supposed to have the shape of a globe of the earth, but then they settled on a statue of Christ with outstretched arms in the form of a cross.

Holy Mayan City (Mexico)

Chichen Itza is the sacred city of the Mayans. People came to these places in the 4th century, and in the 10th century it was captured by the Toltecs and turned into the most powerful city of that time. In the 12th century the city began to decline and gradually collapse. But it is still unknown why the inhabitants left the great city.

Beautiful buildings have survived to this day: the Kukulkan pyramid, dedicated to the God of winds and rains, the “Temple of Time”, grounds for ball games (it is believed that the losing team was beheaded), the Temple of Warriors, the observatory, the Sacred Cenote for sacrifices.

The wonderful creations of mankind still amaze us with their beauty and uniqueness. Maybe in many years there will be a new list of the seven wonders of the world, but for now we are admiring the photos and reading the descriptions of these beautiful structures.

Therefore, among the classical genres of poetry of this people there were movements glorifying both the most eminent cultural figures (poets, philosophers, rulers) and the most beautiful architectural monuments of the ancient world.

First list of wonders of the world

Aqueduct - was a one-kilometer-long canal that supplied local residents with water;
Temple of Hera - was built back in the 8th century BC. The vault of this graceful structure was supported by about a hundred tall columns, the base of which was processed by a machine specially invented for this purpose;
Damba-mol.

Over time, more and more interesting wonders and amazing structures began to appear in Greece and neighboring countries, which easily eclipsed Herodotus's list, expanded it and completely modified it.

Second list of miracles

Walls of Babylon

In his list of the seven wonders of the world, Antipater first of all mentioned the walls of ancient Babylon, which was located on the territory of modern Iraq (they were later displaced from there by the Lighthouse of Alexandria).

The old walls of Babylon were created by Nebuchadnezzar in the 7th century BC. - and were absolutely impregnable, since in order to penetrate the city, the enemy had to overcome not only them, but also a moat, cedar gates covered with metal plates, a defensive rampart, bastions and water obstacles. Since the city itself was planned in the shape of a square, the walls with which it was surrounded had the same shape.

Moreover, the length of each wall was 23 km, width - 24 meters, height - from 60 to 100 m, and they went underground for another ten meters. It was discovered that Old Babylon was surrounded not by one belt of walls, but by three, and their length exceeded 90 km.

A century after their construction, the ancient city was nevertheless captured - despite the fact that the walls of Babylon continued to faithfully serve the city, its inhabitants themselves opened the gates to the king of Persia, Cyrus.

Zeus statue in Olympia

Naturally, in his list of “Seven Wonders of the World,” Antipater could not help but mention the one built in Greece in 435 BC. a statue of the most important god of Olympus - Zeus. People, seeing her for the first time, always came to inexpressible admiration: the head and shoulders of the god emitted divine light, and his eyes shone so brightly that it seemed as if they were throwing lightning. Moreover, the height of the statue ranged from 12 to 17 meters, the clothes of the Thunderer were made of gold, and the body was made of ebony and covered with ivory plates.

The statue was so majestic that after Greece officially adopted Christianity, even ardent fanatics did not dare to destroy it. The statue was sent to Constantinople, where it was in the palace of the local ruler and burned down during a major fire.

The idea to create a flowering garden (7th century BC) in the middle of a dry plain belonged to Nebuchadnezzar, who wanted to console his young wife, who felt extremely uncomfortable in Babylon, since she grew up among mountains covered with abundant vegetation.

Despite the complexity of the idea, the engineers and architects of Ancient Babylon (located on the territory of modern Iraq) coped with this task and erected a four-tiered structure, externally extremely similar to a green hill - not only grass and flowers grew on each floor, but also shrubs and even trees. They were able to grow, bloom and bear fruit thanks to a specially designed complex irrigation system.

After the collapse of Babylon, the city fell into decay, and with it the gardens perished - without artificial watering and care they could not exist for long.

Helios, the sun god, was revered throughout Greece, but he was especially worshiped by the inhabitants of the island of Rhodes. Therefore, when after a long siege the enemy retreated, the inhabitants of the island, grateful to Helios for this, dedicated the victory to their main deity and decided to create a statue of an unprecedented scale at that time and install it at the entrance to the port.

It should be noted that they succeeded: it took about 10 years to make the statue - and the world saw it somewhere between 292 and 280. BC. Despite the fact that there is no exact data on what exactly the sculpture looked like, the height of the monument was definitely at least thirty meters. Three huge stone pillars were used as a frame for the statue, fastened together with hoops, which the craftsmen lined with bronze sheets, after which clay was poured into the prepared mold.

The clay statue could not survive for long and was destroyed by the first major earthquake: Helios’s legs buckled and the statue collapsed, falling apart.

The Pyramid of Cheops

The only architectural monument from the list of “Seven Wonders of the World” that has survived to this day is the ancient Egyptian pyramid of Cheops, whose age exceeds 4.5 thousand years. Its height immediately after construction was completed was 147 m, then it became somewhat lower - 138 m (the top of the tomb was destroyed over time). Until the 14th century, the pyramid was the tallest structure of the ancient world.

To build a pyramid of such a scale, the ancient Egyptians needed to use 2.5 million blocks weighing about 2.5 tons. Moreover, in order to fasten them together, the ancient architects did not use absolutely any solutions; the blocks were connected using a special technology, so the distance there was no more than half a millimeter between them.

Antipater, speaking about the “Seven Wonders of the World,” could not fail to mention the world’s first mausoleum, built in 353 BC. It was located in Caria (the territory of modern Turkey), and the ruler Mavsol began to build it.

The height of the tomb was 46 meters; 36 columns were installed along the walls, between which the sculptors placed statues of mythical animals. The roof had a triangular shape, and on its top there was a six-meter sculpture - a chariot. Its drivers were a married couple, Mavsol and his wife Artemisia, who were later cremated and buried here (the construction was completed by the wife, since Mavsol died before the work was completed).

The mausoleum existed for about nineteen centuries and suffered more than one earthquake. The tomb could not resist the crusaders - they dismantled the tomb and built St. Peter's Castle in its place.

Temple of Artemis

But what most captivated Antipater with its beauty was the Temple of Artemis, built in 550 BC. on the territory of modern Ephesus (Turkey) - despite the fact that in his list of “Seven Wonders of the World” this building was in last place, he dedicated the largest number of lines to it. The building was made entirely of marble and was supported by 127 columns, each about 18 meters high.

The structure itself was approximately 131 m long and 79 m wide. In the middle was a fifteen-meter statue of Artemis, made of gold and ivory, decorated with precious stones. The most famous sculptors of ancient Greece were involved in decorating the temple, thanks to which the goddess’s house surpassed all the world’s famous temples in beauty.

Third final list

Who knows, maybe Antipater’s list of “Seven Wonders of the World” would have remained unchanged, if not for the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which managed to displace the walls of old Babylon from the list (the first memories of it as a wonder of the world are found in Pliny the Elder).

The huge lighthouse, whose height was about 120 meters, was erected in the 4th century. BC. on the island of Pharos near Alexandria (Egypt). It turned out to be the only miracle of the ancient world that had a practical purpose - it was supposed to not only illuminate the path for ships and show them the way to the harbor (the signal lights of the lighthouse were visible even at a distance exceeding 60 km), but also served as an observation post from which the surroundings were visible and the enemy could be seen from afar.

This building stood for almost a millennium, until the 14th century, and survived several serious earthquakes, until one of them completely wiped out the man-made miracle from the face of the earth.

Long ago, sages and travelers compiled a list of 7 wonders of the world, including the most beautiful and, in their opinion, most majestic buildings of the whole world.

Initially, in the 5th century BC. There were only 3 wonders of the world on the list. After this, in the 3rd century BC, thanks to the poem of Antipater from Sidon, 4 more wonders of the world were added to the list and so the list received the name 7 wonders of the world.

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.

1. Egyptian 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.

The Hanging Gardens were built in 600 BC. by order of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II. It is believed that this was done to entertain his wife, who was yearning for the greenery of her homeland in dusty Babylon. The Hanging Gardens were a four-tiered pyramid that looked like a flowering hill. The lower tier was an irregular quadrangle, the smallest side of which was 34 m, the largest - 42 m. The tiers were supported by columns whose height reached 25 m. Each tier was covered with a layer of fertile soil on which various plants could be planted.

Although the wife of the Babylonian king was named Amitas, the name of the Hanging Gardens is traditionally associated with the name of the legendary Assyrian ruler Semiramis.

The famous statue of Zeus, the supreme god of the ancient Greek pantheon, was created by the great sculptor and architect Phidias. It was intended for the Temple of Zeus, located in Olympia, the city where the Olympic Games were held. The frame of the statue was made of wood, onto which ivory plates were glued, imitating naked skin. The hair, beard, wreath, clothes and shoes were made of gold, and the eyes were made of precious stones. In his right hand Zeus held the goddess of victory Nike, also made of ivory and gold.

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.

4. Temple of Artemis in 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 its detailed description. In 356 BC a resident of Ephesus named Herostratus burned it 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.

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.

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.

The Colossus of Rhodes stood in its place for only 56 years. As a result of what happened in 222 BC. earthquake, he broke at the knees and fell. This is where the expression “colossus with feet of clay” comes from. In 977 AD e. what was left of the statue was sold to merchants. According to the chronicles, there was enough debris to load 900 camels with it. The ancient Greek author Philo of Byzantium was first mentioned as one of the Colossae of Rhodes.

7.

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. The Alexandria Bay ceased to be used due to filling with silt, and the Faros Lighthouse lost its significance. In the 14th century, it was damaged by an earthquake and then dismantled by Muslims to build a fortress.

The familiar concept of “Seven Wonders of the World” was born in ancient times, more than 2 thousand years ago. Since then, it has united famous creations of ancient architecture.

Let's remember what is included in these “miracles”. After all, they have practically not survived to this day.

Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt

The only exception is the Cheops pyramid. It is already 4.5 thousand years old, but it still impresses with its grandeur. Construction took place over 20 years, and tens of thousands of Egyptians and slaves took part in it. Another hundred thousand were busy delivering blocks. Construction was completed around 2560 BC.

The pyramid consists of - as calculated today - 2.5 million blocks. The most amazing thing is that they are not held together by cement or any other binder. They are held together by tightly fitting each other. Now the top of the Cheops pyramid has been destroyed. Previously, its height was 147 meters.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Iraq

The next miracle is the “Hanging Gardens” of Babylon. Their purpose was to please the beauty, the wife of King Nebuchadnezzar P
The gardens rose in four tiers. From a distance it seemed that they were rising above the ground. In fact, it was very difficult to build structures in which, like in huge pots, not only flowers and shrubs, but also trees would grow. Both stones and lead plates were used. It was also necessary to bring and pour here a fairly large layer of fertile soil.
It is not surprising that in arid Babylon such an oasis seemed like a real miracle.

Zeus statue in Greece

In Greece there was a third “miracle” - a statue of Zeus. In the 5th century BC. a temple was built here in honor of the most important Greek god. Naturally, there was a statue of him inside the temple. The 20-meter tall Zeus sat on the throne, overwhelming the believers with his magnificence. This was not just a sculpture. The wooden body was covered with ivory. The god's robe naturally shone with gold.

Temple of Artemis in Turkey

Where modern Türkiye lies, in ancient times there was a temple of Artemis. It was built in the 6th century. BC. by order of King Croesus. The greatness and power of the goddess was to be emphasized by her statue. The basis of production was ivory. And also 127 high columns, as if supporting a huge structure.
The temple was burned in 356 BC. But he remained forever in people's memory.

Mausoleum in Halicarnassus Türkiye

The next “miracle” was again located in Turkey. This is the mausoleum at Halicarnassus. It became the tomb for Mausolus, the ruler of Caria, who lived in the 4th century BC. This structure, although inferior in height to the Cheops pyramid, still reached a significant height - 46 m. It was framed by columns, and crowned by a sculpture of a chariot.

Colossus of Rhodes in Greece

The sixth “miracle” can be called the statue of the Sun God - Helios. Its other name is the Colossus of Rhodes. This statue stood in Greece in the 3rd century BC. So the Greeks decided to thank their beloved god. They believed that it was Helios who helped them survive the fight against the invaders and survive the siege. In the hand of the young god there was a torch, as if lighting the way for ships sailing to and leaving the port of Rhodes. Six and a half decades later, the statue was destroyed by an earthquake.

At the moment they want to restore the statue to attract tourists.

By the way, in the famous series “Game of Thrones” there is a similar sculpture

Alexandria Lighthouse in Egypt

The world also lost the seventh “miracle” as a result of the shaking of the soil. This is the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which in the 3rd century BC. was in Egypt, on the island of Pharos. For that time it was a huge tower. According to historians, its height reached 120 m. But even more amazing was the way the lighthouse sent light to ships. At its top, servants kept the fire burning, and specially made metal mirrors directed the light into the distance.

Sailors located 60 km from the port saw a distant spark in the night. It was a fire burning on top of the lighthouse. The most difficult task was to deliver enough wood for the fire. Carts and mules were used for this purpose. They went up the spiral staircase.

The series “Game of Thrones” also played up their own version of the Alexandria Lighthouse

Even now, thousands of years later, we respect these creations by the hands of ancient masters. What can we say about how their contemporaries perceived them! Indeed, these were miracles, there is no better way to say it.

New "Seven Wonders of the World" of the modern world.

Since almost all of these incomparable creations have been lost, the Swiss Bernard Weber proposed implementing the “New Seven Wonders of the World” project. The results were announced on July 7, 2007. Magic number "7".

Great Wall of China in China

Of course, the Great Wall of China, which at one time protected the state from nomads, could not give the palm to anyone. The wall was also supposed to unite the empire, which had just been formed, to help unite its people.
Construction lasted many years, in difficult conditions, when there were no roads and there was a shortage of necessary materials. But the result was great. There is no other architectural structure like this on our planet. The wall stretches for 8851.8 km. Every year over 40 million tourists come to see this miracle.

Amphitheater Colosseum in Italy

The largest amphitheater, the Colosseum, which survived from the times of Ancient Rome and now constitutes one of the main attractions of Italy, also enjoys well-deserved fame. The name "Colosseum" also comes from the word "colossus". To the Romans, the amphitheater seemed truly huge. After all, at that time the buildings reached a height of 8-10 m. Against their background, the Colosseum looked majestic. Once upon a time, thousands of guests flocked here to watch the famous gladiator fights.

Ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu Peru

On the territory of the present state of Peru is the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu. Its location is unique - on the tops of the mountains, in the heart of the inaccessible Andes. Despite all the achievements of science, the secrets of Machu Picchu have not yet been fully solved. It is also called “the city among the clouds” and is associated with the name of the ruler Pachacutec. The residence of the ruler, located at an altitude of 2450 m, was inaccessible to enemies. And to those who were on earth, it seemed that it was fitting for the ruler to live next door to the gods. Most likely, the city was built in the 15th century. Even today you can come there along the path of ancient pilgrims, you just need to be prepared for the fact that the hike will take several days.
But you will see a majestic sight - mountain peaks and an ancient city. Beautiful llamas graze here.

Ancient city - Petra in Jordan

Another ancient city, Petra, is located in what is now Jordan. The peculiarity of this city is that it is carved from stone. Otherwise it would have been impossible to build it here in the Siq Canyon. Bare rocks, steep cliffs, narrow gorges - such a panorama opens up to the eyes of tourists. But people lived and fought with enemies here too. Truly, a person is capable of inhabiting any place!

Taj Mahal Temple in India

Compared to this ascetic shelter of ancient people, the Taj Mahal temple in India seems to be a symbol of beauty and harmony. There is probably no better creation in Indian architecture. This temple is a mausoleum. It was built by order of Emperor Shah Jahan. His beloved wife unexpectedly died during childbirth, and the inconsolable husband decided to perpetuate her memory in this way - by erecting a most beautiful temple. Today there is no tourist coming to India who would not like to see the Taj Mahal. This temple is located in the city of Agra.

Statue of Christ in Brazil

The sixth of the new wonders of the world was the statue of Christ in Brazil. On Mount Corcovado, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the merciful Lord stretched out his hands over the people. This is Christ the Redeemer. It is symbolic that when thunderstorms rage here, the statue is often struck by lightning. After all, it is the highest point in the surrounding area. The height of this figure is 38 m, and it weighs more than 1145 tons. After a lightning strike, it is necessary to repair the damage caused to the reinforced concrete sculpture. Since they could not create such a huge figure in Brazil, they made the sculpture in France. They delivered it to Brazil in parts.

The seventh miracle was another ancient city of Chichen Itza. It belonged to the Mayan Indians and is located in Mexico. It was here that the Mayans gathered for prayers, and here, like nowhere else, they felt the presence of God. And today people feel awe when approaching the pyramids that were built by representatives of an ancient civilization. The most famous is the El Castillo temple in honor of the god Kukulkan.
All these sights, which only recently received the proud status of “New Wonders of the World,” have long become genuine treasures of our cultural heritage. The flow of tourists eager to see these wonderful places with their own eyes does not dry out. And it is gratifying that the “baton” of the ancient “miracles” has been taken up by no less wonderful, but accessible for viewing, “new miracles”.

Category:

The Seven Wonders of the World are the oldest architectural monuments, which are rightfully considered the greatest creations of human hands. The number 7 was chosen for a reason. It belonged to Apollo and was a symbol of completeness, completeness and perfection. At the same time, the traditional genre of Hellenistic poetry was the glorification of a list of the most famous cultural figures - poets, philosophers, kings, generals, etc., or outstanding architectural monuments.

The first mentions of the Wonders of the World are found precisely in this era, when the victorious troops of Alexander the Great had already marched across Europe. The wide dissemination of Greek culture in the territories that were part of the states that the great commander conquered ensured the great popularity of individual monuments and architectural structures. But it should be noted that the “selection” of miracles occurred gradually. Some names replaced others, and today the list of the most majestic works of art and architecture includes:

Briefly about everything

Historians and scientists believe that the most ancient is the first attraction - Egyptian pyramids. A distinctive feature of this Wonder of the World is that it is the only one that has survived to this day in almost its original form. The construction of the Pyramids of Giza dates back to approximately 1983 BC, and the largest structure from the complex is the tomb of Cheops.

The rest of the Wonders of the World were not so lucky, and only the ruins of some of them have survived to this day. Eg, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which were created in the 6th century BC, were destroyed by floods in the 2nd century. But even the dilapidated remains of this majestic structure are breathtaking.

Statue of Zeus from Olympia, created around 435 BC. by the famous ancient sculptor Phidias, burned down almost a thousand years later in Constantinople. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was erected in 550 BC, but after two centuries it was also destroyed by a severe fire.

Halicarnassus Mausoleum created by the architect Pytheas in 351 BC. In 1494, earthquakes occurred in southwestern Turkey, after which only the foundations and architectural fragments of the structure were preserved. Concerning Colossus of Rhodes, built at the beginning of the 3rd century BC. Greeks, it fell as a result of a series of powerful earthquakes somewhere between 224 and 225 BC.

Alexandrian lighthouse, built in the 3rd century BC. at the direction of the ruling Ptolemaic dynasty, it is the pinnacle of engineering and technical thought of that time. The structure lasted until 1480, providing reliable lighting to the coastal waters. In the 15th century, the lighthouse was partially destroyed by an earthquake.

We can talk endlessly about each of the Seven Wonders of the World. Any schoolchild knows about them. Ancient epics and ancient legends are associated with them. Each of them is covered in a shadow of mystery and uncertainty. But one thing can be said with all confidence - these are the most significant monuments of civilization of all that humanity has managed to create.