THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD were triumphs of art and architecture and grand achievements of the human spirit. Today, efforts are being made to replace the six Wonders not with us any more. This would be a travesty of education and enduring knowledge for they did exist in magnificent splendor. Borne in the cradle of modern civilization, they are the holy grail of ancient art and architecture.

1. The Great Pyramid of Giza

Location : At the city of Giza, a necropolis of ancient Memphis, and today part of Greater Cairo, Egypt.
Description : When it was built, the Great Pyramid was 145.75m (481 ft) high. Over the years, it lost 10 m (30 ft) off its top. It ranked as the tallest structure on Earth for more than 43centuries, only to be surpassed in height in the nineteenth century AD. The structure consists of approximately 2 million blocks of stone, each weighing more than two tons. It has been suggested that there are enough blocks in the three pyramids to build a 3 m (10 ft) high, 0.3 m (1 ft) thick wall around France.

2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Location : On the east bank of the River Euphrates, about 50km south of Baghdad, Iraq
Description : “The Hanging Garden has plants cultivated above ground level, and the roots of the trees are embedded in an upper terrace rather than in the earth. The whole mass is supported on stone columns… Streams of water emerging from elevated sources flow down sloping channels… These waters irrigate the whole garden saturating the roots of the plants and keeping the whole area moist. Hence the grass is permanently green and the leaves of trees grow firmly attached to supple branches… This is a work of art of Royal luxury”.

3. Statue of Zeus

Location : At the ancient town of Olympia, on the west coast of Greece, about 150 km west of Athens.
Description : Pheidias began working on the statue around 440 BC
“On his head is a sculpted wreath of olive sprays. In his right hand he holds a figure of Victory made from ivory and gold… In his left hand, he holds a scepter inlaid with every kind of metal, with an eagle perched on the scepter. His sandals are made of gold, as is his robe. His garments are carved with animals and with lilies. The throne is decorated with gold, precious stones, ebony, and ivory”.
This wonder is said to be the greatest work in Greek sculpture.

4. Temple of Artemis

Location : The ancient city of Ephesus near the modern town of Selcuk, about 50 km south of Izmir (Smyma) in Turkey.
Description : The foundation of the temple was rectangular in form, similar to most temples at the time. Unlike other sanctuaries, however, the building was made of marble, with a decorated façade overlooking a spacious courtyard. Marble steps surrounding the building platform led to the high terrace and the temple housed many works of art, including four ancient bronze statues of Amazons sculpted by the finest artists at the time. When St. Paul visited the city, the temple was adorned with golden pillars and silver statuettes, and was decorated with paintings.

5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Location : In the city of Bodrum (f.k.a. Halicarnassus) on the Aegean Sea, in southwest Turkey.
Description : The structure was rectangular in plan, overlying the foundation was a stepped podium which sides were decorated with statues. The burial chamber and the sarcophagus of white alabaster decorated with gold were located on the podium and surrounded by Ionic columns. The colonnade supported a pyramid roof, which was in turn decorated with statues. A statue of a chariot pulled by four horses adorned the top of the tomb.The beauty of the Mausoleum is not only in the structure itself, but in the decorations and statues that adorned the outside at different levels on the podium and the roof. These were tens of life-size as well as under and over life-size free-standing statues of people, lions, horses and other animals. Because the statues were of people and animals, the Mausoleum holds a special place in history as it was not dedicated to the gods of Ancient Greece.

6. The Colossus of Rhodes

Location : At the entrance of the harbor of the Mediterranean island of Rhodes in Greece
Description : The project was commissioned by the Rhodian sculptor Chares of Lindos. To build the statue, his workers cast the outer bronze skin parts. The base was made of white marble, and the feet and ankle of the statue were first fixed. The structure was gradually erected as the bronze form was fortified with an iron and stone framework. When the colossus was finished, it stood about 33 m (110 ft) high.
Legend has it, based on numerous accounts and sketches, the Colossus straddled a body of water thought to be the entrance to the harbor. Knowing the size of the statue, even on top of its marble pedestal, this would be impossible. It is more probable the Colossus straddled the entrance of a pool or tributary adjacent to the main harbor. This could explain the accounts of (small) boats sailing under the Colossus.

7. LIGHTHOUSE OF ALEXANDRIA
Location : On the ancient island of Pharos, now a promontory within the city of Alexandria in Egypt.
Description : Of the six vanished Wonders, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was the last to disappear. The total height of the building including the foundation base was about 117 m (384 ft), equivalent to a 40-story modern building. The internal core was used as a shaft to lift the fuel needed for the fire. At the top stage, the mirror reflected sunlight during the day while fire was used during the night. In ancient times, a statue of Poseidon adorned the summit of the building.
Although the Lighthouse of Alexandria did not survive to the present day, it left its influence in various respects. From an architectural standpoint, the monument has been used as a model for many prototypes along the Mediterranean, as far away as Spain. And from a linguistic standpoint, it gave its name – Pharos – to all the lighthouses in the world… Just look up in the dictionary for the French, Italian or Spanish word for lighthouse.