7 Wonders of the Ancient World List

In the recent past, people across the world were asked to vote for their favorite seven wonders of the world. This is the time I realized I knew little almost nothing about the 7 wonders of the ancient world. I began to find some answers to the question what are the 7 wonders of the world and where are they located? I could find a fascinating list and learned a lot about the wonders of the by-gone era. You too can learn a few facts from the following 7 wonders of the ancient world list.

What are the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World

The ancient Greeks loved art and architecture. They were the first people to compile the 7 wonders of the ancient world list. These wonders included the marvels of the 4th century BC. The Greeks had conquered much of the world and traveled far and wide. As they were patrons of beauty, they took fancy to the landmarks and unique architecture of various lands. They compiled a list that contained places that were 'theamata', that is, 'things to be seen'. Let us have a look at the original seven wonders of the world according to the best known and the earliest surviving notes of Greek historians.

The Great Pyramid of Giza
2584-2561 BC
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only surviving member of the 7 wonders of the ancient world list. It is located at Giza Necropolis, Egypt. This pyramid is about 800 feet long, 450 feet high and is built of over 2 million blocks of stone. It is said to have been built as the tomb of the 4th dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Around 600 BC
It is said, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built by King Nebuchandnezzar. He built the garden for his wife Amytis of Media to enjoy a private, terrace garden without any disturbance. It was built in Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq. These gardens were said to be about 400 feet wide, 400 feet long and were over 80 feet in height. Some historians are under the impression that these gardens were built on a series of platforms. Each platform put together made the garden over 75 to 80 feet high. These platforms were connected by a series of steps and paths that made the queen happy, loved and got rid of home-sickness. It is also is said to have a complete system in place for the circulation of water. The garden is supposed to have been destroyed by a massive earthquake.

Temple of Artemis at Epheus
c. 550 BC
The Temple of Artemis had a brush with bad luck plenty of times. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times on the same site. Every time it was destroyed, it was built more lavishly and with even more impressive architecture. The first time the temple was built it was destroyed in a war in 550 BC. Then it was rebuilt only to be burned down by a man. This man wanted people to remember his name till eternity. But, his plan did not quite work out as he had planned. After the temple was destroyed an official decree was passed, anyone who took that man's name would be put to death! Alexander the Great, was born on the same day this great temple was burned down. When Alexander visited the temple after many a years, he offered funds to build the temple better. It was built about 425 feet long, 225 feet wide and 60 feet in height. There were 127 columns to support the structure. The Goths, destroyed the temple around 262 AD and this time the temple was not rebuilt due to lack of funds.

Statue of Zeus at Olympia
435 BC
The Greeks completed building the statue of Zeus in his temple to honor the Greek Olympic Game. The statue was a gigantic structure that occupied the whole width of the aisle of the temple. It was about 40 feet tall and was said to be destroyed in a fire during the 5th and 6th century AD.

Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
351 BC
It is said, King Mausolus ruled a small kingdom in Asia Minor. His queen Artemisia was a beautiful woman who loved the king a lot. After the death of King Mausolus, she got the most beautiful mausoleum built in the memory of her loving husband. It was known as the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and people from far and wide came to visit it. By the year 1494 AD, it was destroyed by a flood. It was rebuilt but was damaged by an earthquake and plunders of the European Crusaders destroyed it forever.

Colossus of Rhodes
292-280 BC
After the death of Alexander the Great, his three generals fought over his land. Everyone wanted to rule the island of Rhodes. It had potential for trade and thus desired by all. But, the people supported General Ptolemy and helped him drive away the army of one of the enemy generals. In order to celebrate their victory, they build a huge bronze statue from metal of the war machinery left behind by the losing party. This was a statue of their patron god, Helios. Every morning the bronze statue glistened under the sun. After about 56 years it was built, the statue was toppled by an earthquake. It fell into the harbor and just the thumb of the statue was visible over the water surface. The king of Egypt offered to rebuild the statue, but the people of Rhodes refused. This is because they believed Helios himself threw the statue in water in a fit of rage. Around 600 AD, Arab traders removed the remains of the statue and sold it as scrap metal.

Lighthouse of Alexandria
c. 280 BC
The Island of Pharos was a harbor in Alexandria, Egypt. This lighthouse was built in this harbor and helped ships enter the harbor safely. This lighthouse is said to have survived for 1500 long years and finally destroyed by an earthquake in the 1300's. During its era, it was the tallest man-made structure at about 380 to 440 feet high.

So, these were some interesting facts about the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Just reading about the 7 wonders of the ancient world list makes us give out a sigh in awe. Just imagine, what an impact they may have created in the minds of the people of that age. Except the Pyramid of Giza, all the other wonders have long gone. We can just imagine more about these magnificent structures based on the writings by people of ancient Greece.