7 Ancient Wonders Of The World

This list of 7 Ancient Wonders of the World are notable or unusual monuments and artifacts that have been built between the ages of 3000 B.C. and 476 A.D. and are characteristic of the Hellenic Golden Age. Unfortunately, only one of these ancient wonders still stands—the Great Pyramids of Giza. Whether you’re a history buff or not, read on to glean information from this important pocket of classical history.

1. The Pyramids of Giza These are the only standing monuments of the list of ancient wonders and remains the main one the most massive monuments ever built to this day. They consist of three pyramids built under the order of King Khufu for himself, his son and his queen.
2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon Built under the orders of Nebuchadnezzar for his wife, the hanging gardens were built around 600 B.C. and were described to have been 75 feet high and built for circulating water. An earthquake was rumored to have destroyed the monument after the first century B.C.
3. Temple of Artemis, Ephesus This temple was dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis and was built twice—first after Herostratus burned the temple down and then by Alexander the Great, only to be destroyed again by the Goths, a Germanic tribe.
4. Statute of Zeus Standing at 40 feet tall and housed within a temple, this monument to Zeus was originally built of ivory, bronze and gold. It was destroyed in either the fifth or sixth century A.D. by fire.
5. Mausoleum of Halicarnassus Halicarnassus was a small kingdom in Asia Minor during times of antiquity and this massive tomb was built in memory of  King Hecatomnus under the instruction of his broken-hearted and loving wife, Artemisia. The Crusaders eventually destroyed it in 1494, though earthquakes and floods weakened it beforehand.
6. Colossus of Rhodes In classical times, the Greek city of Rhodes was a powerful cultural and economic city and this large statute was erected to welcome visitors. Standing on a 50-foot pedestal at 110 feet tall, the statute of the patron god Helios was destroyed by an earthquake in 226 B.C.
7. Lighthouse of Alexandria Standing anywhere from 380 to 440 feet, this monument was the tallest structure ever built until modern times and was built on the island of Pharos, also to be the first lighthouse ever built. It was eventually destroyed by an earthquake anywhere from 1303 to 1480.