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| The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World |
| By: Kacy |
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| The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were constructed centuries ago, even before the birth of Christ. These wonders include: The Temple of Artemis; The Hanging Gardens of Babylon; The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus; The Statue of Zeus; The Colossus of Rhodes; The Lighthouse of Alexandria, and, The Great Pyramid of Giza. Since the existence of some of the Ancient Wonders has never been confirmed, there is some debate among experts whether these Wonders ever existed. However, most experts believe all actually existed in ancient times. This belief is based on both centuries-old literature and archeological finds. Still others think some of the Ancient Wonders were only figments of imagination. |
| We hope you will learn some new and interesting facts about The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by visiting our web-site. |
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| The Temple of Artemis |
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| Legend tells us The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was built for Artemis, the goddess of childbirth and wild beasts. The Roman name for Artemis was Diana. The temple was built about 550 BC by Ephesians, but designed by the Greek architect, Chersiphron, who was sponsored by the Lidian King Croesus. The temple served as a marketplace and religious institution. It was visited by many people including kings. |
| This marble temple stood on a platform 260 feet high by 430 feet in diameter. It had 127 columns. Each column stood 60 feet high all over the platform, except in front of the house of the goddess. The Temple of Artemis overlooked a gorgeous courtyard. he temple housed many different statues, including one of Artemis made of black stone and decorated with silver and gold. Several statues of Amazons, made of bronze, were also displayed in the Temple of Artemis. The statues were sculpted by very fine sculptors. People referred to this temple by two different names: the great Marble Temple and Temple "D" by archeologists. |
| The history of the temple is very complex. In 550 BC the temple was built by Ephesians. On the night of July 21, 356 BC, a madman named Herostratus set fire to the temple, because he wanted the whole world to know his name. He succeeded in making himself famous, but strangely, Alexander the Great was born on that same night. Later, the Roman historian, Putlach, wrote that the goddess was "too busy taking care of the birth of Alexander to send help to her threatened temple." Over the next two decades the temple was labeled "temple E" by archeologists. When Alexander the Great conquered Asia Minor, he helped rebuild the once beautiful temple. When St. Paul visited Ephesus to preach Christianity, the temple was adorned with golden pillars, silver statuettes, and was decorated with paintings. The Ephesians had no idea of abandoning their goddess. When the temple was destroyed again by the Goths in 262 AD, the Ephesians vowed to rebuild the temple. In the fourth century AD, almost all of the Ephesians had converted to Christianity, so the temple lost its religious glamour. When the temple was destroyed again, by St. John Chrysostom, no one bothered to rebuild it. Ephesus was later deserted. |
| When some explorers excavated Ephesus in 1866, they found the ruins of the magnificent temple. Their digging revealed the temple`s rectangular foundation, like most temples of that time, and a road that led to what is now a swampy area. Also recent attempts were made to rebuild the temple, but only a few columns have been re-erected. A student of pyramids calculated the moon`s diameter, the length of a lunar month and the date the building was built, by juggling the dimensions of The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. |
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| The Hanging Gardens of Babylon |
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| The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were located in Babylon, or modern day Iraq, along the east bank of the Euphrates River. King Nebuchadnezzar II over saw the construction of these gardens so his wife, Amitiya, would not be homesick for her mountainous homeland. It is not confirmed that the gardens actually existed. However, it is believed the gardens were built between 605 BC and 562 BC |
| Babylon was a political, commercial and religious center of a world empire, so there is no doubt that they had enough money to build the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Ancient drawings by many people depict these gardens in distinct detail. Of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon is the only natural wonder. |
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| The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus |
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| Located in Bodrum on the Aegean Sea in southwest Turkey is The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. The structure was built in approximately 350 BC by Queen Artemesia to honor her dead husband, Macosolos, and to serve as his tomb. |
| The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was approximately 140 feet tall with 60 feet devoted to the stepped podium, 38 feet for the colonnades, 22 feet for the pyramid and 20 feet for the statue of a chariot and horses on top. The statue on top was sculpted by Bryuxis, Leachares, Scopus and Timotheus. It was decorated with many statues and columns. The structure was finished in approximately 350 BC, three years after Maussolos` death,and one year after the death of Artemisia. |
| The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was in great shape until a minor earthquake caused a small amount of damage to the roof. In the early fifteenth century, knights of St. John of Malta invaded the region, and built a massive crusader castle. They used pieces of the Mausoleum of Halicannassus to build their castle. By 1522, nearly every block of the structure had been used for the construction. |
| If you went to Bodrum today to see the castle, it would have polished stone and the marble blocks of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. The structure made such an impression on the world that massive tombs today are still called mausoleums. |
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| The Statue of Zeus |
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| Located in Olympia approximately 150 kilometers west of Athens, Greece, was the Statue of Zeus. It took the Greek sculptor, Phidias, 12 years to build this 40 foot statue in 435 BC. The Statue of Zeus was built to celebrate Zeus, the overlord of all Olympian gods. The magnificent sculpture was designed by Libon, a famous architect during this period. |
| The 40-foot structure was as big as a modern four-story building. Zeus was holding an eagle in his left hand and a statue of Nike, the goddess of victory, in his right hand. His skin was made of ivory plates and his robe was made of gold. This structure was celebrated because of its great size and beauty. |
| The temple that housed the Statue of Zeus was damaged by fire in the fifteenth century AD, but the Statue of Zeus was not destroyed until 462 AD. Artemis was Zeus` daughter. The modern Olympic Games originated from Olympia. |
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| The Colossus of Rhodes |
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| The Colossus of Rhodes was located on the Mediterranean Island of Rhodes off the coast of Greece. It was built in 305 BC by the citizens of Rhodes to celebrate the citizen's successful defense from the attacking Macedonians. |
| The Colossus of Rhodes was over 100 feet tall. It was made of bronze and was probably a hollow statue. It represented Helios, the sun god and probably wore a crown shaped like sunrays. The base of the statue was made of white marble. |
| Although the Colossus was reinforced with stone and iron, it broke at the knees and fell during an earthquake about 66 years after its construction was completed. When Arabs invaded Rhodes in 654 AD, they sold the broken Colossus to a Jewish man from Syria. It took approximately 900 camels to transport the pieces of the Colossus back to Syria. |
| There exists some disagreement between experts about the posture of the Colossus. Some think the statue depicted Helios standing with his feet together, while others think his feet were apart and straddling the harbor. |
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| The Lighthouse of Alexandria |
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| The Lighthouse of Alexandria was located on the Island of Pharos in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of modern Egypt. It was conceived and initiated by Ptolemy Soter, a commander under Alexander the Great. Ptolemy Soter assumed control over Egypt after it was conquered by Alexander the Great. The Lighthouse at Alexandria was built in approximately 280 BC to honor Alexander the Great, and to assure sailors a safe return to the great harbor. |
| The Lighthouse of Alexandria was the first lighthouse ever built. It was a three-story structure about 300 feet high. It had a square base made of marble or limestone. The first level of the lighthouse probably contained the rooms of the lighthouse staff. The top level contained the beacon of fire to provide light for the sailors. The Lighthouse of Alexandria stood for 1,500 years, before it collapsed during an earthquake in about 1220 AD. |
| In this time period, it was the tallest structure in the world. Some experts argue whether or not the lighthouse ever existed, but much of the ancient Greek literature refers to the Lighthouse of Alexandria. |
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| The Great Pyramid of Giza |
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| Located in the city of Giza on the banks of the Nile River in modern Egypt, is the Great Pyramid of Giza. Commissioned by Khufu, an Egyptian pharaoh in 2560 BC, this pyramid was designed to be his tomb. The pharaoh`s burial chamber is located in the heart of the pyramid. The Great Pyramid of Giza took approximately 20 years to construct by Egyptian and slave laborers. |
| The Great Pyramid of Giza consists of two million blocks of stone, each weighing about two tons. The total weight is estimated to be four million tons. It is 450 feet high, although wind and water over the years has eroded approximately 30 feet off the capstone. Each side of the pyramid is 751 feet in length.. Inside the pyramid, the blocks are so well-fitted that one cannot insert a playing card between them. |
| The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only ancient wonder to exist today. |
| While experts may disagree over the existence of all the Ancient Wonders, with the exception of the Great Pyramid of Giza, there are many references to each of these wonders in ancient literature. Archeologists have never denied the possibility that each of these wonders existed in ancient times. Surely, if the Great Pyramid of Giza could have been constructed with such accuracy, then the other wonders could have been constructed. |
| The mixture of religion and history learned during my study was interesting. When Paul`s references to the Temple of Artemis can be found in the Holy Bible, this certainly adds credibility to the entire story of the Ancient Wonders of the World. |
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