7 ancient wonders of the world are the most unique architectural monuments made by human hands. Why exactly seven? Since the time of Apollo, this number has been considered a symbol of perfection, which is why all the wonders of the world have passed strict selection for the “title” of the most magnificent. But, unfortunately, only one of them has survived to the present day, or rather, its main part, the rest were either plundered or destroyed by natural elements. But, thanks to archaeological excavations and scientific research, we know their appearance. What is included in this seven wonders of the world, which even in the ancient era created the hands of talented craftsmen?
7 ancient wonders of the world
Giza pyramids . The oldest miracle of the world, which is located in the Egyptian city of Giza and is called the Great Pyramids. Once upon a time there were hundreds of pyramids, but not all of them have survived to our times. The largest is the Cheops pyramid, which has "survived" to this day almost in its original form, but due to some damage it has become nine meters lower. This wonder of the world dates back to 1983 BC, its uniqueness lies in the precise laying of blocks, between which even now a thin blade cannot be inserted. The Cheops pyramid is considered a tomb, since a sarcophagus was found in it, but scientists still can not find exact evidence for this. Inside there are neither the remains of the pharaoh, nor jewelry, nor any inscriptions that would shed light on this riddle. Perhaps the pyramid was once looted. The entrance to it is “guarded” by the most impressive statue in the world - the majestic Great Sphinx.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon . Unfortunately, this building has not survived to our days - built in the sixth century BC, it was destroyed by floods in the second century. Currently, you can see only the remains of stone ruins, which, however, are still breathtaking. This landmark is located near Baghdad, they were accidentally discovered during excavations by archaeologist Robert Caldeway in 1989. The history of the hanging gardens, according to historians, is very romantic - they were created by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II, who wanted to make such an unusual gift to his wife Amitis. The queen was a native of the flowering Media and in Babylon she was very homesick, so the king decided to please his beloved wife. And although the mystery of the hanging gardens is not completely solved, they are rightfully included in the seven wonders of the world.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia . In the fourth century, the ancient sculptor Phidias created another wonder of the world - the Olympic statue of Zeus. At that time, in honor of the father of the gods, it was decided to erect a temple, the construction of which lasted for fifteen years. It was a truly magnificent sanctuary, executed with all its might. Then the authorities of Hellas asked Phidius to create a statue of Zeus, and the ancient master created a sculpture of ivory. The size of the statue was amazing - fifteen meters in height! The sculpture took more than two hundred kilograms of gold. Unfortunately, after being transferred to Constantinople, the deity was destroyed in 362. According to one version - the sculpture burned down in a fire, according to another - the structure was looted. And only in 1875 her remains were discovered, and in 1950 the sculptor's workshop. Thanks to careful research by scientists, the appearance of the statue of Zeus was restored.
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus . The ancient Greek city of Ephesus worshiped the goddess of fertility and patroness of women in labor, Artemis, so in 550 BC a beautiful temple was erected in her honor. The design of the building was invented by the architect Harsifron, and since Ephesus was not a poor city, it was decided to make the building of marble with two rows of columns. In the center of the temple was a sculpture of the goddess herself, fifteen meters high - the statue turned out to be surprisingly beautiful. Inlaid with gold and precious stones, she did not allow to look away from herself! And if the temple and the statue survived to our times, they would overshadow any modern masterpiece. But, alas, this did not happen - in 355 BC, this unique wonder of the world was destroyed as a result of a severe fire. Only some parts of the marble structure have survived, which over time were destroyed by marshy soil. Researchers needed a lot of time to recreate the appearance of the temple again.
Mausoleum in Halicarnassus . This majestic building was released in 352 BC and was a temple, a tomb, and a monument. Several architects and sculptors worked on the Halikarnassus Mausoleum project at once, and dozens of craftsmen were involved in the construction. In the tomb was a courtyard with a pedestal, guarded by stone lions. The walls are covered with images of gods, and stone guards stood in the corners. Four massive sculptures of horses with horsemen were installed at the top of the building, and monolithic columns "kept" the roof. The construction survived both the conquest by Alexander the Great and the pirate attack, but could not survive the looting by the Maltese in the fifteenth century. From the building there is only the foundation, which was found during excavations in 1965-1976. This helped scientists restore the original appearance of the Halicarnassus mausoleum.
Colossus of Rhodes . The idea of creating a statue of Helios, the patron saint of the island, was accepted by the government after the island survived a long siege of invaders. The goal of the colossus is to thank the Greek god of the sun for guarding Rhodes. The statue was built at the very beginning of the third century BC and was a stone Helios standing in full growth. Initially, the sun god had to hold a stone cover in his outstretched hand, but, realizing that in this position the statue would simply collapse, they abandoned this idea. As a result, Helios was erected thirty-six meters high and with a radiant crown on his head. But, half a century later, Rhodes suffered a series of earthquakes, and the base of the statue cracked. The Colossus of Rhodes collapsed into the sea, where it lay for a thousand years. Over time, it was gradually disassembled and melted down the bronze decoration of the statue. It was she who served as the prototype of the well-known Statue of Liberty.
Alexandria lighthouse . In the third century BC, on the orders of the ruler of Ptolemy, a magnificent lighthouse was built in Egyptian Alexandria on Faros. The construction of this building lasted about twenty years and was completed in 290, as a result of which the world's first construction of this type appeared. The height of the lighthouse was about 140 meters, the structure was a huge tower in three tiers, laid out of marble blocks. The Lighthouse of Alexandria regularly performed its service for about one and a half thousand years, but severe earthquakes gradually damaged the structure. The lighthouse was finally destroyed in 1326 BC, and only relatively recently, in 1995, its remains were discovered by researchers. Thanks to this, with the help of computer graphics, the appearance of this miracle of the world was recreated.
Unfortunately, today from the ancient wonders of the world only the Giza pyramids are preserved, but time does not stand still, and today, after centuries, you can see created by man.