Who described the 7 wonders of the world? Wonders of the world: how many there were and how many have survived. Great Wall of China in China

Everyone knows that there were only seven wonders of the world in the world. Which of them have survived and which have sunk into oblivion?

Six of the seven wonders of the world, unfortunately, have not survived. And only one thing remains to delight the eyes of tourists. Moreover, the miracle of the world, which has survived to this day, is the most ancient. How old is it, where is it located? We will definitely answer this question. But first, let’s remember them all, in order, starting with the youngest - built in the 3rd century BC.

Six wonders of the world that have not survived to this day

The Colossus of Rhodes is a gigantic (colossal), at that time, antique statue of the ancient Greek sun god Helios, erected on the island of Rhodes (in the Aegean Sea), in the city of the same name.

The statue was commissioned by the inhabitants of Rhodes from the sculptor Haresu. Initially they planned that it would be ten times taller than human height, but later increased the height of the project to 36 meters.

Construction began in 292 BC. uh and lasted 12 years. The Colossus of Rhodes stood on a marble pedestal, had an iron frame and was lined with bronze plates, and the internal volume was filled with clay. It is known that its construction took about 8 tons of iron and approximately 13 tons of bronze.

The Colossus of Rhodes stood for only about 55 years and was destroyed by an earthquake around 225 BC.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built in the third century BC in ancient Egypt on the island of Pharos in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Alexandria. It was built from 5 to 20 years (here the data varies) during the reign of King Ptolemy II of Egypt. The approximate year of completion of construction is considered to be 283 BC. The name of the architect is known; he was Sostratus of Cnidus.

The Alexandria Lighthouse was made of marble (or lined) and had three levels:

• the lower level was rectangular and had living quarters
• the middle level was octagonal
• the upper level is the cylinder in which the lighthouse fire burned

The Alexandria Lighthouse received another name in honor of the island on which it was built - the Faros Lighthouse. It was about 130 meters high, and its light was noticeable to ships, according to various sources, at a distance of 50 to 80 kilometers.

The lighthouse stood intact until 796 AD. This year a strong earthquake severely damaged it. It was restored, but not to its full extent. It is known that in the 14th century its height was only 30 meters. And in the 15th century, Sultan Al-Ashraf Saif al-Din Qait Bey built the Qait Bay fortress on this site, which exists to this day.

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus is the tombstone of Mausolus, the ruler of the Carian people. The ancient city of Halicarnassus, where the mausoleum was built, was located on the territory of modern Turkey (the city of Bodrum).

The construction of the mausoleum was ordered by the wife of Mausolus Artemisia III during her husband’s lifetime. The construction was undertaken by the Greek architects Satyr and Pytheas. The then famous sculptors Briaxides, Leochares, Skopas and Timotheos were also involved in the work.

The mausoleum was built over eight years, from 359 to 351 BC. Mausolus did not wait for the construction to be completed and died in 353.

The resulting structure was 45 meters high, the first level was decorated with 36 columns and many statues, above it was a pyramid, on top of which was a marble quadriga - a two-wheeled chariot with four horses harnessed to it.

The Halicarnassus mausoleum stood for 19 centuries and was destroyed by a strong earthquake in the 13th century.

For reference: the word “mausoleum” comes from the name Mavsol.

The Olympic Games, in honor of the god of thunder and lightning - Zeus, were held in ancient Greece from 776 BC. They were extremely popular. And so, 300 years later, the Greeks decided to build a temple in honor of their main god and patron of the Olympic Games. In 470 BC they began to collect donations for its construction.

Once the funds were raised, construction of the temple began, which lasted ten years between 466 and 456 BC. The Temple of Zeus turned out to be truly grandiose: a marble roof measuring 27 by 64 meters was supported by 34 limestone columns. Each column was 10.6 meters high and more than 2 meters in diameter. And the total area of ​​the building was 1728 square meters.

The temple was built. After some time, the question arose about creating a statue worthy of the god Zeus. The famous Athenian sculptor Phidias took on its creation. To do this, he needed a gigantic workshop equal in area to the temple itself, which was built 80 meters from it.

The opening of the statue of Zeus at Olympia took place in 435 BC. e. It was made using the technique of chrysoelephantine sculpture: the wooden frame was covered with ivory plates, and the cape, a scepter with an eagle in the left hand, a statue of the goddess Nike in the right hand, and an olive wreath on the head were covered with gold. And with all this, Zeus sits on a golden throne. Information about the height of the statue varies: together with the pedestal, it was 12-17 meters.

The statue existed for more than 800 years. The last written evidence about it dates back to 363. And in the 11th century, historian Georgy Kedrin claimed that in the 5th century the statue was still intact. It could have been moved to Constantinople, where it burned down in a fire in 476. According to another version, she was not transported anywhere, and she died along with the temple in a fire in 425.

The Temple of Artemis of Ephesus, as you might guess, was located in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, not far from the modern city of Selcuk (the far west of Turkey). The temple was erected in honor of Artemis, the goddess of hunting and fertility, and the patroness of all life on Earth.

The funds for the construction of the temple were donated by the Lydian king Croesus, and the project was developed by the architect Khersiphron. He erected the walls and colonnade of the temple. Before the construction was completed, Khersiphron died. The construction was continued by his son Metagenes, and the construction of the temple was completed by the architects Paeonius and Demetrius.

The Temple of Artemis was built around 550 BC. And in 356 BC. e it was destroyed by a fire, which, according to legend, was started by a resident of Ephesus named Herostratus. Thus, Herostratus simply wanted to become famous and achieved his goal.

By 323 BC, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was completely restored by the architect Alexander Deinocrates. And Alexander the Great allocated funds for this. The temple turned out exactly the same as its previous version, except that it was raised on a higher stepped base. The roof was supported by 127 columns, standing in eight rows and 18 meters high. The length of the temple was 105 meters and the width was 52. The inside of the temple was decorated with sculptures, bas-reliefs and paintings.

The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus existed safely for several centuries, before it was plundered by the Goths in 263 AD. And at the end of the 4th century it was closed and destroyed by Christians, due to the ban on paganism.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are the most controversial wonder of the world. It is not known for certain whether they existed at all. Moreover, if they existed, it was not at the time when Queen Semiramis lived.

The legend is this: the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II entered into a military alliance with Cyaxares, the king of Media, and to consolidate the alliance, he married Cyaxares’ daughter, whose name was Amitis (Amanis). Amitis moved to her husband in Babylon (the ruins of Babylon are located on the outskirts of the modern city of Al Hilla in Iraq), which was a dusty and dry desert city.

Amitis missed her mountainous and green homeland - Media. And to quench this boredom, Nebuchadnezzar II ordered the construction of green hanging gardens. They were supposedly created in 605 BC.

And Semiramis, the legendary queen of Assyria, wife of King Nin, lived two centuries earlier. So it would be more correct to call the “Hanging Gardens of Babylon” the “Hanging Gardens of Amytis”. As for the term “hanging garden,” it implies a garden that is located on a roof, gallery, or special stone supports. Plants grow in it on a bulk soil layer.

If you believe the legends, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon existed until the first century AD.

The Pyramid of Cheops is the oldest and tallest wonder of the world. And besides, the only one that has survived to this day. And that means it is the most durable. It is located on the Giza Plateau at the base of the Nile Delta, not far from Cairo, in Egypt.

Although about 4,500 years have passed since its construction, we know (how reliable this knowledge is is the question) who its architect was. He was Cheops' nephew - Hemiun. Presumably construction was completed somewhere around 2540 BC and took about 20 years.

It is impossible to confirm for certain the exact date of the start of construction of the Chiops pyramid. Different methods for determining it gave different results, which fit into the following period: 2850 - 2560 BC. At the same time, Egypt celebrates the official date of the start of construction: August 23, 2560 BC. e.

The Pyramid of Cheops is made of granite and limestone blocks (mostly limestone). Now it has a stepped appearance, but originally it was lined with white limestone (the so-called Jurassic marble) and had sloping slopes. In some places this cladding has been preserved. The slopes of the pyramid shone in the sun with a peach color, and the top was crowned with a gilded stone - the pyramidion.

The height of the pyramid is 135.5 meters (originally 146.6 meters). The length of the sides of the base is approximately 230 meters. The base area is about 53,000 square meters. And the average weight of one stone block is 2.5 tons. Moreover, the heaviest block weighs 35 tons. There are about 2.3 million blocks in the pyramid. The total weight of the pyramid is 6.5 million tons.

For more than 3,000 years, the Cheops pyramid was the tallest creation of man, and in 1311 Lincoln Cathedral was built in England, the spire of which already rose 160 meters. True, in 1549 the spire collapsed. Now the height of the cathedral does not exceed 83 meters.

As for the purpose of the Cheops pyramid, it is not known for certain. It is logical to assume that it is the tomb of Pharaoh Cheops (Khufu), but no mummies were found in it.

The eighth wonder of the world

There is no official eighth wonder of the world. This term is usually used to describe some of the grandiose structures of mankind that could claim the title of a wonder of the world, but... but there are only seven wonders of the world and this list cannot be expanded.

Over the centuries, people have compiled a variety of lists of wonders of the world in order to highlight from the total number the most outstanding creations of human architectural genius or the most amazing manifestations of natural perfection. Most often, such lists were limited to seven laureates, following the ancient Greek seven wonders of the world, but more expanded or narrow lists are also found.

The Seven Wonders of the World (or the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) is a list of the most famous sights of the Oecumene culture. Compiling a list of the most famous poets, philosophers, generals, great kings, as well as monuments of architecture and art is a traditional “minor” genre of Greek Hellenistic poetry and a kind of exercise in rhetoric. The choice of number itself is sanctified by ancient ideas about its completeness, completeness and perfection; the number 7 was considered the sacred number of the god Apollo (Seven against Thebes, Seven Wise Men, etc.). Like collections of sayings of famous sages, collections of anecdotes and stories of wonders, writings on the Seven Wonders of the World were popular in ancient times and included descriptions of the grandest, most magnificent, or technically most amazing buildings and monuments of art. That is why they were called miracles, while the list does not include many genuine masterpieces of ancient architecture and art - the Acropolis in Athens with the creation of Phidias - the Parthenon statue of Athena, the famous statue of Aphrodite of Knidos by Praxiteles, etc.

Mentions of the Seven Wonders appear in the writings of Greek authors starting from the Hellenistic era. You had to know them already at school; scientists and poets wrote about them. The text of one Egyptian papyrus, which was a kind of educational manual, mentions the names of famous legislators, painters, sculptors, architects, inventors, which must be memorized, then the largest islands, mountains and rivers and, finally, the seven wonders of the world. The “selection” of miracles occurred gradually, and some miracles replaced others.

Herodotus

The walls of Babylon were included in the list of the Seven Wonders of the World, but were later replaced by the Lighthouse of Alexandria

Samos Island today

Aqueduct

"I have seen your walls, O Babylon, on which there is spacious
And chariots; I saw Zeus at Olympia,
Miracle of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Colossus of Helios
And the pyramids are the work of many and hard labors;
I know Mausolus, a huge tomb. But I just saw
I am the palace of Artemis, the roof raised to the clouds,
Everything else faded before him; outside Olympus
The sun does not see beauty equal to it anywhere."

The description of Antipater follows the work of Philo of Alexandria (orator of the 4th century AD or the famous mechanic of the 3rd century BC) “On the Seven Wonders.” Probably, after the construction of the Alexandria Lighthouse, this miracle of engineering replaces the walls of Babylon on the list (as a wonder of the world it is mentioned by Pliny the Elder in Natural History). In a number of works, instead of the hanging gardens, the walls of Babylon appeared again, and the lighthouse on the island. The Pharos was replaced by the Library of Alexandria; The list was also supplemented by the Pergamon altar of Zeus, the palace of Cyrus in Persepolis, the “singing” statues of Memnon near Egyptian Thebes and Thebes itself, the temple of Zeus in Cyzicus, the statue of Asclepius in Epidaurus, the Athena Parthenos by Phidias on the Athenian Acropolis, and in the Roman period - the Colosseum and the Capitol. Subsequently, the list in various combinations was also supplemented by the Temple of Solomon, Noah’s Ark, the Tower of Babel, the Temple of Sophia in Constantinople, etc.

Classic list

Around the 3rd century BC. a classic list of seven wonders of the world has been formed:

Pyramid of Cheops (Giza, 2550 BC),
Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Babylon, 600 BC),
Statue of Zeus at Olympia (Olympia, 435 BC),
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (Ephesus, 550 BC),
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (Halicarnassus, 351 BC),
Colossus of Rhodes (Rhodes, between 292 and 280 BC),
Lighthouse of Alexandria (Alexandria, 3rd century BC).

The Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) is the largest of the Egyptian pyramids, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that has survived to this day. An Eastern proverb says: “Everything in the world is afraid of time, but time is afraid of the Pyramids.” It is assumed that construction, which lasted twenty years, ended around 2540 BC. e. The architect of the Great Pyramid is considered to be Hemiun, the vizier and nephew of Cheops. He also bore the title "Manager of all Pharaoh's construction projects." For more than three thousand years (until the construction of the cathedral in Lincoln, England, around 1300), the pyramid was the tallest building on Earth.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A more correct name for this structure is the Hanging Gardens Amitis (according to other sources - Amanis): this was the name of the wife of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, for whose sake the gardens were created. Presumably they were located in the ancient city-state of Babylon, near the modern city of Hill. The Hanging Gardens existed for about two centuries. After the death of Amytis, the garden was no longer maintained, then powerful floods destroyed the foundation of the columns, and the entire structure collapsed. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are the most mysterious structure of all the Wonders of the World. Scientists even doubt whether they actually existed or are just a figment of someone’s imagination, carefully copied from chronicle to chronicle.

The statue of Zeus at Olympia is the work of Phidias. An outstanding work of ancient sculpture, one of the seven wonders of the world. It was located in the temple of Zeus, in Olympia - a city in the region of Elis, in the north-west of the Peloponnese peninsula, where from 776 BC. e. to 394 AD e. Every four years the Olympic Games were held - competitions between Greek and then Roman athletes. The Greeks considered those who did not see the statue of Zeus in the temple unfortunate. The Olympic Games, held for 300 years in honor of the god Zeus, were extremely popular among the people. Despite this, there was no main temple of Zeus in Greece and only in 470 BC. began collecting donations for its construction. According to legend, the temple was magnificent. The entire temple, including the roof, was built of marble. It was surrounded by 34 massive columns made of shell rock. Each was 10.5 meters high and more than 2 meters thick. The area of ​​the temple was 64x27 m. On the outer walls of the temple there were slabs with bas-reliefs depicting the 12 labors of Hercules. Bronze doors, 10 meters high, opened the entrance to the cult room of the temple. In the 5th century BC. e. The citizens of Olympia decided to build a temple of Zeus. The majestic building was erected between 466 and 456 BC. e. It was built from huge stone blocks and was surrounded by massive columns. For several years after construction was completed, the temple did not have a worthy statue of Zeus, although it was soon decided that one was necessary. The famous Athenian sculptor Phidias was chosen as the creator of the statue. Around 40 AD e. The Roman Emperor Caligula wanted to move the statue of Zeus to his home in Rome. Workers were sent for her. But, according to legend, the statue laughed, and the workers fled in horror. The statue was damaged after an earthquake in the 2nd century BC. e., then it was restored by the sculptor Dimophon. In 391 AD e. The Romans closed the Greek temples after adopting Christianity. Emperor Theodosius I, who affirmed Christianity, banned the Olympic Games as part of a pagan cult. Finally, only the base, some columns and sculptures remained from the Temple of Olympian Zeus. The last mention of it dates back to 363 AD. e. At the beginning of the 5th century AD. e. The statue of Zeus was transported to Constantinople. The statue burned down in a temple fire in 425 AD. e. or in the fire in Constantinople in 476 AD. e.

Ancient ruins in Olympia

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was located in the Greek city of Ephesus on the coast of Asia Minor (currently the city of Selcuk in the southern province of Izmir, Turkey). The first large temple was built in the middle of the 6th century BC. e., burned by Herostratus in 356 BC. e., soon restored in a rebuilt form, in the 3rd century it was plundered by the Goths. In the 4th century it was closed by Christians due to the ban on pagan cults and destroyed. The church built in its place was also destroyed.

Artemis of Ephesus

Model of a temple in Turkey in Miniaturk Park

View of the temple ruins

This is what the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus looked like

Halicarnassus Mausoleum is a tombstone of the Carian ruler Mausolus (Greek: Μαύσωλος), built in the middle of the 4th century BC. e. by order of his wife Artemisia III in Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum, Turkey), one of the ancient wonders of the world. The mausoleum stood for 19 centuries. In the 13th century it collapsed from a strong earthquake, and in 1522 the remains of the Mausoleum were dismantled by the Knights of St. John for the construction of the fortress of St. Petra. In 1846, the ruins were explored by an expedition from the British Museum led by Charles Thomas Newton. Based on the results of the research, several options for reconstructing the original appearance were compiled, one of which was used as the basis for the Grant Mausoleum in Manhattan.

Carian king Mausolus

Perhaps this is what the Colossus of Rhodes looked like

The Colossus of Rhodes (Greek Κολοσσός της Ρόδου, lat. Colossus Rhodi) is a giant statue of the ancient Greek sun god Helios, which stood in the port city of Rhodes, located on the island of the same name in the Aegean Sea, in Greece. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The sculptor Hares, a student of Lysippos, worked for twelve years to create an almost 36-meter bronze giant. When the work on the statue was completed, a tall and slender young god with a radiant crown on his head appeared before the eyes of the amazed Rhodians. He stood on a white marble pedestal, leaning slightly back, and intensely peered into the distance. The statue of the god stood right at the entrance to the harbor of Rhodes and was visible from the nearby islands. The statue was made of clay, had a metal frame at its base, and was covered with bronze sheets on top. The production of the grandiose monument required 500 talents of bronze and 300 talents of iron (about 13 and about 8 tons, respectively). The colossus also gave rise to a kind of fashion for giant statues in Rhodes already in the 2nd century. BC e. About a hundred colossal sculptures were installed. The colossus stood for sixty-five years. In 222 BC. e. The statue was destroyed by an earthquake. As Strabo writes, “the statue lay on the ground, overthrown by an earthquake and broken at the knees.” But even then the Colossus caused surprise with its size. Pliny the Elder mentions that only a few could wrap both hands around the thumb of the statue's hand (assuming the natural proportions of the human body are observed, this indicates the height of the statue at 200 feet or 60 m). The remains of the Colossus lay on the ground for more than a thousand years, until they were finally sold by the Arabs, who captured Rhodes in 977, to a merchant who, as one chronicle says, loaded 900 camels with them.

The Alexandria (Faros) lighthouse is one of the 7 wonders of the world, built in the 3rd century BC. e. in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, so that ships could safely pass the reefs on their way to the Alexandria Bay. At night they were helped in this by the reflection of flames, and during the day by a column of smoke. It was the world's first lighthouse, and it stood for almost a thousand years. The lighthouse was built on the small island of Pharos in the Mediterranean Sea near the coast of Alexandria. This busy port was founded by Alexander the Great during his visit to Egypt in 332 BC. e. The building was named after the island. Its construction was supposed to take 20 years, and it was completed around 283 BC. e., during the reign of Ptolemy II, king of Egypt. The construction of this gigantic structure lasted only 5 years. Architect - Sostratus of Cnidus. The Faros lighthouse consisted of three marble towers standing on a base of massive stone blocks. The first tower was rectangular and contained rooms in which workers and soldiers lived. Above this tower was a smaller, octagonal tower with a spiral ramp leading to the upper tower. The upper tower was shaped like a cylinder in which a fire burned. By the 12th century AD. e. Alexandria Bay became so silted that ships could no longer use it. The lighthouse fell into disrepair. The bronze plates that served as mirrors were probably melted down into coins. In the 14th century, the lighthouse was completely destroyed by an earthquake. A few years later, its ruins were used to build a fortress. The fortress was subsequently rebuilt several times. Interestingly, before the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the seventh wonder of the world was the walls of Babylon. Before its construction, the walls of Babylon were considered the second wonder of the world. When a 130-meter lighthouse was built at the mouth of the Nile, contemporaries were so amazed by this outstanding technical achievement that they simply crossed out the walls of Babylon from the list of the Seven Wonders of the World and added the lighthouse to it as the latest, newest miracle.

The Colosseum was also added to the list of wonders of the Ancient World

The first mention of the Seven Wonders in Rus' is found in Simeon of Polotsk, who was familiar with their description from some Byzantine source. In modern Europe, they became widely known after the publication of Fischer von Erlach’s (1656–1723) book “Sketches on the History of Architecture,” which also contained the first known reconstructions of famous monuments of ancient architecture.

The first man appeared on planet Earth 2 million years ago; archaeological excavations in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania help to draw such conclusions. During its existence, humanity has evolved, leaving behind vivid traces of its existence.
What can so clearly demonstrate to us the level of development, religion, power in various periods of human habitation on earth, if not the work of human hands? Architectural monuments are a real treasure trove of history. This is what helps us remember our majestic past, our former power, recreate lost historical information, be proud of our ancestors and believe in the strength of modern society.
7 Wonders of the World– this is the most striking demonstration of the majesty of past years. Why 7? Let's start with the fact that the 7 wonders of the world were identified back in ancient times. The number “7” was considered sacred, the number of the great god Apollo; it was a symbol of completeness and impeccability.
There are stories about these delightful historical monuments back in the Hellenistic era - this is the period of time that ends with the death of Alexander the Great, or rather 323 BC. The ancient papyri that have reached us indicate that the wonders of the world were the subject of study in school.
The first to describe the 7 wonders of the world known today was Herodotus. True, the ancient Greek historian in his work “History” displayed only three monuments. And in the 3rd century AD, the world was presented with a complete list of “7 Wonders of the World”, which has survived to this day.
Over time, the list changed several times, old things were removed, new things were added. However, we will now look at the wonders of the world that were on the very first ancient list that has survived to this day.
The 7 Wonders of the World include: the Pyramid of Cheops and the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt, the Statue of Zeus in mainland Greece, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Babylon, the Temple of Artemis and the Mausoleum in Halicarnassus in modern Turkey, and the Colossus of Rhodes on the island of Rhodes.
Of all these majestic historical monuments, only one has survived to this day; the rest of the architectural masterpieces, unfortunately, were destroyed.
The Pyramid of Cheops. This is the only wonder of the world that has survived to this day. The largest pyramid at Giza was built around 2000 BC. The base of the building is square, its height reaches 147 meters, but due to the fact that sandstorms and strong winds occurred around the pyramid for several millennia, one of the 7 wonders of the world went a little underground, significantly reducing its height.
According to scientists, the construction of this tomb lasted for thirty years. But the body of the pharaoh inside the walls of the tomb was never found - this fact remains a mystery to this day.
Looking at this historical monument will take your breath away. The Pyramid of Cheops amazes with its beauty and grandeur. Were ancient Egyptian slaves able to build such a masterpiece without modern tools? How did they do it?


Hanging Pyramids of Babylon. In fact, hanging gardens should have been called "hanging" gardens. During archaeological excavations, historians came across a palace complex, which was made in the form of a pyramid. The entire pyramid was covered with a lot of vegetation, which seemed to hang from the tiers of the structure.
One of the Seven Wonders of the World was built in the 7th century BC, by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II, who at that time ruled Babylon the Great.
Nebuchadnezzar entered into an alliance with the ruler of Media, Cyaxares, which was reinforced by the marriage of the Babylonian king and the daughter of Cyaxares, Amytis. Amytis from Media, a country with rich nature, filled with greenery and fresh air, was forced to move to Babylon, a city built on arid terrain, dusty and sandy. Watching his wife suffer, the caring husband decided to give his wife a gift - to create a kind of oasis where Amitis would feel at home. Nebuchadnezzar did just that, thereby giving birth to one of the 7 wonders of the world - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Why the Gardens of Babylon? The answer to this question is very simple: this is a mistake of ancient historians. They prescribed the gardens to the Assyrian queen Semiramis, who lived two centuries earlier.
Where exactly the Hanging Gardens were located still remains a mystery. Historians have several hypotheses about this.


Zeus statue in Olympia. According to Greek mythology, Zeus is the main god. He is worshiped by thunder and lightning, the sky and the air, and the other gods fear him.
The statue of Zeus, which amazed the minds of mankind, was erected in the 5th century BC in the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. The temple was made of marble and amazed with its majesty and beauty. One of the most famous and talented architects of Greece, Phidias, was invited to make the statue of the Thunderer.
In 435 the statue was unveiled. At this moment, all of Greece froze in amazement. No wonders of the world could compare with the power, strength, and beauty of the statue of the great god Zeus. Zeus was made of gold and ivory. She sat on a golden throne, in her hands was a golden scepter, a golden eagle sat proudly at her feet, and a wreath adorned her head.
It is known that in the 5th century AD the statue still existed. But after the Greeks adopted Christianity, all temples were closed. Theodosius I ordered the statue to be dismantled into parts. After which the great work of art burned down, either in Constantinople or in Greece itself.


Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The Temple of Artemis was built in the 6th century BC. But before this architectural structure acquired the form in which it became one of the wonders of the world, it was built many times and destroyed many times.
The inhabitants of the ancient world, namely Greece, worshiped the great goddess of fertility Artemis. At a certain point, having chosen a place where sacrifices were mainly made for the goddess, the inhabitants of Ephesus began construction. Wooden buildings could not withstand natural destruction, so the temple was built several times.
Finally, the famous and talented sculptor Chersifon built a better temple in 450 BC, but a hundred years later it was burned. Then the sculptor’s followers decided to make the temple out of marble. It was the greatest masterpiece of art, and it became one of the 7 wonders of the world. The majestic structure was of enormous proportions: length – 105 meters, width – 51 meters.
Unfortunately, already in 263 the temple was plundered by the Goths. In the 4th century AD, a single religion, Christianity, was proclaimed, which demanded the destruction of all pagan cultural monuments.


Mausoleum in Halicarnassus. When exactly the construction of the mausoleum began remains unknown. Construction is considered to have begun around the 4th century BC. The time when Kariya was still a colony of the Persian Empire.
The ruler of Caria, Mavsol, began construction during his lifetime. It was finished by Mavsol's wife.
By the way, the name “mausoleum” comes from the name of the ruler – Mavsol.
The finished structure was amazing, it was so beautiful. The mausoleum in Halicarnassus was a large architectural structure, inside of which there was its own courtyard. Thin and at the same time very powerful carved images decorated the decoration of the building.
It is not known exactly how the mausoleum was destroyed. The historical monument was finally destroyed by a Maltese raid in the 15th century, or an earthquake.
The remains of the mausoleum were found in 1977 as a result of archaeological excavations by Christian Jeppez.


The Colossus of Rhodes. The Colossus of Rhodes is the penultimate one on the ancient list of 7 wonders of the world.
Unfortunately, if you now want to admire one of the most powerful monuments of ancient architecture - the 36-meter high Greek god of the sun - Helios, then you will not be able to. Since the greatest historical monument was destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BC. That work of art, which was created by the greatest ancient sculptors over the course of 12 years, stood for only 60 years.
The decision to create such a sculpture of impressive size was prompted by the gratitude of the inhabitants of Rhodes, for the fact that the supposedly great Helios contributed to the fact that Demetrius the Great was able to protect the city from the conquerors.
Now they are trying to restore one of the 7 wonders of the world. According to the plan of modern architects, the statue will be increased in size by another 30 meters, and there will be an entertainment complex inside it.


Alexandrian lighthouse. The list of “Wonders of the World” ends with a work of art that was located near Alexandria.
Alexandria was a port city, and the shore of the Mediterranean Sea was too shallow and the bottom was rocky. Therefore, in 285, a grandiose construction began on the island of Pharos, near Alexandria.
As a result of lengthy work, a 120-meter statue consisting of three sections appeared to the world. In the upper compartment of which a huge fire was burning. Stone and marble are the main components of the structure, which was supposed to be built to last. But, unfortunately, the magnificent tower was not destined for such a long existence. After standing for almost 1000 years, the masterpiece of ancient art collapsed as a result of an earthquake.


Wonders of the world, how many mysteries and secrets do they contain? There is so much we still don’t know and will never know. One thing becomes clear: it is necessary to carefully protect our cultural values ​​so that our descendants can admire the amazing historical monuments with their own eyes.