Pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops and the history of the Egyptian pyramids. Seven Wonders of the World: Pyramid of Cheops, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Temple of Artemis, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes, Lighthouse of Alexandria Pyramid of Cheops wonder of the world from Giza

The earliest information about the seven wonders of the world was found in the writings of the ancient philosopher and scientist Herodotus. Five thousand years BC Herodotus tried to classify these wonderful and mysterious objects. The work of Herodotus, in which he described in detail the unique architectural masterpieces ancient world, burned down in a fire in the Library of Alexandria, like many other unique manuscripts. Only separate records in the surviving manuscripts and fragments of structures related to the seven wonders of the world, which were found as a result of archaeological excavations, have survived to this day.

In a short essay by Philo of Byzantium, entitled "On the Seven Wonders of the World", seven objects of antiquity are described on twelve pages. But the author wrote his work on the basis of the stories of others he heard, however, he himself never saw them.

In Europe, the seven wonders of the world became known after the publication of the book Sketches in the History of Architecture. In it, the author, Fischer von Erlach, meticulously described seven unique objects of antiquity.

In Rus', the very first mention of the seven wonders of the world was found in the writings of Simeon of Polotsk, who in his notes refers to a certain Byzantine source.
The list of the most famous monuments of the ancient world includes:

1.Egyptian pyramid at El Giza,
2.Statue of Olympian Zeus,
3. Lighthouse,
4.hanging gardens Semiramis,
5.Mausoleum in Halicarnassus,
6. Colossus of Rhodes
7.Temple of Artemis of Ephesus.

1. Pyramids of Giza.

Today, of all the listed seven wonders of the world of the ancient world, only great pyramid Cheops, located in El Giza.

For about four thousand years, the pyramid of Cheops was the tallest building. It was designed and built as the tomb of the most famous pharaoh - Khufu (Cheops). The construction of the pyramid was completed in 2580 BC. Then more pyramids were built here for the grandson and son of Cheops, as well as pyramids for queens. But the Great Pyramid of Cheops is the largest of them. Archaeologists suggest that the construction of this pyramid took about 20 years and at least one hundred thousand people participated in its construction. It took 2 million stone blocks to build, each weighing at least 2.5 tons. Workers used levers, blocks and ramps to lay without mortar and fit each block together. In its completed form, the pyramid was a stepped structure. The steps were then covered with polished white limestone blocks. The blocks fit so tightly together that you can't even stick a knife blade between them. The Great Pyramid has risen up to 147 meters! The length of one side of the base of the pyramid of Cheops is 230 meters. The pyramid covers an area larger than nine football fields. The ancient Egyptians believed that if you save the body of the pharaoh, then his spirit will live on after death, so they mummified the body of Pharaoh Khufu and placed him in a burial chamber located in the center of the pyramid.

The first wonder of the world of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the only one that has survived to this day is The Pyramid of Cheops, the secrets of which still excite the minds of people. It is located in Egypt, in Giza. It was created by the order of Pharaoh Cheops, who lived around 2551 - 2528 BC, after whom it was named. This majestic structure is unparalleled that has ever been built by human hands, with the exception of the Great Wall of China.

The height of the Pyramid of Cheops reaches 146.6 m, which is approximately equal to the height of a fifty-story building. The foundation at the base has an area of ​​52,900 sq.m. For comparison, 5 of the greatest cathedrals in the world could fit in this square. The pyramid consists of huge blocks, the number of which exceeds 2 million. The scale dimensions of this first wonder of the world amaze the imagination and for many centuries have attracted the eyes of millions of tourists from all over the world.

The order to start building the pyramid was given by the young pharaoh immediately after the death of his father Pharaoh Snofu. He dreamed of building a pyramid that would keep his name through the ages. It should be noted that the pyramids were built before. These were traditional buildings for the burial of the pharaoh's mummy. But each of the pharaohs, replacing the previous one, tried to rebuild for himself a worthy tomb, surpassing the tomb of its predecessor in luxury, size and richness of decoration. Huge sums of money from the state treasury were spent on this, and the buildings cost the lives of many millions of slaves.

Prior to construction, lengthy preparatory studies were carried out. Initially, it was necessary to find an area of ​​sufficient size with solid soil, since the pyramid, according to calculations, had to weigh 6,400,000 tons, and it was necessary to provide for all options so that it would not go underground under the weight of its own weight. A suitable area was soon found in the desert seven kilometers west of the village of Giza.

Work on the construction of the pyramid lasted 20 years. It consists of 128 layers of stone blocks laid in steps. But then these steps were laid with stones, so that the walls of the pyramid became, although not quite smooth, but quite even, without protrusions.

Finally, all four triangular outer faces were finished with slabs of completely white limestone. Moreover, the edges of these plates were fitted so tightly that it was impossible to insert even a thin knife blade between them. The outer side of the plates was polished to a mirror finish. And during the day, in the light of the sun, and at night in the not bright light of the moon, the pyramid mysteriously shone like a precious crystal.

Inside the pyramid has an extensive system of passages. From the large gallery, 47 m long, you can get into the chamber of the pharaoh himself. This is a fairly spacious room, completely lined with granite, the length of which is 10.5 m, the width is 5.3 m, and the height is 5.8 m. It was supposed to be the last refuge of the pharaoh. However, whether Pharaoh Cheops was actually buried here is still a mystery. This is where the secrets of the Pyramids of Cheops lie. Scientists note the fact that the chamber of the pharaoh does not have any decorations, which are usually used to get rid of such rooms. The sarcophagus has no lid and is only roughly hewn, the work obviously has not been completed. And, finally, air enters the chamber of the pharaoh through two small passages, ending in small holes in the body of the pyramid. But it is strange, why was it necessary to install a ventilation system if the deceased pharaoh no longer needed it? That is why there were differences of opinion whether this building was used for the burial of the pharaoh.

For almost 3,500 years, the pyramid of Cheops stood, undisturbed by anything and no one. According to the beliefs of the Egyptians, spirits guarded it, and they had to punish anyone who would dare to penetrate the secrets of the Cheops Pyramid. However, Caliph Abdallah al-Mamun, the son of Harun al-Rashid, penetrated inside the building in the hope of finding countless treasures there, as in other pyramids. And he was very surprised to find nothing there except a thick layer of bat droppings, reaching a depth of 28 m.

Today, tourists from all over the world come to Egypt to enjoy the majestic spectacle of the pyramid in the rays of the setting sun, bow to the witness of bygone days, a monument to human vanity and the immense labor of millions of slaves.

The only one of the seven wonders of the world of the Ancient World, which has survived to this day and, oddly enough, the most ancient is the Egyptian the Pyramid of Cheops. It is named after Pharaoh Cheops, its creator. Its dimensions are huge. Height is about 140 m (corresponding to about the height of a 50-story skyscraper). The base area is now about 53,000 m? (originally it was 85,500 m?) with a base length of approximately 230 m. For comparison, we can say that five of the largest cathedrals in the world could freely accommodate on such an area.

Immediately after the death of Pharaoh Snefru, his son, the young pharaoh Cheops, ordered to start building his own pyramid, which was supposed to surpass all existing pyramids not only in size, but also in luxury and magnificence.

The construction site was chosen near the village of Giza. A solid rocky platform had to withstand the weight of the pyramid about 6.25 million tons.

According to the Greek historian Herodotus, almost 100 thousand people worked on the construction of the pyramid for 20 years (~2560 to ~2540 BC). In addition to foreign slaves, Egyptian peasants also worked here, each of whom hoped that a particle of the glory and immortality of the pharaoh, who was sincerely considered the son of the sun god Ra, would touch him.

The burial of the pharaoh was a special ritual.

The body of the late ruler was cleansed, carefully embalmed and placed in a special burial chamber of the pyramid. The internal organs were placed separately in special hermetic vessels, the so-called canopy, which were placed in the burial pit next to the sarcophagus.

After the pharaoh's body found its last earthly resting place inside the pyramid, his "ka" left the tomb. According to the Egyptians, “ka” is the soul of the pharaoh, which left the body at the time of his death and freely moved between the earthly and the afterlife. Leaving the tomb, “ka” rushed to the top of the pyramid, where the father of all pharaohs, the sun god Ra, was already waiting for her in his solar boat. Thus began the journey of the pharaoh to immortality….

solar boat

Stood untouched for over 3500 years. All entrances were carefully walled up and it was believed that spirits were guarding it, ready to kill anyone who tried to penetrate it. And yet the mummy of the pharaoh and all his treasures disappeared without a trace. Historians around the world are still trying to unravel this mystery.

If you decide to go to Egypt yourself and see the Pyramids with your own eyes, I advise you to read the article. I think the advice of an experienced traveler will be useful to you.

The Pyramid of Cheops- this is the only building, of the seven wonders of the world, that has survived to this day. The pyramid firmly held the lead as the tallest building in the world for 4,000 years. Despite the fact that the construction of ancient temples at that time was in full swing, no one managed to build a structure higher and larger than the pyramid of Cheops.

Pharaoh Huru, better known to us by his Greek name Cheops, was one of the most significant rulers of the Egyptian kingdom. The construction of the pyramid continued until 2580 BC. According to the design of the pyramid of Cheops, many pyramids were also built. The first after the construction of the pyramid of Cheops were the pyramids for the son and grandson of the greatest pharaoh, then for their wives. But, despite the fact that the pyramids were built later, they had a smaller scale, were less tall and pompous.

On the banks of the Nile there was a special place, sacred to all Egyptians, the cemetery of ancient kings and pharaohs, the valley of Giza. It was there that the pyramid of Cheops and other pyramids were built. On the right bank is the capital of Egypt, the city of Cairo. Archaeological excavations and research make it possible to judge that the construction of the pyramid lasted about 20 years, and more than 100,000 slaves were involved in its construction. The pyramid was built from stone, rectangular blocks, which were cut out of the rock in advance and delivered to the construction site using ramps, shafts and various technical devices. The work was not easy, because the weight of such a block was at least 2.5 tons. Further, already in place, the blocks were adjusted to the desired size and assembled into a single structure.

In addition to the main construction work, the pyramid was faced with slabs of polished white limestone. This made it possible to smooth out the stepped texture of the pyramid and make it almost smooth. Fragments of polished stone fit so precisely one under the other that the texture of the pyramid looked mirror-smooth, the gaps between the stones were simply not noticeable. After the completion of all construction and finishing works, the pyramid had a height of 147 meters. Only one of the small pyramids has been preserved to this day with limestone slabs, but even this gives us the opportunity to imagine how magnificent it looked then.

The area of ​​the Cheops pyramid is simply huge, for comparison, it equals about nine football fields. Unfortunately, not the entire pyramid has survived to this day; over time, it collapsed under the influence of winds and the top of the pyramid collapsed. The base of the pyramid is 230 meters long.

According to the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, the body of a recently deceased person must be embalmed and mummified, and then his spirit remains to live forever. This procedure was subjected to the body of Pharaoh Khufu after death. All organs were removed from the body, after which it was smeared with salt and oils for mummification. Since the mummification procedure was the lot of the nobility and was not available to mere mortals because of its high cost, the exact recipe for balsamic solutions was kept in strict confidence. The body was wrapped in linen sheets for better air access. This is how the mummification process went.

After mummification, the pharaoh's talo was placed in a beautiful sarcophagus, which was already a work of art in itself. The Egyptians believed that for the afterlife a person might need a lot of earthly things, which is why they collected clothes, dishes, jewelry, food and other devices and things in the tombs in order to afterlife person was comfortable.

In our time, it is customary to call the wonder of the world unique artistic and technical creations, which, with their level of performance, arouse the admiration of most specialists. But in fairness, this erroneous approach should be corrected - the wonders of the world include specific objects created by people in ancient times.

Below is a list of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World...

1. Pyramids of Cheops (Giza)

Pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu (in the Greek version of Cheops), or the Great Pyramid - the greatest of Egyptian pyramids, the oldest of the seven wonders of the world of antiquity and the only one of them that has come down to our time. For over four thousand years, the pyramid was the largest building in the world.

The pyramid of Cheops is located in the far suburbs of Cairo Giza. Nearby are two more pyramids of the pharaohs Khafre and Menkaure (Khafren and Mikerin), according to ancient historians, the sons and successors of Khufu. These are the three most great pyramids Egypt.

Following the ancient authors, most modern historians consider the pyramids to be the burial structures of the ancient Egyptian monarchs. Some scientists believe that these were astronomical observatories. There is no direct evidence that pharaohs were buried in the pyramids, but other versions of their purpose are less convincing.

Based on the ancient "royal lists", it is established that Cheops ruled around 2585-2566. BC. The construction of the "Sacred Height" lasted 20 years and ended after the death of Khufu, around 2560 BC.

Other versions of construction dates based on astronomical methods give dates from 2720 to 2577. BC. The radiocarbon method shows a spread of 170 years, from 2850 to 2680. BC.

There are also exotic opinions expressed by supporters of theories of visiting the Earth by aliens, the existence of ancient pra-civilizations, or adherents of occult currents. They determine the age of the pyramid of Cheops from 6-7 to tens of thousands of years.

2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Babylon)

The existence of one of the wonders of the world - many scientists question and argue that this is nothing more than a figment of the imagination of an ancient chronicler, the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich was picked up by his colleagues and began to diligently rewrite from chronicle to chronicle. They justify their statement by the fact that they most carefully describe the gardens of Babylon precisely those who have not seen them in their eyes, while historians who have visited ancient Babylon are silent about the miracle erected there.

Archaeological excavations have shown that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon still existed.

Naturally, they did not hang on ropes, but were a four-story building built in the shape of a pyramid with a huge amount of vegetation, and were part of the palace building. This unique structure got its name due to a mistranslation of the Greek word “kremastos”, which actually means “hanging” (for example, from a terrace).

The unique gardens were erected by order of the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II, who lived in the 7th century BC. BC. He built them specifically for his wife Amitis, daughter of Cyaxares, king of Media (it was with him that the Babylonian ruler made an alliance against a common enemy, Assyria, and won a final victory over this state).

Amitis, which grew up among the mountains of green and fertile Media, did not like dusty and noisy Babylon, located on a sandy plain. The Babylonian ruler was faced with a choice - to move the capital closer to his wife's homeland, or to make her stay in Babylon more comfortable. They decided to build hanging gardens that would remind the queen of her homeland. Where exactly they are, history is silent, and therefore there are several hypotheses:

• The main version says that this wonder of the world is located near the modern city of Hilla, which is located on the Efrat River in the center of Iraq.
• An alternative version, based on the re-deciphering of cuneiform tablets, claims that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are located in Nineveh, the capital of Assyria (located in the north of modern Iraq), which, after its fall, went to the Babylonian state.

The very idea of ​​​​creating hanging gardens in the middle of a dry plain looked like fantastic at that time. This task turned out to be within the power of local architects and engineers of the ancient world - and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which were later included in the list of seven wonders of the world, were built, became part of the palace and were located on its northeast side.

They say that the statue of Zeus at Olympia turned out to be so majestic that when Phidias, having created it, asked his creation: “Are you satisfied, Zeus?” thunder boomed, and the black marble floor at the god's feet cracked. The Thunderer was pleased.

Despite the fact that only memories of one of the most majestic statues of this magnitude have come down to us, the mere description of the monument, which was in its way a real jewelry masterpiece, cannot but stagger the imagination. Both before and after the creation of the statue of Olympian Zeus, people did not create a monument of this magnitude - and it is not a fact that they will ever be created: this wonder of the world turned out to be too expensive in cost and huge in scale.

The uniqueness of this monument also lies in the fact that the statue of Olympian Zeus, the only one of all the wonders of the ancient world, was located on the territory of continental Europe, in the Greek city of Olympia, which is located on the Balkan Peninsula.

The statue of Zeus in Olympia was created for a long time: Phidias spent about ten years on it. When she appeared before the inhabitants and guests of Olympia in 435 BC, she was a real wonder of the world.

The exact dimensions of the statue have not yet been determined, but apparently, its height was from 12 to 17 meters. Zeus, naked to the waist, sat on a throne, his feet were on a bench, which was supported by two lions. The pedestal on which the throne was located was quite huge: its dimensions were 9.5 by 6.5 m. Ebony, gold, ivory and jewelry were used for its manufacture.

The throne itself was decorated with images of scenes from the life of the Greek celestials, the goddesses of victory danced on its legs, and the battles of the Greeks with the Amazons were depicted on the crossbars and, of course, the Olympic Games were not without (Panen was engaged in painting). The Thunderer was made of ebony, while his entire body was covered with plates of ivory of the highest quality. The master selected the materials for his statue extremely meticulously.

There was a wreath on the head of the supreme god, and in one hand he held the golden Nike, the goddess of Victory, in the other - a scepter decorated with an eagle, symbolizing supreme power. The god's clothes were made of gold sheets (in total, about two hundred kilograms of gold were used to make the sculpture). The cloak of the Thunderer was decorated with images of representatives of the animal and plant world.

Nowadays, a marble copy of one of the wonders of the world can be seen in the Hermitage, where it was brought from Italy in 1861. Apparently, this statue of Zeus was created by a Roman author in the first century BC, and it was found during archaeological excavations in the vicinity of Rome at the end of the 18th century. It is notable for the fact that today it is one of the largest ancient sculptures that are in the museums of the world - the height of the monument is 3.5 meters and weighs 16 tons.

The sculpture was acquired at the beginning of the 19th century by one of the Italian collectors, Marquis D. Campana.

She did not stay with him for long, because after a while he went bankrupt, his property was confiscated and sold at auction. Before the auction, the director of the Hermitage managed to persuade the Italian authorities to give him the opportunity to purchase some items before the sale, so the best exhibits from the collection of the ruined marquis, including the statue of the Thunderer, ended up in the Hermitage.

4. Temple of Artemis of Ephesus (Ephesus)

According to the ancient Greek belief, Artemis was the goddess of hunting and fertility, the patroness of all life on earth. She looked after the animals in the forest, herds of domestic animals, plants. Artemis ensured a happy marriage and assisted in childbirth.

In honor of Artemis in Ephesus, a temple was built on the site of the former sanctuary of the Carian goddess, also responsible for fertility. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was so large that it immediately entered the list of the seven wonders of the world of the ancient world. The financing of the construction was covered by the Lydian king Croesus, the construction work was led by the architect from Knossos Harsiphron. Under him, they managed to erect walls and columns. After his death, the post of chief architect was taken over by his son Metagen. The last stage of construction was led by Paeonite and Demetrius.

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was completed in 550 BC. Before local residents a delightful spectacle unfolded, the like of which had never been built here. And although at present it is impossible to recreate the former decoration of the temple, one can be sure that the best masters of their time, employed here at work, could not blunder. The very statue of the culprit of the construction was made of ivory and gold.

It was possible to recreate the image of the former majestic temple of the goddess Artemis in Ephesus only after archaeological excavations were carried out. The temple measured 105 by 51 meters. The roof of the building was supported by 127 columns, each 18 meters high. According to legend, each column was donated by one of the 127 Greek rulers.

In addition to religious services, financial and business life was in full swing in the temple. It was the center of Ephesus, independent of the authorities, subordinate to the local college of priests.

In 356 BC, when the famous Alexander the Great was born, the temple of Artemis was burned down by the Ephesian resident Herostratus. The motive of this feat is to remain in history in the memory of posterity. The arsonist after the capture was waiting for the death penalty. In addition to it, it was also decided to eradicate the name of this person from history. But what is forbidden sits even more firmly in the memory of people, and the name of Herostratus is now a household name.

By the 3rd century BC, the wonder of the world, the temple of Artemis in Greece, was restored at the initiative of the aforementioned Alexander the Great, but with the advent of the Goths, it is again destroyed. Later, with the ban on pagan cults, the Byzantine authorities closed the temple. Then they begin to gradually disassemble into building materials, as a result of which the temple goes into oblivion. A Christian church was erected in its place, but it also faced the fate of destruction.

On October 31, 1869, the English archaeologist Wood manages to find the location of the former temple of Artemis in Turkey, and excavations begin. Now in its place stands one column restored from the wreckage. Despite this, the place still attracts thousands of tourists.

5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Fast forward to ancient city Halicarnassus. It was the capital of Caria and, as is due to the capital of the state, was famous for its beauty and grandeur. Temples, theaters, palaces, gardens, fountains, a living harbor guaranteed honor and respect for the city. But special attention here was occupied by the tomb of King Mausolus, one of the seven wonders of the world in the ancient world. So, the wonder of the world mausoleum in Halicarnassus.

King Mausolus ruling Caria in the 4th century BC (377-353 years), according to the experience of the Egyptian pharaohs, he began the construction of his tomb during his lifetime. It was supposed to be a unique building. Located in the center of the city, among palaces and temples, it symbolizes the power and wealth of the king. And to worship the late king, it must combine both the tomb and the temple. The best architects and sculptors were allocated for the construction - Pythius, Satyr, Leohar, Skopas, Briaxides, Timothy. After the death of the king, his wife, Queen Artemisia, approached the construction of an eternal monument to the great husband even more intensively.

The building was completed in 350 BC. Its appearance combined several architectural styles of that time at once. The mausoleum has three levels. overall height at 46 meters. The first tier was a massive plinth made of bricks lined with marble. Further on it towered a temple with 36 columns. The columns supported the roof in the form of a pyramid with 24 steps. At the top of the roof was a sculpture of King Mausolus and Artemisia in a chariot drawn by 4 horses. Around the building were statues of horsemen and lions. The beauty of the structure was fascinating, it is no coincidence that the mausoleum in Halicarnassus quickly entered the seven wonders of the world of the ancient world.

The tomb of Mausolus and his wife was located in the lower tier. To worship the king, an upper room was built with columns and a statue of Mausolus. The statue has survived to this day, and fully reflects the image of the despot king. The sculptor in the facial features subtly conveyed the character of Mausolus - evil, cruel, capable of getting everything he needs. No wonder he was a very rich man. Next to the statue of Mausolus was a statue of Queen Artemisia. The sculptor embellished her, filed in a stately, soft image. The famous sculptor of that time Skopas worked on it. Both of these statues are now considered among the finest in Greek culture from the 4th century BC. Separately, it is worth mentioning the upper part of the base of the mausoleum. The sculptors decorated it with scenes from the Greek epic - the battle with the Amazons, hunting, the battle of the Lapiths with the centaurs.

Mausoleum - a word that came from the name of King Mausolus, is now a household word among all peoples.

After 18 centuries, the mausoleum was destroyed by an earthquake. Later, its ruins were used to build the castle of St. Peter by the Knights of St. John. When the Turks arrived, the castle became the fortress of Budrun, currently called Bodrum. Excavations here were carried out in 1857. Relief slabs, statues of Mausolus and Artemisia, a statue of a chariot were found. They are currently on display at the British Museum.

6. Colossus of Rhodes (Rhodes)

The Colossus of Rhodes is a huge statue that has become one of the seven Wonders of the World. The grateful inhabitants of the island of Rhodes decided to build it in honor of the sun god Helios, who helped them withstand the unequal struggle against the invaders. The siege of the beautiful island lasted almost a year and the probability of victory was negligible, but the patron helped the islanders win. For this, Helios was immortalized in the guise of a huge statue. For the people of Rhodes, the statue represented independence and freedom, just like the Statue of Liberty in New York for Americans.

The island of Rhodes had a favorable geographical position, its inhabitants freely traded with many countries, which ensured the wealth of the city as a whole and each citizen individually. From the moment of foundation to the III century. BC. Rhodes was alternately ruled by the famous king Mausolus, the Persian rulers and Alexander the Great. None of them oppressed the city and did not prevent it from developing. However, after the death of Alexander the Great, his heirs began to divide the inherited lands in a bloody struggle.

The island of Rhodes went to Ptolemy, but another heir (Antigon) considered this unfair and sent his son to destroy the city. This would help to equal the power of Ptolemy. Demetrius, son of Antigonus, gathered a huge army that outnumbered the islanders. Only impregnable walls prevented the soldiers from immediately entering the capital and destroying it. Enemies used siege towers - huge wooden catapults that were installed on ships. The inhabitants of Rhodes managed to detain the enemies before the arrival of Ptolemy's army and defend their homeland.

Having sold the siege engines and the surviving ships of the invaders, the inhabitants of Rhodes decided to build a huge statue of the god Helios, their patron. Until now, any statues were called colossi, but after the Colossus of Rhodes, only the largest of them began to be called that way.

The construction of the Colossus began in 302 BC. and finished only after 12 years (according to other sources after 20 years). They installed a statue on an artificial embankment that blocked the entrance to the harbor. Behind this hill, for a long time, individual parts of the sculpture were hidden from prying eyes. The mound with the statue turned into a kind of gate to the city. Some poets have described the Colossus as standing on two hills. The ships were supposed to sail between the legs of Helios. However, this version is considered doubtful. The stability of such a sculpture would be too small, and big ships would not be able to moor in the port.

The statue has not survived to this day, but numerous descriptions of contemporaries testify that the Colossus stood on one of the banks, and not at all in the form of an arch, as the artists depict it. In the giant's hand was a bowl of blazing fire. At the base there were three pillars that served as a support. Two of them the builders inlaid with bronze details to disguise at the feet of Helios. The third pillar was in the place where the cloak or part of the sheet of the majestic Colossus fell.

The residents wanted the statue to point into the distance, but the sculptor understood that this would reduce the stability of the structure, so the statue seemed to cover its eyes from the sun with its palm. The torso and main elements were made from sheets of iron and bronze. They were fixed on support poles. The space inside was filled with large stones and clay to increase stability. The free space was covered with earth so that the workers could move freely on the surface and fix the following parts. In total, the manufacture of the Colossus required 8 tons of iron and 13 tons of bronze. The resulting statue reached a height of 34 m.

The statue of the Colossus of Rhodes was so huge that it could be seen from ships sailing in the distance. According to the descriptions of contemporaries, she was a tall young man with a radiant crown on his head. One hand of the young man covered his eyes, and the other picked up the falling robe.

Another poet - Philo - described the Colossus differently. He claimed that the statue was on a marble pedestal and struck by the size of the feet. Each of them was itself the size of a small statue. On the outstretched hand was a working torch. It was lit at night to light the way for sailors.

Scientists are still trying to find out where the Colossus of Rhodes is located or where exactly it was installed. At the end of the 20th century, huge boulders were discovered off the coast of the island of Rhodes, which resembled fragments of a statue in shape. However, the theory that these are elements of an ancient sculpture has not been confirmed. But the researcher Ursula Vedder suggested that the Colossus did not stand near the coast at all, but on the hill of Monte Smith. The ruins of the temple of Helios are preserved here, and its foundation has a suitable platform on which the Colossus could rise.

7. Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos)

Only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world had a practical purpose - Alexandrian lighthouse. It performed several functions at once: it allowed the ships to approach the harbor without any problems, and the observation post, located at the top of the unique structure, made it possible to monitor the expanses of water and notice the enemy in time.

The locals claimed that the light of the Lighthouse of Alexandria burned enemy ships even before they approached the coast, and if they managed to approach the coast, the statue of Poseidon, located on the dome of an amazing design, emitted a piercing warning cry.

The height of the old lighthouse was 140 meters - much higher than the surrounding buildings. In ancient times, buildings did not exceed three floors, and against their background, the Faros lighthouse seemed huge. Moreover, at the time of completion of construction, it turned out to be the tallest building in the ancient world and was such for an extremely long time.

The lighthouse of Alexandria was built on east coast a small island of Faros, located near Alexandria - the main seaport of Egypt, built by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. It is also known in history as the Pharos lighthouse.

The great commander chose the place for the construction of the city very carefully: he initially planned to build a port in this region, which would be an important trade center.

It was extremely important that it be located at the intersection of both water and land routes of three parts of the world - Africa, Europe and Asia. For the same reason, it was necessary to build at least two harbors here: one for ships arriving from mediterranean sea, and the other - for those who sailed along the Nile.

Therefore, Alexandria was not built in the Nile Delta, but a little to the side, twenty miles to the south. When choosing a place for the city, Alexander took into account the location of future harbors, paying special attention to their strengthening and protection: it was very important to do everything so that the Nile waters did not clog them with sand and silt (a dam connecting the continent was subsequently built specifically for this with an island).

After the death of Alexander the Great (who, according to legend, was born on the day of the destruction of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus), after some time the city came under the rule of Ptolemy I Soter - and as a result of skillful management, it turned into a successful and prosperous port city, and the construction of one of the seven wonders of the world significantly increased his wealth.

The lighthouse of Alexandria made it possible for ships to sail into the port without problems, successfully bypassing pitfalls, shallows and other obstacles in the bay. Due to this, after the construction of one of the seven wonders, the volume of light trade increased dramatically.

The lighthouse also served as an additional reference point for sailors: the landscape of the Egyptian coast is quite diverse - mostly lowlands and plains alone. Therefore, signal lights in front of the entrance to the harbor were most welcome.

A lower structure would have successfully coped with this role, so the engineers assigned another important function to the Lighthouse of Alexandria - the role of an observation post: enemies usually attacked from the sea, since the desert protected the country well from the land side.

It was also necessary to install such an observation post on the lighthouse because there were no natural hills near the city where this could be done.

The lighthouse of Alexandria served from 283 BC. until the 15th century, when a fortress was erected instead. Thus, he survived more than one dynasty of Egyptian rulers, saw Roman legionnaires. This did not particularly affect his fate: no matter who ruled Alexandria, everyone made sure that the unique structure stood as long as possible - they restored the parts of the building that had collapsed due to frequent earthquakes, updated the facade, which was negatively affected by wind and salty sea water.

Time has done its job: the lighthouse stopped working in 365, when one of the strongest earthquakes in the Mediterranean Sea caused a tsunami that flooded part of the city, and the death toll of the Egyptians, according to chroniclers, exceeded 50 thousand inhabitants.

After this event, the lighthouse significantly decreased in size, but stood still for quite a long time - until the XIV century, until another strong earthquake wiped it off the face of the earth (a hundred years later, the Sultan of Kait Bey erected a fortress on its foundation, which can be seen and Nowadays). After that, the pyramids at Giza remained the only ancient wonder of the world that has survived to this day.

In the mid 90s. the remains of the Lighthouse of Alexandria were discovered at the bottom of the bay with the help of a satellite, and after some time, scientists, using computer modeling, were able to more or less restore the image of a unique structure.