Hanging Gardens of Babylon. 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 Message on the topic of miracle

Nowadays, it is customary to call unique artistic and technical creations a wonder of the world, which, due to their level of performance, evoke 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 7 wonders of the ancient world...

1. Pyramids of Cheops (Giza)

The Pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu (in the Greek version of Cheops), or the Great Pyramid, is the greatest of the Egyptian pyramids, the oldest of the seven wonders of the world of antiquity and the only one of them that has survived 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 suburb of Cairo, Giza. Nearby there are two more pyramids of the pharaohs Khafre and Menkaure (Khefre and Mikerin), according to ancient historians, the sons and successors of Khufu. These are the three largest pyramids in Egypt.

Following ancient authors, most modern historians consider the pyramids to be funerary structures of 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 ancient “royal lists”, it has been established that Cheops reigned around 2585-2566. BC. Construction of the "Sacred Height" lasted 20 years and ended after the death of Khufu, around 2560 BC.

Other versions of the construction dates, based on astronomical methods, give dates from 2720 to 2577. BC. Radiocarbon dating shows a scatter of 170 years, from 2850 to 2680. BC.

There are also exotic opinions expressed by supporters of theories of aliens visiting the Earth, the existence of ancient civilizations, or adherents of occult movements. They determine the age of the Cheops pyramid 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 it is nothing more than a figment of the imagination of an ancient chronicler, whose idea was picked up by his colleagues and began to be carefully copied from chronicle to chronicle. They justify their assertion by the fact that the Gardens of Babylon are most carefully described by those who have never seen them, 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 received its name due to an incorrect translation 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. He built them especially for his wife Amytis, daughter of Cyaxares, king of Media (it was with him that the Babylonian ruler entered into an alliance against the common enemy, Assyria, and won the final victory over this state).

Amitis, who 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 located, 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 Ephrat River in the center of Iraq.
• An alternative version, based on re-decipherment of cuneiform tablets, states 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 was transferred to the Babylonian state.

The very idea of ​​​​creating hanging gardens in the middle of a dry plain seemed simply fantastic at that time. The local architects and engineers of the ancient world were able to accomplish this task - and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which were later included in the list of the Seven Wonders of the World, were built, became part of the palace and were located on its north-eastern 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 struck, 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 scale have reached us, the mere description of the monument, which was in its own way a real masterpiece of jewelry, cannot but shake the imagination. Both before and after the creation of the statue of Olympian Zeus, people have not created a monument of such a scale - and it is not a fact that they ever will: 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 took quite a long time to create: Phidias spent about ten years on it. When she appeared before the residents 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 ranged from 12 to 17 meters. Zeus, naked to the waist, sat on a throne, his feet were on a bench 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 to make it.

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, naturally, the Olympic Games were not absent (Panen did the painting). The Thunderer was made from ebony wood, and his entire body was covered with plates of ivory of the highest quality. The master selected materials for his statue extremely meticulously.

On the head of the supreme god there was a wreath, 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 needed to make the sculpture). The Thunderer's cloak 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 antique sculptures that are in museums in 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.

He did not have it for long, because after some time 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 things before the sale, thus, the best exhibits from the collection of the bankrupt marquis, including the statue of the Thunderer, ended up in the Hermitage.

4. Temple of Artemis of Ephesus (Ephesus)

According to 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, and plants. Artemis provided a happy marriage and assistance during childbirth.

In honor of Artemis, a temple was built in Ephesus on the site of the former sanctuary of the Carian goddess, also responsible for fertility. The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus was so large that it was immediately included in the list of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The construction was financed by the Lydian king Croesus, and the construction work was led by the architect from Knossos, Kharsifron. During his time they managed to erect walls and columns. After his death, his son Metagenes took over the post of chief architect. The last stage of construction was led by Peonitus and Demetrius.

The Temple of Artemis of Ephesus was completed in 550 BC. A delightful sight opened before the local residents; nothing like this had ever been built here. And although it is currently impossible to recreate the former decoration of the temple, you can be sure that the best craftsmen of their time, working here, could not have made a mistake. The statue of the culprit of the construction itself 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. The temple measured 105 by 51 meters. The roof of the structure 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, the temple was in full swing with financial and business life. It was the center of Ephesus, independent from 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 by the Ephesian resident Herostratus. The motive of this feat is to remain in history in memory of posterity. After being caught, the arsonist faced capital punishment. In addition to this, it was also decided to eradicate the name of this person from history. But what is forbidden sits even more firmly in people’s memories, 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 on the initiative of the aforementioned Alexander the Great, but with the arrival of the Goths, it was again destroyed. Later, with the ban on pagan cults, the Byzantine authorities closed the temple. Then they begin to gradually dismantle it for building materials, as a result of which the temple fades into oblivion. A Christian church was built 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 rubble. Despite this, the place still attracts thousands of tourists.

5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Let's move to the ancient city of Halicarnassus. It was the capital of Caria and, as befits the capital of a state, it was famous for its beauty and grandeur. Temples, theaters, palaces, gardens, fountains, and a living harbor guaranteed the city honor and respect. But the tomb of King Mausolus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, occupied special attention here. So, the miracle of the world is the mausoleum in Halicarnassus.

King Mausolus, ruling Caria in the 4th century BC. (377-353), according to the experience of the Egyptian pharaohs, began the construction of his tomb during his lifetime. It was supposed to be a unique structure. 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 a tomb and a temple. The best architects and sculptors were allocated for the construction - Pythias, Satyr, Leochares, Scopas, Briaxides, Timothy. After the death of the king, his wife, Queen Artemisia, approached the construction of an eternal monument to her great husband even more intensively.

The construction was completed in 350 BC. Its appearance combined several architectural styles of that time. The mausoleum had three levels with a total height of 46 meters. The first tier was a massive base made of brick, lined with marble. Next on it stood 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 there was a sculpture of King Mausolus and Artemisia in a chariot drawn by 4 horses. Around the building there were statues of horsemen and lions. The beauty of the structure was mesmerizing; it is no coincidence that the mausoleum in Halicarnassus quickly became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The tomb of Mausolus and his wife itself was located in the lower tier. An upper room with columns and a statue of Mausolus was built to worship the king. The statue has survived to this day, and fully reflects the image of the despot king. The sculptor subtly conveyed the character of Mavsol in his facial features - evil, cruel, capable of getting everything he needs. It is no coincidence that he was a very rich man. Next to the statue of Mausolus there was a statue of Queen Artemisia. The sculptor embellished it, presented it 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 mausoleum’s base. 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 derived from the name of King Mavsol, is currently a common noun among all peoples.

After 18 centuries, the mausoleum was destroyed by an earthquake. Later, its ruins were used to build St. Peter's Castle by the Knights of St. John. When the Turks arrived, the castle became the Budrun Fortress, currently called Bodrum. Excavations here were carried out in 1857. Relief slabs, statues of Mausolus and Artemisia, and a statue of a chariot were found. They are currently on display in 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 survive the unequal struggle with the invaders. The siege of the beautiful island lasted almost a year and the likelihood 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 the Americans.

The island of Rhodes had an advantageous geographical location; its inhabitants traded freely with many countries, which ensured the wealth of the city as a whole and each citizen individually. From its foundation until the 3rd century. BC. Rhodes was ruled in turn by the famous king Mausolus, the Persian rulers and Alexander the Great. None of them oppressed the city or prevented 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 the other heir (Antigonus) considered this unfair and sent his son to destroy the city. This would help to equalize the power of Ptolemy. Demetrius, the son of Antigonus, assembled a huge army that outnumbered the islanders. Only impregnable walls prevented the soldiers from immediately entering the capital and destroying it. The enemies used siege towers - huge wooden catapults that were installed on ships. The inhabitants of Rhodes managed to delay their enemies until 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 erect a huge statue of the god Helios, their patron. Until then, any statues were called colossi, but after the Colossus of Rhodes, only the largest of them began to be called that.

Construction of the Colossus began in 302 BC. and finished only after 12 years (according to other sources after 20 years). They installed the 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 gateway to the city. Some poets described the Colossus as standing on two hills. The ships had to sail between Helios' legs. However, this version is considered doubtful. The stability of such a sculpture would be too low, and large ships would not be able to dock in the port.

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

Residents wanted the statue to point its hand into the distance, but the sculptor understood that this would reduce the stability of the structure, so the statue seemed to be covering its eyes from the sun with its palm. The torso and main elements were made of sheets of iron and bronze. They were secured to support posts. The space inside was filled with large stones and clay to increase stability. The free space was covered with earth so that workers could move freely along the surface and secure the following parts. In total, the production 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 her head. One hand of the young man covered his eyes, and the other caught his falling robe.

Another poet, Philo, described the Colossus differently. He claimed that the statue was on a marble pedestal and was striking in the size of its feet. Each of them was the size of a small statue itself. There was a working torch at arm's length. It was lit at night to illuminate the way for sailors.

Scientists are still trying to discover 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 the fragments of a statue in shape. However, the theory that these are elements of an ancient sculpture was not confirmed. But researcher Ursula Vedder suggested that the Colossus did not stand near the shore at all, but on Monte Smith Hill. The ruins of the Temple of Helios remain here, and its foundations have a suitable platform on which the Colossus could have stood.

7. Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos)

Only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world had a practical purpose - the Lighthouse of Alexandria. It performed several functions at once: it allowed 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.

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

The height of the ancient lighthouse was 140 meters - much higher than the surrounding buildings. In ancient times, the 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 of the ancient world and remained so for an extremely long time.

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

The great commander chose the location for the construction of the city extremely carefully: he initially planned to build a port in this region, which would be an important trading 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 the Mediterranean Sea, and the other for those sailing 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 location 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 to ensure that the waters of the Nile did not clog them with sand and silt (a dam was subsequently built specifically for this purpose, connecting the continent 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 was significant increased his wealth.

The Alexandria lighthouse made it possible for ships to sail into the port without any problems, successfully avoiding underwater rocks, shoals and other obstacles in the bay. Thanks to this, after the construction of one of the seven wonders, the volume of light trade increased sharply.

The lighthouse also served as an additional reference point for sailors: the landscape of the Egyptian coast is quite diverse - mostly just lowlands and plains. Therefore, signal lights before entering the harbor were very useful.

A lower structure could have successfully performed 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 country was well defended on the land side by the desert.

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

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

Time has done its work: 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 number of dead Egyptians, according to chroniclers, exceeded 50 thousand inhabitants.

After this event, the lighthouse significantly decreased in size, but stood for quite a long time - until the 14th century, until another strong earthquake wiped it off the face of the earth (a hundred years later, Sultan Qait Bey built a fortress on its foundation, which can be seen Nowadays). After this, 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 Alexandria lighthouse 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 the unique structure.

The classic list of the Seven Wonders of the World has been known to us since our school days, when we studied Ancient History. Only the pyramids of Egypt have survived to our times, which can be seen by anyone who visits this country. The Pyramid of Cheops at Giza is the only surviving wonder of the world. The rest of the wonders - the Colossus of Rhodes, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse of Alexandria - were destroyed over the centuries, some by fires and earthquakes, others by floods.

The classic list of wonders of the world includes:

1. Pyramid of Cheops (burial site of the Pharaoh of Egypt) - created by the Egyptians in 2540 BC. e. ;
2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Babylon - created by the Babylonians in 605 BC. e. ;
3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia - created by the Greeks in 435 BC. e.;
4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (built in honor of the goddess Artemis in Turkey) - created by the Greeks and Persians in 550 BC. e.;
5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus - created by the Carians, Greeks and Persians in 351 BC. e.;
6. The Colossus of Rhodes was established by the Greeks between 292 and 280. BC e.;
7. Lighthouse of Alexandria - built in the 4th century BC. e. by the Greeks a lighthouse, and named in honor of Alexander the Great.

All the photographs presented below with the wonders of the world are either models of what the majestic structures used to look like, or what remains of them at the present time. It's a pity that they couldn't withstand natural disasters.

Some time later, cultural figures began to add additional attractions to this list, “miracles” that still surprise and inspire. So, at the end of the 1st century, the Roman poet Martial added only the rebuilt Colosseum to the list. After a while, in the 6th century, Christian theologian Gregory of Tours added Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple to the list.

Different sources mention different combinations of wonders of the world, for example, English and French writers and historians equated the Alexandria Catacombs, the Leaning Tower in Pisa, the Porcelain Tower in Nanjing, and the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul as wonders of the world.

New list of wonders of the world

In 2007, a UN organization organized a vote to approve a new list of modern wonders of the world. They voted by phone, Internet and SMS messages. And this is the final list:

Colosseum in Italy;
The great Wall of China;
Machu Picchu – ancient Inca city in Peru;
Taj Mahal in India is a magnificent mausoleum-mosque in India;
Petra is an ancient city, the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, located in modern Jordan;
Christ the Redeemer statue flying over Rio de Janeiro in Brazil;
pyramids of Giza in Egypt;
Chichen Itza in Mexico, an ancient city of the Mayan civilization.

All of them have been preserved from ancient times, except for the statue of Christ the Redeemer, which was finally built in 1931 of the last century and has since become a symbol of Brazil and one of its largest cities - Rio de Janeiro.

How to see them?

The new list of wonders has been officially approved by the UN, and now everyone who travels to the country can see them. No excursion route will avoid visiting these attractions. They try to carefully preserve them for future generations, but also use them for modern needs.

For example, the Colosseum is known for its excellent acoustics. Famous singers and musicians from all over the world often perform there, and operas are staged in the open air.

The Taj Mahal is also open to tourists, but this is the tomb of the padishah’s beloved wife, so people only inspect it and admire the beauty of its architectural forms and interior paintings.

It is considered simply indecent to be in China and not visit the Great Wall. There are many excursions to it, but you cannot climb it: it is a huge obstacle course and walking on it is dangerous. That's why everyone takes pictures near her plots in the most picturesque places.

The Pyramids of Giza can be viewed from the outside and inside, and nearby you can see the grandiose statues of ancient sphinxes.

Excursions to the ancient cities of Machu Picchu, Petra and Chichen Itza are extremely interesting, but physically difficult - you will have to walk for a long time through the ruins. However, tourist holidays in these countries are well organized, and you will not regret if you spend a day or two visiting these magnificent places.

Chichen Itza - ancient Mayan city

Why exactly 7 wonders of the world, and not 10 or 15?

As you have probably already noticed, people used to have a special attitude towards the magical number seven. Everyone knows that there are 7 holes on the human head - 2 eyes, 2 nostrils, 2 ears and a mouth. When a person sees seven objects at the same time, he can immediately count them with his eyes, without even thinking, however, if there are more of them, he will have to count them in his mind.

Thus, due to seemingly such primitive conclusions, people began to strive to reduce the number of something to seven. For example, highlight 7 days in a week, seven colors in a rainbow, 7 tones in a sound series, and so on.

It is not at all surprising that the ancient Greeks identified the Seven Wonders of the World, because the number 7 was the sacred number of Apollo, the god who patronized art.

More than 2,000 years ago, writers began compiling lists of amazing buildings and structures they had seen or heard about. Around 120 BC a Greek poet named Antipar of Sidon described seven such places. All of them can be found in a small area in the eastern Mediterranean - an area that ancient Greek writers knew well. Few have been outside of it. Perhaps this list was a kind of tourist guide. The list of wonders has survived to this day, although only one of the listed buildings remains standing. They are known as the Seven Wonders of Antiquity.

Great Pyramid of Giza

This graceful Egyptian pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of Antiquity. In addition, this is the only miracle that has survived to this day. At the time of its creation, the Great Pyramid was the tallest structure in the world. And she held this record, apparently, for almost 4000 years.

The Great Pyramid was built as the tomb of Khufu, known to the Greeks as Cheops. He was one of the pharaohs, or kings, of ancient Egypt, and his tomb was completed in 2580 BC. Later, two more pyramids were built at Giza, for Khufu's son and grandson, as well as smaller pyramids for their queens. The pyramid of Khufu is the largest.

The pyramids stand in an ancient cemetery in Giza, on the opposite bank of the Nile River from Cairo, the capital of modern Egypt. Some archaeologists believe that it may have taken 100,000 people 20 years to build the great pyramid. It was created from more than 2 million stone blocks, each of which weighed at least 2.5 tons. Workers pulled them into place using ramps, pulleys and levers, and then pushed them together without mortar.

When the main structure was completed, it resembled a series of steps. They were then covered with blocks of white limestone with a polished, shiny surface. The blocks were so tightly fitted to each other that it was impossible to insert even a knife blade between them from the outside. Upon completion of the work, the Great Pyramid rose 147 meters. Now its top has collapsed, in addition, at present, only the pyramid of Khufu’s son has retained its limestone cladding at its very top. The base side of the Great Pyramid reaches 230 meters. It occupies more area than nine football fields.

The ancient Egyptians believed that when a person died, their body should be preserved so that the spirit could continue to live after death. They removed the internal organs, filled the body with salts and wrapped it in linen shrouds. So the body turned into a mummy. The mummy was then buried along with clothing, food, jewelry and other items useful for the afterlife. Khufu's mummified body was placed in a burial chamber at the heart of his pyramid.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The Hanging Gardens were one of the most famous wonders of the ancient city of Babylon. However, although archaeologists have found the supposed ruins of the gardens, it is impossible to prove that these are exactly them. All we know is that the gardens really existed because people saw and described them.

Greek and Roman writers say that the gardens were built around 600 BC. by order of Nebuchadnezzar II, ruler of Babylon. This city lay on the banks of the Euphrates River, south of today's Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. The legend tells that the king ordered the construction of gardens for the sake of his young wife Amytis, who was homesick, hoping that they would remind her of her native Persian mountains.

The Hanging Gardens were probably built next to the river and overlooked the city walls of Babylon. They were arranged in the form of terraces, the highest of which may have risen 40 meters above the ground. Nebuchadnezzar ordered every imaginable species of trees and flowers to be planted in the garden. They were transported from all over the empire on oxcarts and river boats. The success of gardeners must have depended on a good irrigation system, for which water from the Euphrates was used. Water could be raised to the upper terrace using a chain of buckets attached to a wheel that was turned by slaves. And then it must have flowed through the gardens in streams and waterfalls, so that the ground always remained wet.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Croesus was the last king of Lydia, an ancient region in Asia Minor that is part of modern Turkey. He was famous for his enormous wealth and in 560 BC. built a magnificent temple in Ephesus. The city itself was founded 1000 years earlier. According to legend, its founders were the Amazons.

Croesus decided to build a temple in honor of the moon goddess, the patroness of animals and young girls. The Greeks called her Artemis, and the Romans called her Diana. The temple was built from limestone and marble quarried by workers in the nearby mountains. The supporting structures of the temple consisted of about 120 marble columns. The giant columns reached a height of 20 meters. The huge blocks from which they were made had to be pushed into place using blocks, after which they were fastened with metal pins. When the building was covered with a roof, the artists gave it a finished look, decorating it with sculptures and ornaments. In the center of the temple stood a statue of Artemis. It was one of the largest classical temples, much larger than the Parthenon, built later in Athens. The platform he stood on. reached 131 meters in length and 79 meters in width.

Two hundred years later, in 356 BC, the temple was burned to the ground. It was set on fire by a man named Herostat, who just wanted to become famous. By a strange coincidence, the temple was destroyed on the day that Alexander the Great was born. Years later, Alexander visited Ephesus and ordered the temple to be restored to its original location.

The Temple of Alexander existed until the 3rd century AD. Gradually, the bay in Ephesus was covered with silt and the city lost its importance. The temple was plundered by the Goths and later flooded. Today, only a few foundation blocks and one restored column remain from the temple at Ephesus.

Zeus statue in Olympia

Almost 3,000 years ago, Olympia was an important religious center in Southwestern Greece. The ancient Greeks worshiped Zeus, the king of the gods, and held regular festivals there in his honor, which included athletic competitions. The first Olympic Games, as they came to be called, were probably held in 776 BC. After this, the games were held every four years for 1,100 years. They were of great importance; During the games, all wars stopped so as not to interfere with the participants and spectators getting to the place.

In the 5th century BC. The citizens of Olympia decided to build a temple of Zeus. The majestic building was erected between 466 and 456. BC. 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 was chosen as the creator of the statue.

The sculptor's name was Phidias, and he had already created two majestic statues of the goddess Athena. At Olympia, Phidias and his assistants created, first of all, a wooden frame, which was supposed to serve as the backbone of the statue of Zeus. After this, they covered the frame with plates of ivory, representing the skin of the god, and sheets of gold, representing his robe. Workers hid the joints so that the completed statue looked like a monolithic figure.

Zeus sat on a throne inlaid with ebony and precious stones. The finished statue reached 13 m in height and almost touched the ceiling of the temple. It seemed that if Zeus stood up, he would blow the roof off. Platforms for spectators were built along the walls so that people, having climbed onto them, could see the face of God. After its completion in 435 BC. The statue remained one of the greatest wonders of the world for 800 years.

Around 40 AD Roman Emperor Caligula wanted to move the statue to Rome. Workers were sent after it, but, according to legend, the statue burst into a burst of laughter and the workers fled. Then, in 391 AD, after adopting Christianity, the Romans banned the Olympic Games and closed the Greek temples. A few years later, the statue of Zeus was transported to Constantinople. In 462 A.D. the palace in which the statue stood was destroyed by fire. An earthquake occurred in the Olympic region in the 4th century. The temple and stadium were destroyed by floods, their remains covered with silt. This helped the fragments of Olympia survive for more than 1000 years.

mausoleum in Halicarnassus

Mausolus was the ruler of Caria, part of the Persian Empire, from 377 to 353. BC. The capital of the region was Halicarnassus, which became a tourist center in modern Turkey under the name Bodrum. Mausolus succeeded his father as lord of the city and satrap of the province.

Mausolus married his sister Artemisia. Gaining more and more power, he began to think about a tomb for himself and his queen. This must have been an extraordinary tomb. Mausolus dreamed of a magnificent monument that would remind the world of his wealth and power long after his death. Mausolus died before the tomb was completed, but his widow continued to supervise the construction until its completion, around 350 BC. The tomb was called Mausoleum, after the king, and this word came to mean any impressive and majestic tomb.

The ashes of the royal couple were kept in golden urns in the tomb located at the base of the building. A row of stone lions guarded this room. A structure reminiscent of a Greek temple, surrounded by columns and statues, rose above a massive stone base. At the top of the building was a step pyramid. It was crowned, at a height of 43 meters above the ground, by a sculpture of a chariot drawn by horses. There were probably statues of the king and queen on it.

Eighteen centuries later, an earthquake destroyed the Mausoleum to the ground. In 1489, Christian knights - St. John began to use its ruins for a castle, which they built nearby. They built part of the fortress walls from green stone blocks, characteristic of the main part of the Mausoleum. A few years later, the knights discovered the tomb of Mausolus and Artemisia. But they left the burial unguarded overnight, and it was plundered by looters who were attracted by gold and jewelry.

Another 300 years passed before archaeologists began excavations here. They discovered parts of the Mausoleum's foundation, as well as statues and reliefs that had not been broken or stolen. Among them were huge statues that archaeologists believe depicted the king and queen. In 1857, these finds were transported to the British Museum in London. In recent years, new excavations have been carried out, and now only a handful of stones remain at this site in Bodrum.

The Colossus of Rhodes

A colossus was a giant statue that stood in the port city of Rhodes, an island in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of modern Turkey. In ancient times, the people of Rhodes wanted to be independent traders. They tried not to interfere in other people's wars, and yet they themselves were repeatedly conquered.

At the end of the 4th century BC. the people of Rhodes celebrated the victory. They just successfully defended their city, which was kept under siege by Greek soldiers for a whole year. The Greeks, realizing that they could not win, even abandoned part of the siege works. The people of Rhodes decided to sell these buildings and build a statue of Helios, revered by them as the sun god, in order to thank him for his intercession.

We don't know exactly what the statue looked like or where it stood. But we know that it was made of bronze and reached a height of about 33 meters. It was created by sculptor Haret and took 12 years to build.

The bronze shell was attached to an iron frame. The hollow statue began to be built from the bottom, and as it grew, it was filled with stones to make it more stable. The Colossus was completed around 280 BC. For many centuries, people believed that the Colossus towered over the entrance to the Rhodian harbor. But this could not be. The width of the mouth of the harbor was approximately 400 meters, but the statue was still not that colossal. Descriptions suggest that it stood in the center of the city and looked out over the sea and harbor.

Approximately 50 years after completion of construction, the Colossus collapsed. During the earthquake it broke at the level of the knees. The oracle ordered not to restore the statue, and it remained lying where it fell. So it lay there for more than 900 years, and they went to Rhodes only to look at the wreckage of the defeated god. In 654 AD. The Syrian prince captured Rhodes and removed the bronze plates from the statue. They said that he took them to Syria on 900 camels.

Alexandrian lighthouse

In the 3rd century BC. a lighthouse was built so that ships could safely pass the reefs on their way to 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 1,500 years.

The lighthouse was built on the small island of Pharos in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Alexandria. This busy port was founded by Alexander the Great during his visit to Egypt. The building was named after the island. It must have taken 20 years to build and was completed around 280 BC, during the reign of Ptolemy II, king of Egypt.
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Tower of Babel.

The Tower of Babel (Hebrew: מִגְדָּל בָּלַל‎ Migdal Bavel) is a tower to which the biblical legend is dedicated, set out in chapter 2 “Noah” (verses 11:1-11:9) of the book of Genesis.

The Tower of Babel is not on the "official" list of wonders of the world. However, it is one of the most outstanding buildings of Ancient Babylon, and its name is still a symbol of confusion and disorder.

Jan Collaert 1579

According to the ancient biblical legend, after the Flood, more than four thousand years ago, all people lived in Mesopotamia (from the east people came to the land of Shinar), that is, in the basin of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and everyone spoke the same language. Since the land of these places was very fertile, people lived richly. They decided to build a city (Babylon) and a tower as high as the heavens to “make a name for themselves.”

Marten Van Valckenborch I (1535-1612)

To build a monumental structure, people did not use stone, but unfired raw brick; bitumen (mountain tar) was used instead of lime to join the bricks. The tower grew and grew in height.

Theodosius Rihel 1574-1578

Finally, God became angry with the foolish and vain people and punished them: he forced the builders to speak different languages. As a result, the stupid, proud people stopped understanding each other and, abandoning their guns, stopped building the tower, and then dispersed to different directions of the Earth. So the tower turned out to be unfinished, and the city where construction took place and all languages ​​were mixed was called Babylon. Thus, the story of the Tower of Babel explains the emergence of different languages ​​after the Flood.

A number of biblical scholars trace the connection between the legend of the Tower of Babel and the construction of high tower-temples called ziggurats in Mesopotamia. The tops of the towers served for religious rites and astronomical observations.

Fresco 1100

The tallest ziggurat (91 m high, one rectangular step and seven spiral ones - 8 in total) was located in Babylon. It was called Etemenanki, which means “the house where heaven meets earth.” It is unknown when exactly the original construction of this tower was carried out, but it already existed during the reign of Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC).

Assyrian king Sennacherib in 689 BC. e. destroyed Babylon, Etemenanki suffered the same fate. The ziggurat was restored by Nebuchadnezzar II. The Jews, forcibly resettled by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon after the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah, became acquainted with the culture and religion of Mesopotamia and undoubtedly knew about the existence of ziggurats.

During excavations in Babylon, the German scientist Robert Koldewey managed to discover the foundation and ruins of a tower. The tower mentioned in the Bible was probably destroyed before the time of Hammurabi. To replace it, another was built, which was erected in memory of the first. According to Koldewey, it had a square base, each side of which was 90 meters. The height of the tower was also 90 m, the first tier had a height of 33 m, the second - 18, the third and fifth - 6 m each, the seventh - the sanctuary of the god Marduk - was 15 m high. By today's standards, the structure reached a height of 30 - storey skyscraper.

Calculations suggest that about 85 million bricks were used to build this tower. A monumental staircase led to the upper platform of the tower, where the temple soared into the sky. The tower was part of a temple complex located on the banks of the Euphrates River. Clay tablets with inscriptions found by archaeologists suggest that each section of the tower had its own special meaning. The same tablets provide information about the religious rituals performed in this temple.

The tower stood on the left bank of the Euphrates on the Sakhn plain, which literally translates as “frying pan.” It was surrounded by the houses of priests, temple buildings and houses for pilgrims who flocked here from all over Babylonia. A description of the Tower of Babel was left by Herodotus, who thoroughly examined it and, perhaps, even visited its top. This is the only documented account of an eyewitness from Europe.

Tobias Verhaecht, The Tower Of Babel.

The Tower of Babel was a stepped eight-tiered pyramid, lined with baked bricks on the outside. Moreover, each tier had a strictly defined color. At the top of the ziggurat there was a sanctuary lined with blue tiles and decorated at the corners with golden horns (a symbol of fertility). It was considered the habitat of the god Marduk, the patron saint of the city. In addition, inside the sanctuary there were a gilded table and bed of Marduk. Stairs led to the tiers; Religious processions ascended along them. The ziggurat was a shrine that belonged to the entire people, it was a place where thousands of people flocked to worship the supreme deity Marduk.

The upper platforms of the ziggurats were used not only for cultic purposes, but also for practical purposes: for warrior-guards to view the surrounding area. Cyrus, who took control of Babylon after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, was the first conqueror to leave the city undestroyed. He was struck by the scale of Etemenanki, and he not only forbade the destruction of anything, but ordered the construction of a monument on his grave in the form of a miniature ziggurat, a small Tower of Babel.

Hendrick III van Cleve (1525 - 1589)

And yet the tower was destroyed again. The Persian king Xerxes left only ruins of it, which Alexander the Great saw on his way to India. He, too, was struck by the gigantic ruins - he, too, stood in front of them as if spellbound. Alexander the Great intended to build it again. “But,” as Strabo writes, “this work required a lot of time and effort, because ten thousand people would have had to clear the ruins for two months, and he did not realize his plan, since he soon fell ill and died.”

Lucas van Valckenborch 1594

Lucas van Valckenborch 1595

Currently, only the foundation and the lower part of the wall remain from the legendary Tower of Babel. But thanks to cuneiform tablets, there is a description of the famous ziggurat and even its image.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Tower of Babel 1564.

The story of the Tower of Babel is widespread in Christian iconography - in numerous miniatures, handwritten and printed editions of the Bible (for example, in a miniature of an English manuscript of the 11th century); as well as in mosaics and frescoes of cathedrals and churches (for example, the mosaic of the Cathedral of San Marco in Venice, late XII - early XIII century).

Fresco of the Tower of Babel from the Venetian Cathedral of San Marco.

Towers of this type still exist in Iraq - very tall, stepped or spiral-shaped. In Babylon itself, almost nothing reminds of the tower; only part of the wall and foundation have been preserved there, as well as beautiful ancient reliefs of the royal palace in excavations.

The current building of the European Parliament is designed after a painting of the unfinished Tower of Babel painted in 1563 by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The motto of the European Parliament in French: “Many languages, one voice” distorts the meaning of the biblical text. The building was built to give the impression of being unfinished. In fact, this is the completed building of the European Parliament, the construction of which was completed in December 2000.

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is a list of famous ancient monuments compiled by ancient historians and travelers, including the “father of history” Herodotus.

The list was edited several times, and its classic version was formed 2.2 thousand years ago thanks to the efforts of Philo of Byzantium. The list of “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” includes: the pyramid of Cheops, the “hanging gardens” of Babylon, the statue of Olympian Zeus, the temple of Artemis in Ephesus, the mausoleum in Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the lighthouse on the island. Pharos in Alexandria.

Pyramid of Cheops, Egypt

The Pyramid of Cheops, or the Great Pyramid, is the only one of the 7 wonders of the world that has survived to this day. The age of the structure is 4500 years. Over the course of 20 years, 120 thousand Egyptians, by the sweat of their brow, erected a grandiose pharaoh’s tomb. The Cheops pyramid is made up of 2.5 million blocks weighing 2.5 tons each. Without the use of cement or other fastening agents, the blocks are fitted so tightly to each other that the gap between them does not exceed 0.5 mm.

Initially, the pyramid had a height of 147 meters, but today, when its top is destroyed and the highest point is at 138 meters, the tomb of Cheops still makes a majestic impression. For almost 4000 years, until the 14th century AD, the Pyramid of Cheops bore the title of the tallest structure in the world.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Asia

Around 600 BC Ancient Babylon roared on the territory of modern Iraq. The city reached its greatest prosperity under King Nebuchadnezzar II, who entered into a military alliance with his main enemy, Assyria, and became related to the Median king Cyaxares, marrying his daughter Amytis (Semiramis). The king ordered the famous “hanging gardens” to be laid out for his wife. The gardens were located on a four-tiered platform, reminiscent of an ever-blooming green hill. The base of the terraces was made of stone blocks covered with a layer of reeds and filled with asphalt. Then there was a double layer of brick, and even higher - lead plates that prevented the seepage of irrigation water. A fertile layer of soil was laid on top of this structure, on which trees, palm trees, and flowers were grown. The magnificent gardens, elevated to great heights, seemed like a real wonder of the world in sultry, dusty Babylonia.

Zeus statue, Olympia, Greece

In 435 BC. e. in Olympia - one of the sanctuaries of Ancient Greece - a majestic temple was built in honor of the ruler of the gods - Zeus. Inside the temple there was a huge 20-meter statue of the Olympian god seated on a throne. The sculpture was made of wood, on top of which ivory plates were glued, imitating the upper naked part of the body of Zeus. The god's clothes and shoes are covered with gold. In his left hand Zeus held a scepter with an eagle, and in his right hand a statue of the goddess of victory.

Temple of Artemis, Ephesus, Türkiye

The Temple of Artemis was built in 560 BC. King Croesus of Lydia in the city of Ephesus on the coast of Asia Minor. The huge white marble temple was framed by 127 columns 18 meters high. Inside was a statue of Artemis, the goddess of fertility, made of gold and ivory. In 356 BC. one vain resident of Ephesus, Herostratus, set fire to the temple, thus deciding to become famous and perpetuate his name. The sanctuary of Artemis was rebuilt, but in 263 it was destroyed and plundered by the Goths.

Mausoleum in Halicarnassus, Türkiye

The ruler of Caria, Mausolus, was still alive in 353 BC. began construction of his own tomb in Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum, Türkiye). The grandiose funeral structure, 46 meters high, surrounded by 36 columns and crowned with a sculpture of a chariot, made such a strong impression on contemporaries that since then all monumental tombs began to be called mausoleums after King Mausolus.

Colossus of Rhodes, Greece

A giant statue of the ancient Greek sun god Helios was installed at the entrance to the port of Rhodes in 292 - 280. BC e.. A slender young god, sculptured to full height, held a torch in his hand. Ships sailed between the legs of the statue. The Colossus of Rhodes stood in its place for only 65 years: in 222 BC. it was destroyed by an earthquake. The fragments of the sculpture were transported on 900 camels.

Alexandria Lighthouse, Egypt