The Seven Wonders

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World:

The Seven Wonders of the World comprise the greatest feats of ancient technology, architecture, and art as seen by Greek and Roman authors. The list has changed only slightly since it first appeared (c.130 BC) in a poem by Antipater of Sidon in the Greek Anthology.  The engineer Philo of Byzantium (fl. 146 BC) is said to have written the work entitled Peri ton hepta theamaton (Concerning the Seven Wonders of the World), although it may actually date from the Roman Empire. In his enumeration of the monuments the Pharos of Alexandria replaces the Walls of Babylon, which various later writers have listed together with the Hanging Gardens. Among other authors who described the seven wonders were Herodotus (5th century BC), Diodorus (1st century BC), and Strabo and Pliny the Elder (both 1st century AD). The Pergamum Altar has also been included as one of the wonders. All those cited were visited during the Hellenistic Age (323-149 BC) and remained the most famous attractions of the Roman world. They can be reconstructed from archaeological evidence.  (Reference and further information: The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia 1994.  Summaries below from Lycos' Kids Almanac.)

1. Pyramids of Egypt at Giza

A group of three pyramids, Khufu, Khafra, and Menkaura at Giza, outside modern Cairo, is often called the first wonder of the world. The largest pyramid, built by Khufu (Cheops), a king of the fourth dynasty, had an original estimated height of 482 ft. (now approximately 450 ft.). The base has sides 755 ft. long. It contains 2,300,000 blocks; the average weight of each is 2.5 tons. Estimated date of completion is 2680 B.C.E. Of all the Ancient Wonders, the pyramids alone survive.
 
 
2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Often listed as the second wonder, these gardens were supposedly built by Nebuchadnezzar around 600 B.C.E. to please his queen, Amuhia. They are also associated with the mythical Assyrian queen, Semiramis. Archeologists surmise that the gardens were laid out atop a vaulted building, with provisions for raising water. The terraces were said to rise from 75 to 300 ft.  The Walls of Babylon, also built by Nebuchadnezzar, are sometimes referred to as the second (or the seventh) wonder instead of the Hanging Gardens.
 
 
3. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

A beautiful structure, begun about 350 B.C.E., in honor of a non-Hellenic goddess who later became identified with the Greek goddess of the same name. The temple, with Ionic columns 60 ft. high, was destroyed by invading Goths in C.E. 262.





4. Statue of Zeus at Olympia

The work of Phidias (5th century B.C.E.), this colossal figure in gold and ivory was reputedly 40 ft. high.  All trace of it is lost, except for reproductions on coins.



5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

This famous monument was erected by Queen Artemisia in memory of her husband, King Mausolus of Caria in Asia Minor, who died in 353 B.C.E. Some remains of the structure are in the British Museum. This shrine is the source of the modern word “mausoleum.”





6. Colossus of Rhodes

This bronze statue of Helios (Apollo), about 105 ft. high, was the work of the sculptor Chares, who reputedly labored for 12 years before completing it in 280 B.C.E. It was destroyed during an earthquake in 224 B.C.E.





7. Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria

The seventh wonder was the Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria, built by Sostratus of Cnidus during the 3rd century B.C.E. on the island of Pharos off the coast of Egypt. It was destroyed by an earthquake in the 13th century.


 
 

The Seven Wonders of the Medieval World:

1. Colosseum
2. Catacombs of Kour el Shoqafa
3. Great Wall of China
4. Hagia Sophia
5. Stonehenge
6. Leaning Tower of Pisa
7. Porcelain Tower of Nanjing

The Seven Wonders of the Natural World:

1. Mount Everest on the Nepal-Tibet border
2. Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe-Zambia border
3. Grand Canyon of the Colorado River
4. Great Barrier Reef of Australia, the world's largest coral formation
5. Caves in France and Spain with their prehistoric paintings
6. Paricutin, a young volcano in Mexico
7. The Harbor at Rio de Janeiro

1. Guilin in China
2. Niagara Falls in Canada
3. Mt. Fuji in Japan
4. Matterhorn in Switzerland
5. Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe
6. Monument Valley in Utah
7. Ayers Rock in Alice Springs, Australia

The Seven Wonders of the Modern World:

1. Suez Canal
2. Dneproges Dam on the Dnepr River in Russia
3. Atomic Energy Research Establish at Harwell, England
4. Alaska (or Alcan) Highway connecting Alaska with Canadian and with other United States highways
5. Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
6. Eiffel Tower in Paris
7. Empire State Building in New York City

The Seven Underwater Wonders:

1. Palau
2. Belize Barrier Reef
3. Galapagos Islands
4. Northern Red Sea
5. Lake Baikal
6. Great Barrier Reef
7. Deep-Sea Vents

Other Wonders:

• Ancient:
1. Machu Picchu in Peru
2. Aztec Temple in Tenochtitlan in Mexico
3. The Tower of Babel
4. Sphinx
• Natural:
1. Aurora Borealis
• Modern:
1. Itaipu Dam
2. CN Tower
3. Panama Canal
4. Channel Tunnel
5. North Sea Protection Works
6. Statue of Liberty
7. Hoover Dam
8. St. Louis Arch
9. Panama Canal
10. Big Ben
11. Chunnel Tunnel

References:

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World focuses on the Ancient Wonders but also has information on Forgotten, Modern and Natural Wonders.

Frequently Asked Reference Questions: Wonders of the World lists seven wonders of the Ancient, Natural and Modern Worlds as found in World Book Encyclopedia.

Destination: The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is a virtual tour of the Ancient Wonders.