Issue 22 - 2003 : The Seven Wonders of the World Trivia buffs who pride themselves on their extensive knowledge may claim to know the Seven Wonders of the World. But ask them if they can list the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. And how about the New Seven Wonders? Or the Medieval Wonders? The Original Seven Historically, the number seven has been considered lucky or magical. Seven appears repeatedly throughout various cultures: ancient Egyptians believed there were seven sacred planets and Muslims believe in seven heavens. For 2nd Century BC Greeks, the number was used to identify the greatest monuments and buildings of the time: the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 1. The only surviving monument from the original list is the Great Pyramid of Khufu, located in Giza, Egypt. It was built as a tomb for the pharaoh Khufu. Scholars believe it took twenty years to complete the project. Originally 480 feet high (over time it has sunk to 450 feet), it consists of over two million stone blocks, each weighing in excess of two tons. 2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were a lush, mythical place rumored to have been built by Nebuchadnezzar II as a gift for his wife. Modern archeologists recently discovered ruins of a palace in the ancient city of Babylon, Iraq. Although they believe it to be a part of the Gardens, ancient Greek writings place the Gardens about thirty miles south, along the Euphrates River. 3. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia is just a pile of rocks today, but it once stood forty feet high on a twenty-foot high pedestal. At first, the building was only a temple, but it was deemed insufficient for honoring Zeus. Pheidias, an Athenian sculptor, was commissioned to create the magnificent statue inside the monument. The site was chosen because of its spiritual significance - Olympia was home to the early Olympic games, which were held in honor of the Greek god Zeus. 4. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was a breathtaking structure, built in honor of its namesake - the goddess of nature, hunting and fertility. Her temple was constructed of marble and decorated with bronze statues by famous sculptors of the time. It was a busy place, frequented by tourists, kings and tradesmen alike. Archeologists have excavated numerous artifacts that indicate people came from as far away as India to worship Artemis. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times before being left to ruin in 400 AD. 5. Although King Mausollos of Caria's castle still stands in Bodrum, Turkey, his massive tomb has been reduced to a few polished stones. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassas was the pet project of the king's wife and her sister, and was completed three years after his death, around 350 BC. The Mausoleum stood 140 feet, and was comprised of a 60-foot stepped podium, a 38-foot colonnade, a 22-foot pyramid and a 20-foot chariot statue at the top. Life-size statues of people and wildlife adorned the structure. 6. The people of ancient Rhodes, Greece, celebrated the end of war by building a tribute to their sun god, Helios. It took twelve years to erect the Colossus of Rhodes, which stood 110 feet high. An earthquake several decades later broke the knee of the statue, and it tumbled to the ground. Several hundred years passed before the Arabs invaded and sold the remains of the colossus to a man from Syria. Legend has it he used 900 camels to transport the fragments home. 7. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built as a beacon to sailors navigating the treacherous harbors of Alexandria and the island of Pharos. Not only was it the tallest building on Earth, but the reflection of its mirror could be seen more than 35 miles offshore. The lighthouse was conceived in 290 BC and stood until two powerful earthquakes, in 1303 and 1323 AD, seriously damaged it. An Egyptian sultan built a fortress with the rubble in 1480 AD. More Wonders The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World inadvertently gave rise to the Seven Wonders of Just About Everything Else. All the lists that have followed have attempted to capture the essence of the original: to officially designate seven items of cultural, spiritual or political significance. The United Nations' World Heritage Convention is even compiling a comprehensive list of the world's wonders in an effort to preserve and protect them - although that list is guaranteed to have far more than seven items. History buffs interested in participating in the creation of a list of Seven Wonders need look no further than the New 7 Wonders web site. A global movement founded by Bernard Weber of Switzerland, it uses the Internet to communicate its message. The site asks the "citizens of the world to define seven new symbols of humanity's greatest achievements of the last 2000 years." Over 5 million people have voted for their favorites already. The Seven Wonders of the Natural World Mount Everest, Nepal Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe The Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA Great Barrier Reef, Australia The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) Paricutin Volcano, Mexico Rio de Janeiro Harbor, Brazil The Seven Medieval Wonders The Colosseum, Italy The Catacombs of Kour el Shoqafa The Great Wall of China The Hagia Sophia, Turkey Stonehenge, England The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, China The Seven Modern Wonders The Empire State Building, New York, USA Itaipu Dam, Brazil CN Tower, Toronto, Canada The Golden Gate Bridge, California, USA The Channel Tunnel, England The Panama Canal, Panama North Sea Protection Works, The Netherlands The Seven Underwater Wonders Paulau, Pacific Ocean Belize Barrier Reef, Belize The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador The Northern Red Sea, Egypt Lake Baikal, Siberia Great Barrier Reef, Australia Deep-Sea Vents, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans Back to top

Print Friendly Version Features • The Aerodynamics of Golf • Dimples on a Falcon? • Poet, Pilot, Little Prince • The Seven Wonders of the World Departments • Perspectives - Frank Youngkin • Stopover - Hilton Head • Falcon Facts - EASy Flight Deck