The seven wonders of the Ancient World is a list of seven of the most amazing things humans constructed during the BC era. The original list was compiled by the Ancient Greeks and only contained Greek buildings and monuments but as time passed the list changed to include non-Greek marvels. Of the original seven wonders, sadly only the Great Pyramid of Giza remains mostly intact today.

1. The Great Pyramid of Giza - The Great Pyramid is located in Giza, Egypt. It was built around 2560 BC to be the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu. The majority of the pyramid was made of limestone.

2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon - The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were magnificent multi level gardens that reached 75 feet tall and were said to have machinery that circulated water throughout it. Nebuchadnezzar built it for his wife. It sadly fell to ruins when an Earthquake hit it shortly after the first Century BC. Babylon was located in what in now known as Iraq.

3. Statue of Zeus in Greece - The statue of Zeus was erected in 435 BC. It was 40 feet tall and 22 feet wide. The temple that housed it, was built after the statue around 460 BC and was built around it. Sadly, the statue was destroyed in the 5-6th Century due to a fire.

4. Temple of Artemis - This beautiful temple that was dedicated to the Goddess Artemis and was built around 550 BC. It was also known as the Temple of Diana; Diana is a Roman Goddess, similar to Artemis. It took 120 years to build. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times. It was first burned down by Herostratus in 356 BC and then was rebuilt by Alexander the Great. Shortly after Alexander had it rebuilt, it was plundered and partially destroyed by the Goths. It was again rebuilt, but then was closed down in 392 AD for being a Pagan place of worship. It was finally destroyed by a mob led by St. John Chrysostom in 401 AD. The Temple of Artemis was located near what today is known as Seljuk, Turkey.

5. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus - The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, also called the Tomb of Mausolus, was located in what is now South-western Turkey. It was built around 353 BC. It was an amazing white marble tomb that stood 135-150 feet tall. It was built to house the remains of King Mausolus and his Queen. Two famous Greek architects, Satyrus and Pythius, designed it. Sadly, it was badly damaged first by flood and then by earthquake. In was eventually dismantled by European Crusaders. A few of the beautiful sculptures from the Mausoleum were saved and can be viewed at the British Museum in London England.

6. Colossus of Rhodes - The Colossus of Rhodes was built in 292-289 BC by the Greeks. It was a magnificent 11 foot statue of Helios /Apollo, the God of the Sun. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in an earthquake in 226 BC.

5. The Lighthouse of Alexandria - The Lighthouse of Alexandria, also known, as the Pharos of Alexandria, was at one time the World’s tallest building. It was about 420 feet tall. It was made around 280-247 BC and as its name implies it was a lighthouse. It was built on the island of Pharos in Alexandria Egypt to guide sailors into the harbour after dark. It stood until around 1303-1480 AD, when it was destroyed by an earthquake.

It is unfortunate that all but one of these wonders have been destroyed. They must have been truly magnificent. People today may have missed out in seeing the seven Wonders of the Ancient world, but we can see the seven wonders of the modern world! They are the Taj Mahal in India, the Chichen Itz in Mexico, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, the Colosseum in Italy, Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu in Peru and the Petra in Jordan. Time to get planning a trip!

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonders_of_the_World

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_Gardens_of_Babylon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Zeus_at_Olympia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Artemis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum_of_Halicarnassus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighthouse_of_Alexandria

http://www.unmuseum.org/wonders.htm

http://www.crystalinks.com/seven.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/C0123829/