Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

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Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

• Helja Vallikivi
• Mustamäe College
• Form 8 - 9

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Seven Wonders

• Although most people know that a list exists of
  the Seven Wonders, only a few can name them. The
  list of them was originally compiled around the
  second century BC.The first reference to the idea
  is found in HISTORY of Herodotus as long as the
  5th century BC. Decades later, Greek historians
  wrote about the greatest monuments at the time.
  The final list of the Seven Wonders was compiled
  during the Middle Ages.
• Today, archaeological evidence reveals some of
  the mysteries that surrounded the history of
  theWonders for centuries.

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The Pyramid of Giza
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The Pyramid of Giza

• It is the oldest, yet it is the only surviving of
  the Seven Ancient Wonders
• The monument was built by the Egyption pharaoh
  KHUFU around the year 2560 BC to serve as a tomb
  when he dies
• The structure consists of approximately 2
  million blocks of stone, each weighing more than
  two tons
• The great pyramid is believed to have been built
  over a 20 year period

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The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
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The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

• They located on the east bank of the River
  Euphrates in Iraq
• The gardens are called hanging because they
  grew high in the air on built up terraces
• King Nebuchadnezzar II (6604-562 BC) built them
  to please his queen
• They consisted of arched vaults which are located
  on checkered cube-like foundations

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The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
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The Statue of Zeus at Olympia

• This is the statue of the god inwhose honour the
  Ancient Olympic games were held
• It was built around 450 BC
• It was struck by earthquake, landslides and
  floods, it was damaged by fire in the fifth
  century AD
• It was destroyed by a severe fire in 462 AD

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The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
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The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

• It was the most beautiful structure on earth
• It was built in honour of the Greek goddess of
  hunting, wild nature and fertility
• Its foundation dates back to the seventh century
  BC
• It housed many works of art, including 4 ancient
  bronze statues
• In 401 AD the temple was torn down

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The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
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The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

• Mausolus, the King of a part of Minor Asia
  (reigned fron 377-353 BC)
• The tomb was built for him and completed around
  350 BC
• There were tens of life-size and even over
  life-size statues of people, lions, horses and
  other animals
• It remained standing there for over 1,500 y.

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The Colossus of Rhodes
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The Colossus of Rhodes

• It was rather a symbol of unity of the people wgo
  inhabited on the island of Rhodes in Greece
• Yhis enormous statue of their sun god Helios was
  finished in 282 BC
• It stood at the harbour entrance
• It was broken by a strong earthquake at about
  226 BC

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The Lighthouse of Alexandria
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The Lighthouse of Alexandria

• It is the only one which had a practical use
• For sailors it ensured a safe return to the Great
  harbour
• It was built about 280 BC
• It was a stone tower about 400 feet high (117 m)
• It was the last of the seven Wonders to
• disappear (1323 or even later)

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Revision

• Name all the seven Wonders
• Which of them is still standing?
• Why are the Babylon gardens called hanging
• Which of them had a practical use?
• Which was the tallest building on Earth?
• What do you know about the Mausoleum of
• Halicarnassus?

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Revision (cont.)

• Do you know any theories concerning the building
  of the pyramid Giza?
• How are the statue Zeus and the Ancient Olympic
  games connected?
• The Colossus of Rhodes was not only a gigantic
  statue what kind of symbol was it?
• What do the Seven Wonders reflect for us?