A brief history of the seven ancient wonders of the world (8 photos). Interesting facts about the seven wonders of the world (8 photos)

For a long time, sages and travelers made a list of 7 wonders of the world, they added the most beautiful and most majestic buildings of the whole world in their opinion.

Seven Wonders of the World - classic list:
1. Pyramid of Cheops
2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon
3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia
4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
6. Colossus of Rhodes
7. Alexandrian lighthouse

EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS, the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs. The largest of them - the pyramids of Cheops, Khafre and Mikerin in El Giza in ancient times were considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The erection of the pyramid, in which the Greeks and Romans already saw a monument to the unprecedented pride of kings and cruelty, which doomed the entire people of Egypt to senseless construction, was the most important cult act and was supposed to express, apparently, the mystical identity of the country and its ruler. The population of the country worked on the construction of the tomb in the part of the year free from agricultural work. A number of texts testify to the attention and care that the kings themselves (albeit of a later time) paid to the construction of their tomb and its builders. It is also known about the special cult honors that turned out to be the pyramid itself.

Pyramids at Giza

The pyramids of Egypt served as tombs for their dead kings. In the center of the ritual complex of the building are the Egyptian pyramids, according to the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, they had magical powers, in which the mummified pharaoh could achieve eternal life.

The first step that led to the creation of the Egyptian Pyramids complex was the Pyramid of Djoser, built shortly after Egypt became a unified land (around 3000 BC). The pyramids of Egypt became known mainly due to the Pyramid of Cheops, located in Giza, which was discovered centuries later. The Egyptian pyramids were distinguished by unique technological features, and it is still not entirely clear how they were built.

The true evolution in which the Egyptian pyramids developed can be traced from the most ancient prehistoric tombs to the splendor of the Giza plateau.

The pyramids were built on the left - western bank of the Nile (the West is the kingdom of the dead) and towered over everything city ​​of the dead- countless tombs, pyramids, temples.

The largest of the three is the pyramid of Cheops (architect Hemiun, 27th century BC). Its height was originally 147 m, and the length of the side of the base was 232 m. For its construction, it took 2 million 300 thousand huge stone blocks, the average weight of which is 2.5 tons. The slabs were not fastened with mortar, only an extremely precise fit holds them. In ancient times, the pyramids were lined with polished white limestone slabs, their tops were covered with copper slabs that sparkled in the sun (only the pyramid of Cheops preserved the limestone lining, the Arabs used the coating of other pyramids in the construction of the White Mosque in Cairo).

The great pyramids were surrounded by a number of small tombs for the wives of the pharaohs and their entourage. Such complexes necessarily included the sanctuaries of Upper and Lower Egypt, large courtyards for the celebration of heb-su, mortuary temples, the ministers of which were supposed to support the cult of the deceased king. The space around the pyramid, surrounded by steles, was connected by a long covered passage to the temple on the banks of the Nile, where the body of the pharaoh was met and funeral ceremonies began.

All the pyramids are precisely oriented to the cardinal points, which indicates a high level of astronomical knowledge of the ancient Egyptians, the calculation of the angles of inclination of the faces is absolutely impeccable. In the pyramid of Cheops, the angle of inclination is such that the height of the pyramid is equal to the radius of an imaginary circle in which the base of the pyramid is inscribed.

A remarkable engineering find of ancient architects and builders was the construction of five unloading chambers in the thickness of the masonry above the burial chamber, with the help of which it was possible to remove and evenly distribute the colossal load on its floors. In addition to the chambers in the pyramid, there are other voids - corridors, passages and galleries, the entrances to which were carefully walled up and disguised. Nevertheless, the burials in the pyramids were plundered, apparently quite soon after the burial of the pharaohs. The thieves knew all the traps well, so they were most likely connected either with the builders or with the priests who carried out the burials.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

HANGING GARDENS OF SEMIRAMIS, gardens in the palace of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC), which he ordered to be laid out for his beloved wife, the Median princess; traditionally ranked among the Seven Wonders of the World. The first mention of wonderful gardens was preserved in the "History" of Herodotus, who probably visited Babylon and left us the most complete description of it. Perhaps, with an eye to the "father of history", the hanging gardens in the Hellenistic era were placed on the list of the greatest and most famous structures.

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Curiously, however, one of the world's most impressive sights is not even mentioned by Herodotus: the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders ancient world.

They indicate that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built by King Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled the city for 43 years, starting from 605 BC. There is a less credible alternative story that the gardens were built by the Assyrian queen Semiramis during her five-year reign beginning in 810 BC.

This was the peak of the city's power and influence, when King Nebuchadnezzar built an amazing array of temples, streets, palaces and walls, which included the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

According to legend, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built to surprise and please Nebuchadnezzar's wife, Amitis. Amitis, the daughter of the king of Media, married Nebuchadnezzar to create an alliance between the nations. She came from the green sunny country, and the sun-dried terrain of Mesopotamia seemed depressing to her. The king decided to recreate his homeland by creating artificial mountains with gardens. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon got their name not because they hung like a cable or rope. The name comes from an inaccurate translation of the Greek word, which means not only "hanging", but "overhanging", as is the case with a terrace or balcony.

Zeus statue in Olympia

The statue was made by Phidias in the chrysoelephantine technique: the exposed parts of the body were lined with ivory plates, the robes were cast in gold, and the base of the sculpture was wooden. The height of the statue reached approx. 17 m high. If the god "rose", his height would far exceed the height of the temple itself. Travelers who saw Zeus at Olympia call the combination of authority and mercy, wisdom and kindness in his face amazing. In his hand, the Thunderer held a statue of Nike (a symbol of victory). The richest throne of Zeus was also made of gold and ivory. The back, armrests and foot were decorated with ivory reliefs, golden images of the gods and goddesses of Olympus. The lower walls of the throne were covered with drawings of Panen, his legs - images of dancing Nik. Zeus's feet, shod in golden sandals, rested on a bench decorated with golden lions.

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mausoleum in Halicarnassus

In 377 BC, the city of Halicarnassus was the capital of a small kingdom along the Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor. It was in this year that the ruler of this land died and left control of the kingdom to his son, Mausolus. Mausolus continued the expansion of the territory begun by his father, reaching the southwestern part of Asia Minor. Mausolus, with his queen, ruled Halicarnassus and the surrounding territories for 24 years. Mausolus, although he was a local resident, spoke excellent Greek and admired the Greek way of life and government.

Then, in 353 BC. Mausolus died, leaving his queen alone, who was also his sister (It was the local custom for rulers to marry their own sister), heartbroken. As a tribute to him, she decided to build the most magnificent Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, which became his tomb. Soon the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus became famous building, and now the name of Mausolus is associated with all the majestic tombs, since it was from his name that the word "mausoleum" appeared. The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was so beautiful and unique that it became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

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ARTEMIS EPHESUS TEMPLE (Artemision), one of the most famous and revered pilgrimage centers of the ancient world; Since the Hellenistic era, it has traditionally been included in the list of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

The Temple of Artemis of Ephesus today is the remains of columns and meager fragments lying on the ground, and this is all that remains of the seventh wonder of the world. According to Strabo, the temple of Artemis of Ephesus was destroyed at least seven times, and rebuilt the same number of times. Archaeological finds testify to at least four restorations of this temple, dating back to the 7th century BC. Chersiphon and Metagenes erected a two-winged temple in the 6th century BC. and, according to Herostratus, it was burned - the next majestic structure, built entirely of marble, appeared in 334 BC, and was completed in 250 BC. The temple of Artemis of Ephesus was admired even by Alexander the Great, who paid for the continuation of the work. Skopas and Praxiteles also worked there, and Chirocrates was responsible for the design.

The Hellenistic temple was built on a podium, which was reached by a 13-step staircase. A double colonnade surrounded the outer and inner space (105 x 55 m). The relief columns were the work of Scopas, and Praxiteles worked on the design of the altar. Unfortunately, as we have already said, the temple of Artemis of Ephesus has not been preserved.

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July 21, 356 BC e. the temple of Artemis of Ephesus, the main shrine of the Greeks of Asia Minor, was burned by Herostratus - a sacrilege was committed that shook the entire Hellenic world. Subsequently, a legend arose that Artemision burned down on the day when the future conqueror of Asia, Alexander the Great, was born. When Alexander approached the city after 25 years, he wished to restore the temple in all its splendor. The architect Alexandra Deinocrates, who supervised the work, retained his previous plan, only raised the building to a higher stepped base.

The whole building was striking in its splendor and unusual for Greek architecture scale. The temple occupied a huge area - 110 x 55 m, the height of the Corinthian columns (there were 127 of them), a double row surrounding the structure, was also grandiose - about 18 m; the roof of Artemision was covered with marble tiles. One of the sights of the building were 36 columns, decorated at the base with reliefs almost in human height. The great Greek masters took part in the decoration of such a revered place: Praxiteles sculpted reliefs for the altar in the sanctuary fence, the reliefs of the columns were made by Skopas, Apelles placed his paintings in the temple; the art gallery of Artemision was as famous as the collection of paintings in the Athenian propylaea. The sanctuary also flourished under the Romans, sources report rich gifts to the temple of silver and gold statues and the construction of a portico along the road from the city to the sanctuary (about 200 m). The Acts of the Apostles mentions the indignation caused in the city by the preaching of the Apostle Paul, which interfered with the trade in silver models of the temple of the goddess, the manufacture of which was the most profitable craft here.

Faros lighthouse.

FAROS LIGHTHOUSE (Lighthouse of Alexandria), lighthouse on east coast O. Pharos within the boundaries of Alexandria, the Hellenistic capital of Egypt; one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The builder of this miracle of technology, the first and only colossal lighthouse in the entire Greek world, was Sostratus of Cnidus. On the marble wall of the building, Sostratus carved the inscription: "Sostratus, the son of Dexifan from Cnidus, dedicated to the gods-saviors for the sake of sailors." He covered this inscription with a thin layer of plaster with the glorification of King Ptolemy Soter written on it. Over time, the plaster that fell off revealed the true name of the builder and great engineer.

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During the construction of the lighthouse, the most remarkable and ingenious inventions of the Alexandrian scientists were applied. The lower floor of the three-tier 120-meter tower had four faces facing north, east, west and south, eight faces of the second tier were oriented in the direction of the eight main winds. The third floor - a lantern crowned the dome with a statue of Poseidon about 7 m high. A complex system of metal mirrors intensified the light of the fire that lit on the top of the structure and made it possible to observe the expanse of the sea; the lighthouse itself was also a well-fortified fortress with a large military garrison. Travelers who saw the lighthouse wrote about the ingeniously arranged statues that adorned the lighthouse tower: one of them always pointed to the sun along its entire path and lowered its hand down when it set, the other beat every hour day and night, the third one could find out the direction wind. The amazing building stood until the 14th century, but even in its already badly destroyed form, its height was approx. 30 m. At present, only the base of the lighthouse has been preserved, entirely built into medieval fortress(now - the base of the Egyptian fleet).

The Colossus of Rhodes

Travelers in New York Harbor can see a wonderful sight. Before them appears a huge statue of a woman in clothes, standing on a small island in the harbor, holding a book and a torch, rushing into the sky. The statue is almost one hundred and twenty feet from the feet to the crown. It is sometimes called the "Modern Colossus", but more often it is called the Statue of Liberty.
The Colossus of Rhodes, which the Statue of Liberty so reminds us of, is an ancient creation of the ancients, located on the island of Rhodes. The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue standing along the banks of the strait, one foot was on one side, the other on the second. According to the project, ships were supposed to float between the legs of the statue.

Unfortunately, the Colossus of Rhodes turned out to be “weak in the legs”, because of the earthquake, his legs gave way, and the huge statue collapsed into the water. For a long time there were remains of his legs, which served as proof of his existence, but they have not survived to this day either. The Colossus of Rhodes today has become a symbol of a massive, but ill-conceived project at the base, which can easily collapse.

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The ancient Greeks came up with the idea of ​​choosing the most amazing creations person, the number of which should be equal to the magic number seven. For hundreds of years, schoolchildren have been studying this short list, to which they periodically try to fasten some 8th wonder of the world.

1 wonder of the world - Egyptian pyramids

By the time the ancient Greeks began to create their list of wonders of the Ecumene, the pyramids in Egypt had stood for more than one thousand years. We are talking about the most grandiose pyramids built during the reign of the fourth dynasty of pharaohs. The Pyramid of Cheops is not only the most ancient building from the entire list of wonders of the world, but also the only one that has survived to this day. The main mystery of the pyramids is the very fact of their construction - such a colossal work strikes the imagination of contemporaries.

2 wonder of the world - Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The legendary gardens of the wife of King Nebuchadnezzar the Second Semiramis were located in Babylon near the magnificent royal palace in the seventh century BC. For a long time, this building was considered only a fiction of the ancient kings, who dreamed of a luxurious life. But in the last century, on the territory of the former Assyria, the remains of former luxury, proving that once there was a real kingdom of Flora. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon consisted of artificial terraces supported by high columns, four tiers of which formed a pyramid. From above, the structure was covered with fertile soil, in which magnificent flowers were planted, forming a bright green dome of the garden. Surrounded on all sides by lifeless sandy hills, the gardens opened to the traveler like a real miracle, a Babylonian oasis.

3 wonder of the world - Temple of Artemis in Ephesus

The Greek city of Ephesus was located in what is now Turkish territory. Even today, you can enjoy beautiful examples of ancient architecture, including the ruins of this temple. In the center of the temple was, as established, a huge statue of the goddess Artemis, made of ivory and gold. Such precious material did not allow the statue to survive to this day. Fragments of many statues and sculptures, wonderful mosaics, which are the interior decoration of the ancient building, were found in the temple. Outside, the temple was also impressive, based on 127 snow-white marble columns.

4 wonder of the world - Statue of Zeus at Olympia

The Thunderer Zeus headed (after overthrowing his own father) the pantheon of the ancient Greek gods. Naturally, the Hellenes also revered him very much, erected numerous statues and temples in his honor. One of the greatest creations of ancient Greek sculptors was the temple statue of Olympian Zeus. Made of precious pink ivory, the statue was clad in pure gold. There was a statue in the city of Olympia in a marble temple dedicated to Zeus, which was decorated with 34 ten-meter columns. The author of this wonder of the world was one of the greatest ancient architects and sculptors, the legendary Phidias. A massive earthquake in the second century severely damaged the temple and the statue, followed by its desolation and slow destruction. To save the precious Zeus, he was transferred to Constantinople, but even there he burned down during a fire. Today, neither the temple nor the statue of Zeus remains, but only the workshop where the latter was created.

5 wonder of the world - Mausoleum in Halicarnassus

An amazing monument of ancient architecture, located in the city of Halicarnassus (modern Türkiye). It was the mausoleum of the Carian ruler Mausolus standing on top, which his wife erected for him. It was a tall, square structure with a conical roof adorned with a huge chariot. At the entrance to the mausoleum stood a pair of columns with stone warriors who guarded the rest of the deceased king. The temple had many sculptures of people and animals, surviving copies of which are kept in the Hall of Halicarnassus and the British Museum in London.

6 wonder of the world - Colossus of Rhodes

It was ancient greek god sun Helios, depicted as a cyclopean statue. She stood with her legs wide apart over the entrance to the bay of Rhodes. Its author, the sculptor Khares, created it from clay, inside of which there was a metal frame, and outside it was sheathed with bronze sheets. In the third century BC, the statue collapsed after a strong earthquake, which Pliny the Elder noted in his Works. The Colossus of Rhodes, having lain on earth for more than a thousand years, was sold by the Arabs to an unknown merchant as scrap metal. This statue owes its origin to the expression "colossus with feet of clay."

7 wonder of the world - Lighthouse in Alexandria

This is a tower erected on the island of Pharos near Egyptian Alexandria. The tower had a quite utilitarian purpose - to be a beacon for merchant ships entering the local harbor. The height of the lighthouse is amazing even now - 140 meters, which for many centuries could not be blocked by any building in the world. That is why the Lighthouse of Alexandria was included in the list of wonders of the world. The building consisted of three towers of different sizes. This colossus held out for almost 1800 years, but did not survive the earthquake that happened in 1480, and collapsed.

What is the 8th wonder of the world?

Sometimes, when talking about 8 wonders of the world, they give photos and descriptions of other (better preserved) objects.

For example, one of them is the Taj Mahal. This amazing mausoleum-mosque, built in the Mogul style, is located in Agra (India). Numerous tourists are amazed by the grace and majesty of this architectural complex, thanks to which their flow here does not stop. Padishah Shah Jahan built this mausoleum for his wife, who died in childbirth, where he himself later rested. Since then, this place has been a symbol of eternal love, in India there is no more beautiful building with such a romantic story. The mausoleum is beautiful not only from the outside, its interior also impresses with its precious decoration.

Other objects of the new wonders of the world are:

• Leaning tower in Pisa (Italy);
• Pyramid of Chichen Itza (Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico);
• Great Chinese Wall;
• Roman Coliseum;
• City of Petra (Jordan);
• Statue of Christ the Redeemer (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

What building would you call the 8th wonder of the world, and why? Share your opinion in

How many wonders of the world, you ask? Eight or seven wonders of the world? In this article we will reveal the secret of the wonders of the world. Many people know that there are 7 wonders of the world, but not everyone will be able to name them. Recently, 8 wonders of the world have appeared, so officially it should be accepted that there are eight wonders.

Egyptian pyramids

The name "Seven Wonders of the World" (7 wonders of the world) was first coined by Antipater of Sidon in the second century BC. The ancient Greeks called the “Seven Wonders of the World” the most famous buildings and statues in antiquity. These wonders also include the Egyptian pyramids, which were built during the reign of three Egyptian pharaohs of the fourth dynasty: Cheops (Khufu), Khafra (Khephren) and Menkaur (Mykerin) . The Egyptian pyramids were built near the village of Giza, southwest of the capital of Egypt, Cairo. The pyramids are the only of the "Seven Wonders of the World" that have survived to this day and continue to delight visitors with their grandeur and beauty.

In ancient times, the Egyptians believed that after the death of a person (and even more so of a pharaoh), his remains should be preserved in the form of a mummy so that the spirit could continue to live after death. For these purposes, the priests turned the body of a deceased person into a mummy. The mummy was placed in a sarcophagus, and clothes, jewelry, and various things were buried with it, which, according to their ideas, could be useful for the afterlife. Pharaoh Khufu's mummy was placed in a burial chamber at the very heart of his pyramid.

The construction of the pyramid of Cheops was completed in 2580 BC. under Pharaoh Rededef. The original height of this building miracle was 146.5 meters, but as a result of the destruction caused by natural disasters, the height has been reduced to 137 meters today. The length of the base of the pyramid is 230 meters, and the area it occupies is more than 5 hectares.

Scientists have calculated that it took about 30 years for the construction of this monumental work of creativity by the ancient Egyptians, with a number of 4 thousand workers. During this time, 2,300,000 limestone blocks were installed, each weighing an average of about 2.5 tons. The blocks are so tightly fitted to each other that even a knife blade cannot be inserted between them. And the weight of some individual specimens reached 15 tons. The entire pyramid, according to scientists, weighs 5,840,000 tons, and its volume is 2,568,000 cubic meters.

Using modern technologies construction would be much faster. Calculations showed that, together with the most modern technical means, a team of 450 people would have been building a similar pyramid for about 6 years, and 11.5 billion dollars would have been spent.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Another wonder of the world is the temple, which was built in honor of the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting Artemis (the Romans called her Diana). The Temple of Artemis was built in the 7th - 6th centuries BC. in the city of Ephesus, on the coast mediterranean sea. According to legend, the temple was built at the expense of one of the richest people, whose name has become a household name - Croesus.

The Temple of Artemis impressed with its grandeur and enormous size; 120 columns of magnificent marble rose along the perimeter of the building. The height of each column reached 20 meters. In the very center stood a statue of the goddess Artemis.

The Temple of Artemis in 356 BC was burned by the ambitious Herostratus, who, with the help of this act of vandalism, decided to become famous and he succeeded. The name of Herostratus has since gone down in history as a symbol of stupidity and heartlessness. He really wanted to become famous, but, having the opportunity to do so, unable to create anything of value, he decided to become famous as a destroyer (hence the expression “Glory to Herostratus”). But he was mistaken - on the site of the destroyed temple, a new one, even more perfect and beautiful, was soon erected.

The following was written about the restoration work of this wonder of the world by the Greek geographer Strabo (1st century BC - 1st century AD): “After a certain Herostratus burned the temple, the citizens erected another, more beautiful one, collecting women's jewelry for this , donating his own property and selling the columns of the former temple for this.

But the new temple of Artemis was also destroyed; the Goths did not spare it in the 3rd century AD. Archaeological excavations discovered only minor remains of the past majestic building. The Temple of Artemis is one of the finest examples of ancient Greek architecture. Based on it, already by the 5th century AD. Classical styles developed in Greece: Ionic, Doric and Corinthian. These styles began to be called so according to the regions and peoples living in these places.

The Temple of Artemis is a classic representative of the Ionic style (order). It is quite possible to mentally imagine the temple of Artemis if you look at any other building made in the Ionic style. The peculiar columns of the Temple of Artemis can only be compared with the columns of other ancient Greek styles - Doric and Corinthian.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon
According to legend, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC) erected artificial terraces on which all conceivable and unimaginable plants and trees grew in that area. The Hanging Gardens were built for the entertainment of the wife of Nebuchadnezzar II, the daughter of the Median king, Amitis. Since Amitis was a native of Media, the climate of Babylon seemed stuffy and dusty to her, which is why the hanging gardens were erected, in which the young queen spent a lot of time.

According to the calculations of scientists, the erected terraces of hanging gardens rose 40 meters above the ground. For irrigation, water was taken from the nearby Euphrates, for this purpose special devices were built, which were set in motion with the help of slaves. Without quality watering, hanging gardens would not have lasted even a couple of months in the sultry climate of Assyria.

In the 4th century BC. the great commander Alexander the Great conquered Assyria and stormed Babylon. luxury city so impressed him with his luxury and grandeur that he stayed here forever, making Babylon his residence. It was in Babylon, in the shade and coolness of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, that Alexander the Great died. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon disappeared without a trace, but they can be imagined quite clearly if you look at similar images of Assyrian bas-reliefs that have survived to this day.

Zeus statue in Olympia
The great Athenian sculptor Phidias carved a statue of Zeus in 435 BC. in the city of Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Sports competitions were held in honor of the supreme god of the ancient Greeks - Zeus. The supreme Greek god was made seated on a throne, which was made of ebony with inlays of precious stones. Zeus himself was 13 meters high and was made of gold and ivory plates.
A contemporary of the construction of the statue, the Greek geographer Xanidius wrote: “God sits on a throne - his figure is made of gold and ivory; she is wearing a bandage and a wreath on her head. In the left hand of the god is a scepter, gracefully colored with various metals, and the bird sitting on the scepter is an eagle. IN right hand- Nika. God has his cloak of gold. Animals are depicted on the same cloak, and field lilies are made of flowers ... The floor in front of the statue is lined not with white, but with black marble. It seems that the Thunderer will now get up.
In the temple, for those who came to look at the supreme god, special platforms were built so that everyone could see this miracle of architecture. There was a saying among the ancient Greeks that a person who did not see the statue of Zeus was “unfortunate and did not receive enlightenment from above.” For 800 years, Zeus watched the sports competitions of the best athletes in the Mediterranean.
The statue of Zeus was so majestic and beautiful that the Roman emperor Caligula was going to transport it to Rome to decorate one of the temples. But after the adoption of Christianity, attempts to transport one of the most famous pagan deities were abandoned. Earthquakes in the area over the years have destroyed both the stadium that hosted the first Olympic Games and the temple of Zeus along with the statue.

mausoleum in Halicarnassus

The mausoleum was erected as the tomb of King Mausolus of Caria, who died in 353 BC. in the city of Halicarnassus, on the territory modern city Bodrum (Türkiye). The tomb was so majestic and monumental that its name became a household name, denoting a grandiose tomb structure.
According to legend, all the work on the construction of this wonder of the world was carried out by the wife of Mausolus - Artemisia. Famous architects Pytheas and Satir were invited from Greece to work on the project. The relief decorations for the temple were created by the best Greek sculptors of that time - Timothy, Skopas, Briandis and Leochar.
For that time, the building was very large-scale and majestic. The pyramidal roof above the pteron was supported by 36 white marble columns. The length of the mausoleum was about 140 meters (more football field), the width of the tomb reached 20 meters. The height of the Masol mausoleum was 45 meters (15 floors), at the very top there was a sculptural image of a chariot drawn by four horses.
The ashes left after the cremation of Masol and Artemisia were stored in golden urns in the center of the tomb, which was located at the base of the building. Stone lions were made as watchmen of the premises.
The mausoleum in Halicarnassus stood for about 2 thousand years, it was destroyed by a powerful earthquake in the 13th century.

The Colossus of Rhodes

The statue of the sun god Helios, which was installed on the island of Rhodes in the 3rd century BC, was called a colossus. The statue, colossal for those times, was made of bronze and reached a height of about 35 meters. The construction of the gigantic statue took 12 years. According to the calculations of modern scientists-builders, the statue could not be hollow; according to all the calculations, the statue was filled from the inside with improvised materials.
The Colossus of Rhodes
A contemporary of the construction of the Colossus of Rhodes, the Roman scientist Pliny wrote about this event: “60 years after the construction (about 225 BC), when the statue was overthrown by an earthquake, people came to it in order to look at it. Even lying down it is surprising. Few can hug her thumb."
According to one version, she stood in the harbor and "guarded" the entrance to it. According to another more reliable version, the statue of the colossus stood in the city and was facing the entrance to the harbor. Wherever the statue is located, the fame of the island on which they were able to create such a monumental structure spread throughout the Mediterranean, and glorified the island of Rhodes for centuries.

faros lighthouse

Pharos lighthouse, it is also called Alexandria, as it was located on the way to the Alexandria Bay. The Pharos lighthouse was built around 280 BC. They built it for about 20 years, and this is no wonder, since it was the largest lighthouse ancient world. It was erected from marble slabs, and had a height of 150 meters. At the very top of the lighthouse, a figure of Zeus the Savior was installed.
The Pharos lighthouse had a rectangular base, an octagonal tower was installed on it, and the third step of the structure served as a lighthouse. Polished bronze plates were used as mirrors for the lighthouse, which reflected the light of a burning flame over a distance of 30 nautical miles.
Greek writer Lucian of Samosata, who lived in the 2nd century AD. reported that the architect who built the Pharos lighthouse “wrote his own name on the stones inside, and then, covering it with lime, wrote the name of the then king on top. He foresaw, as it happened, that it would very soon fall along with the plaster and the inscription would be exposed: "Sostratus, son of Dexiphon, knidian to the savior gods for the health of seafarers." He reckoned not with his time, but with eternity, as long as the lighthouse will stand - a work of his art.
The Faros lighthouse stood until the 14th century, until it was destroyed by a powerful earthquake. All this time, he faithfully served the cause for which he was built.

The eighth wonder of the world - Taj Mahal

The white marble tomb of the Taj Mahal in Agra is called poetry in stone. Most tourists take on faith a very beautiful legend that is told about the creation of this masterpiece of architecture. The guides tell tourist groups that the ruler Shah Jahan (1592-1666), saddened by the death of his beloved wife, built for her magnificent mausoleum(1631-1653), who rightfully became architectural gem India.
Historians have doubts about the date of construction, since the tomb is mentioned in the historical Mongolian chronicles, and it says that “the Mongol emperor seized the monument from the Jaipur Maharaja, the building was seven-story and required repair.” Judging by these historical records, the Taj Mahal is 450 years older than the official version.
And the version that tourists are told is: Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan's wife, died in 1631. The sultan, madly in love with her, abandoned all state affairs and plunged into his grief, before that he ordered to build a tomb for the deceased, which the world had not yet seen. Whole caravans were brought to Agra white marble and gems. The best builders and architects were invited from all over India. A year later, the tomb for the beautiful Mumtaz Mahal was ready and placed in a crypt. As eyewitnesses described, no one could get rid of the feeling that the wife of the Sultan had not died, but was simply sleeping quietly. But the burial ceremony was completed, and the builders erected walls of white marble around the tomb.
At the same time, the son of the grief-stricken Shah Jahan - Aurangzeb took advantage of the fact that his father was not in himself and seized power, and imprisoned his father in the tower of the Agra fortress. When the father died over time, he was buried next to his wife in the tomb of the Taj Mahal.
The mysterious thing in this story is that while the tomb was being built, the body of Mumtaz Mahal was not touched by decay. The hot climate of India and the prohibition of Islam on embalming led to the fact that the body of Mumtaz was laid in a tin sarcophagus with a tightly fitted lid. The sarcophagus itself was filled with camphor crystals, sandalwood powder and other minerals. So ancient scientists were able to create incorruptibility for the wife of the Sultan.

Surely all of you have heard about the seven greatest natural attractions of our planet, but today one more item has been added to them in the form of the eighth miracle.

There are a lot of beautiful buildings and ancient structures of unknown origin on Earth, so in different sources you can find completely different data even about these seven famous miracles peace. And about the eighth, many scientists and historians are still arguing, each of which offers several of its own options.

Let's look at each of these eight world treasures of all mankind.

1. Egyptian pyramids.

The name of the seven wonders of the world comes from the Egyptians in the 2nd century BC. This was the name of 7 ancient Egyptian pyramids during the reign of the pharaohs of the fourth dynasty. It is these seven majestic pyramids that have survived intact to this day and are the main attraction not only of Egypt, but of the entire planet as a whole. These mysterious structures, who came to us from the distant past, still haunt the most famous scientists and archaeologists who are trying to unravel the mysteries of the Egyptian sands.

This is a legendary building located in the ruins of ancient Babylon, where in the distant 7th century BC there was a luxurious royal palace, and next to it were the hanging gardens of Queen Semiramis. This miracle was considered for a long time only a legend and fiction. beautiful life ancient kings, but today from this amazing place there are some semblance of former luxury and a fabulous kingdom of lush vegetation among the desert territories of Assyria. The garden was an artificial terrace, built in the form of a pyramid of four tiers, standing on high columns. The whole structure of this amazing structure was covered with fertile soil with seeds of beautiful flowers, which covered the gardens of Babylon with a green dome. Among the hot climate and sandy hills, the Hanging Gardens were truly a wonder of the world and a valuable oasis of Babylon.

This wonder of the world was located on the territory of modern Turkey in Greek city Ephesus. The ruins of this temple can still be seen with your own eyes and enjoy the most beautiful views ancient architecture. Scientists have found that in the center of the temple there was a huge statue of Artemis, built of gold and ivory, which, unfortunately, could not survive to our time. The remains of numerous sculptures, statues and ancient paintings that adorned the interior of the temple were also found. The goddess Artemis was revered by all the Greeks and their neighbors, thanks to whom the construction of a stunning temple, standing on 127 snow-white columns, was crowned with success.

Zeus is the Greek god of thunder and lightning, who rules over all people and is the main among the other gods of ancient Greece. He was also the most revered deity of the people, who was given temples, palaces and statues with his image. One of the greatest works ancient art considered the Statue of Zeus in the small town of Olympia, built of pink ivory and adorned with clothes of pure gold. The statue was installed in the marble temple of the same name with 34 columns 10 meters high. The legendary creator of this wonder of the world was the great painter, sculptor and architect Phidias of Athens. The strongest earthquake in the 2nd century AD seriously damaged the famous statue and the temple, after which the beautiful building was empty and gradually collapsed. To protect the statue of Zeus from looting, it was taken to Constantinople, where it was destroyed by a strong fire. Today, the last proof and memory of the greatest temple with a sculpture of the main god of the ancient Greeks can only be seen at the found workshop where this grandiose work of art was created.

This is the greatest historical monument architecture, built in the city of Halicarnassus, which belongs to modern Turkey. A mausoleum was founded on the top of a hill, where the tomb of the Carian king Mausolus was located. The mausoleum was a tall square structure with a conical roof, which was decorated with a huge chariot. In front of the entrance to the mausoleum, two columns with stone warriors were also installed, guarding the dream of the deceased king. The whole temple was decorated with numerous sculptures and figures of animals, parts of which are still in the British Museum, in the Hall of Halicarnassus.

This is a bronze statue in the form of the sun god Helios, built on the island of the same name Rhodes in the third century BC. It was this attraction that glorified the current resort of Greece to the whole world. In 222 BC, the statue fell due to a strong earthquake, which the Roman scientist Pliny warned about in his writings. But even then, such a majestic statue made a strong impression on the inhabitants of the city. The last mention of the statue was in 997, when the Arabs sold its fragments to an unknown merchant, who took her away on his camels.

This ancient tower, built on the island of Pharos in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. The tower served as a beacon for visitors sea ​​vessels to the local harbour. The height of this building reached 140 meters and for a long time retained the image of the tallest building in the world, which was the main reason for including it in the list of 7 wonders of the world. The whole structure consisted of three towers of different sizes. And this building could not survive due to several earthquakes, which left only ruins on this site.

And the eighth wonder of the world, which was included in this list quite recently - a snow-white marble palace, made in architectural style Mogul in India. luxury palace impresses with its grandeur and grace, thanks to which it gathers huge crowds of tourists from all over the world. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum founded by Emperor Shah Jahan in honor of his wife who died during childbirth. This new wonder of the world is equated with a symbol of eternal love and is the most beautiful and romantic building in India. The external luxury of the palace does not end at the threshold of its doors, and the interior impresses with its decoration and precious decorations.

Among the possible options for the eighth wonder of the world, such greatest structures were proposed as:

• the Chichen Itza pyramid in Mexico;
• Leaning Tower of Pisa;
• the city of Petra in Jordan;
• statue of Christ the Savior in Rio de Janeiro;
• The great Wall of China;
• Machu Picchu in Peru;
• Colosseum in Rome.

In our time, it is customary to call the wonder of the world unique artistic and technical creations, which, with their level of performance, arouse 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.

The earliest information about the seven wonders of the world was found in the writings of the ancient philosopher and scientist Herodotus. Five thousand years BC Herodotus tried to classify these wonderful and mysterious objects. The work of Herodotus, in which he described in detail the unique architectural masterpieces of the ancient world, burned down in a fire in the Library of Alexandria, like many other unique manuscripts. Only separate records in the surviving manuscripts and fragments of structures related to the seven wonders of the world, which were found as a result of archaeological excavations, have survived to this day.

In a short essay by Philo of Byzantium, entitled "On the Seven Wonders of the World", seven objects of antiquity are described on twelve pages. But the author wrote his work on the basis of the stories of others he had heard, but he himself had never seen them.

In Europe, the seven wonders of the world became known after the publication of the book Sketches in the History of Architecture. In it, the author, Fischer von Erlach, meticulously described seven unique objects of antiquity.

In Rus', the very first mention of the seven wonders of the world was found in the writings of Simeon of Polotsk, who in his notes refers to a certain Byzantine source.

The list of the most famous monuments of the ancient world includes: Egyptian pyramid in El Giza, the statue of Olympian Zeus, the Pharos Lighthouse, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus.

Pyramids of Giza.

Today, of all the listed seven wonders of the world of the ancient world, only the Great Pyramid of Cheops, located in El Giza, has survived.

For about four thousand years, the pyramid of Cheops was the most tall building. It was designed and built as the tomb of the famous pharaoh- Khufu (Cheops). The construction of the pyramid was completed in 2580 BC. Then more pyramids were built here for the grandson and son of Cheops, as well as pyramids for queens. But the Great Pyramid of Cheops is the largest of them. Archaeologists suggest that the construction of this pyramid took about 20 years and at least one hundred thousand people participated in its construction. It took 2 million stone blocks to build, each weighing at least 2.5 tons. Workers used levers, blocks and ramps to lay without mortar and fit each block together. In its completed form, the pyramid was a stepped structure. The steps were then covered with polished white limestone blocks. The blocks fit so tightly together that you can't even stick a knife blade between them. The Great Pyramid has risen up to 147 meters! The length of one side of the base of the pyramid of Cheops is 230 meters. The pyramid covers an area larger than nine football fields. The ancient Egyptians believed that if you save the body of the pharaoh, then his spirit will live on after death, so they mummified the body of Pharaoh Khufu and placed him in a burial chamber located in the center of the pyramid.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

In the sixth century BC. The Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II ordered the construction of marvelous gardens for his wife Amitis. As a Median princess, she missed her homeland in dusty and noisy Babylon, which was famous for the aromas of numerous gardens and green flowering hills. The king wanted not only to please Amitis, but also to create such a masterpiece that could glorify him.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are considered the second wonder of the world. There are chronicles that describe in great detail the gardens of the Babylonian king. According to records found, the gardens were built around 600 BC. ancient babylon was located on the banks of the Euphrates River, south of modern Baghdad. Despite the fact that the idea of ​​​​creating flowering gardens and green hills among the arid Babylonian plain was considered an unrealizable fantasy, the project of Nebuchadnezzar II nevertheless came true.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were a four-tiered pyramid, the tiers of which were both terraces and balconies. The tiers were held by powerful columns. Each of them was planted with unique plants (flowers, trees, grass and shrubs). Seeds and seedlings for gardens were brought from all over the world. Outwardly, the pyramid resembled a constantly flowering hill. Designed for gardens unique system irrigation. Around the clock, several hundred slaves turned wheels with buckets to supply plants with water.

The Babylonian gardens were truly an oasis in the hot and stuffy Babylon. It is not known why Queen Amitis was called by the name of the Assyrian queen - Semiramis, therefore the amazing gardens of Babylon were also called the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

In the 9th century BC, Alexander the Great was so captivated by the magnificence of the gardens of Babylon that he placed his residence in the palace. He loved to relax in the shade of the gardens and remember his native Macedonia. When the city fell into decay, there was no one to supply water to the gardens, all the plants died, and numerous earthquakes finally destroyed the palace. Babylon disappeared along with one of the most beautiful objects antiquity - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was created on the initiative and funding of Alexander the Great. The interior of the temple was magnificent: beautiful statues and stunning paintings created by the best artists and architects of that time. But the history of this temple began long before that. In 560 B.C. the king of Lydia Croesus (considered the richest ruler of that time) built in the city of Ephesus majestic temple in honor of the goddess of the moon Artemis, who was considered the patroness of young girls and animals. The temple was built from local building materials - marble and limestone, quarried in the nearby mountains. The main feature of the temple was the giant marble columns in the amount of 120 pieces. In the center of the temple stood a statue of the goddess Artemis. This temple was larger than the then famous Parthenon temple in Athens. He stood for two hundred years and in 356 BC. the temple was completely burned down. According to history, Herostat set fire to it, thus dreaming of becoming famous for centuries. An interesting coincidence - the temple was burned on the day when Alexander the Great was born. Years have passed. Alexander the Great visited Ephesus and ordered the restoration of the temple. The temple built by Alexander survived until the 3rd century AD. The city was dying, the bay of Ephesus was covered with silt. The temple was plundered by the Goths, flooded by numerous floods. Today, only a few blocks and one restored column can be seen on the site of the temple.

Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.

Mausolus, the ruler of Caria, managed to achieve power and acquire considerable wealth. Kariya was then part of the Persian Empire, and the city of Halicarnassus became its capital. He decided to build a tomb for himself and his queen. But, as he dreamed, the tomb should be unusual - it should become a monument to his wealth and power. Mausolus himself did not live to see the completion of this majestic object, but his widow continued to supervise the construction. The tomb was completed in 350 BC. and named it after the name of the king - Mausoleum. In the future, this name began to be given to the majestic and impressive tombs.

The mausoleum in Halicarnassus was a rectangle measuring 75x66 meters and 46 meters high. The ashes of the reigning couple were kept in golden urns placed in the tomb of the Mausoleum. Several stone lions guarded this room. A majestic temple towered above the tomb itself, surrounded by statues and columns. A step pyramid was erected on top of the building. And the whole complex was crowned with a sculptural image of a chariot, which was ruled by a reigning couple. After 18 centuries, a powerful earthquake destroyed the Mausoleum to the ground. In 1489, the ruins of the majestic tomb were used by Christian knights to build their castle. The tomb itself was ruthlessly plundered by marauders. Currently, parts of the foundation of the Mausoleum, reliefs and statues that were found during excavations are in the British Museum in London.

The Colossus of Rhodes.

The fifth wonder of the world of the ancient world is the statue of the Colossus of Rhodes. giant statue stood in port city on the island of Rhodes. The inhabitants of Rhodes considered themselves independent traders and tried not to interfere in other people's military conflicts, but they could not avoid the fact that they themselves were repeatedly conquered. In the 4th century, the people of Rhodes managed to defend their city from the invasion of warlike Greeks. To commemorate this victory, they decided to build a statue of the sun god Helios. The exact location and appearance of the statue remained unknown to us, from the annals it follows only that it was made of bronze and reached a height of thirty-three meters. To make it stable, during construction, its hollow shell was filled with stones. She was erected for 12 years! In 280 B.C. The colossus stood at full height over the bay of Rhodes. After 50 years, there was a strong earthquake, and the Colossus collapsed, breaking at the level of the knees. The local oracle demanded not to restore the statue. For 900 years, every visitor to Rhodes could look at the statue of the defeated god. In 654 AD the Syrian prince, who captured the island, removed all the bronze plates from the statue and took them to Syria.

Alexandrian lighthouse.

In the III century BC. on the island of Foros, not far from the coast of the Alexandrian bay, a lighthouse was built to help ships passing the reefs on the way to the port of Alexandria. The lighthouse, 117 meters high, consisted of three massive marble towers. At the top of one of the towers stood a statue of Zeus. At night, the lighthouse reflected flames, and during the day, a column of smoke rose above it. The lighthouse needed a large number of fuel. The tree was brought to the lighthouse by numerous mules and horses. Instead of mirrors directing light into the sea, bronze plates were used. The Foros lighthouse stood for 1500 years and was destroyed by an earthquake. On the ruins of the lighthouse, the Muslims built their military fort. This military facility still stands on the site of the Faros lighthouse.

Olympian statue of Zeus.

Three thousand years ago, Olympia was religious center Greece. At that time, the most revered Greek deity was the king of the gods - Zeus. Festivities were regularly held, including sports competitions. It is believed that the first Olympic Games were held in 776 BC. After that, competitions were held every four years for 1100 years. At the time of the games, all wars were stopped in order to allow the participants to arrive at the competition site. The citizens of Olympia decided to build a majestic temple dedicated to Zeus in the city. It took ten years to build it. The temple was supposed to have a statue of Zeus. The sculptor Phidias and his assistants first created a wooden frame for the sculpture, then covered it with ivory plates, while the god's clothes were made of gold sheets. Despite the huge amount of detail that the sculpture consisted of, it looked like a monolithic figure. Zeus sat majestically on a throne adorned with precious stones and inlaid with ebony. The statue reached a height of 13 meters, reaching the ceiling of the temple. For 800 years after its creation, the statue of Zeus at Olympia was the seventh wonder of the world. The Roman emperor Caligula wanted the statue to be moved to Rome. According to legend, when the workers sent by the emperor arrived, the statue burst into loud laughter, and the workers fled in fright. In 391 AD the Romans banned Olympic Games and closed all Greek temples. A few years later, the statue of Zeus was moved to Constantinople. In 462 AD the palace where the statue was located burned down. The temple at Olympia was destroyed by an earthquake. Mankind has lost one of its wonders - the statue of Zeus at Olympia.

It remains to be hoped that someday world technology will reach such a level that they will be able to recreate the seven wonders of the world of the ancient world. And it will be truly a tribute to the memory of generations of talented architects of antiquity, who created architectural masterpieces that have no equal in the modern world.