Monday, December 1, 2008

Ancient Wonders of the World

Early Greek writers wrote up list of the most important buildings in the world they knew. Of these, only the Great Pyramid have survived, but we know about the other wonders from the writer's account and the work of archaeologists.

The Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid Of Giza was made as a tomb for king Khufu who ruled Egypt from about 2551 to 2528 B.C. It is the oldest and the only one of the seven wonders to survive. The Greek and the Romans marvelled at the size of the pyramids. This pyramids stands about 135 high. Its base occupies and area of about 5 hectares.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
It was built by king Nebuchadnezzar II who ruled Babylon from 605 to 562 B.C. They say that the legendary gardens may not have existed. Babylon was located near, modern Baghdad in Iraq. "Hanging" suggest that they were series of terraces made of bricks, which are brightly coloured.

The Temple of Artemis
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Turkey was one of the largest and most complicated temples built in ancient times. The Temple was completed in 550 B.C. It was dedicated to Greek goddess, Artemis and was designed by the architect Chersiphron and his son, Metagenes. The archaeologists have found the foundations and some columns of the second temple which was built when the first temple was ruined.

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
This structure was dedicated to Zeus, the king of the Gods. It was perhaps the most famous statue in the ancient world. This enormous statue was carved by the sculptor Phidias. Archaeologists have found little remains of the temple and nothing of the statue.

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
This white-marbled tomb is located in south-western Turkey. This was the tomb of Persian ruler Mausolus. It was carved by four famous greek sculptors. After the death of the ruler, his widow built this marvellous tomb which measures 105 by 242 metre and was 43 mt high. It was damaged by an earthquake.

The Colossus of Rhodes
The huge statue of sun god Helios stood in Rhodes an island in the Aegean sea. It was made up of bronze and stood about 37 mts tall. The Greek sculptor Chares, worked 12 years on it in the early 200 B.C. But in 226 B.C., it was destroyed by an earthquake.

The Light House Of Alexandria
This was a light house off the coast of the city, Alexandria on the island of Pharos, Egypt. It was designed by the Greek architect, Sostratos. The fire burning at the top of the light house provided light. It was over 123 mts high and stood for about 1500 years. It was destroyed by an earthquake sometime in the A.D. 1300.