The Seven Wonders of Ancient World - Ancient History - See U in History

In the kingdom of Babylon around the year 600 BC, an outstanding work of architecture could be found, which would be known as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Its edification was motivated by the love of King Nebuchadnezzar II for the princess Amidas of Medea. The Babylonian king had unified the kingdoms of Babylon and Medea, and after achieving his conquests, he returned home with princess Amidas as his wife. Some accounts affirm that Amidas missed the mountains of Medea, which were covered by the most beautiful plants. But Babylon was a great plain, and its horizon was rather dull. Noticing his queen's dismayed nostalgia, the Babylonian king ordered the construction of an outstanding work of engineering. The great building then started, and a great pyramid of steps was edified, in which terraces were supported by beautiful columns. These terraces had an endless array of plants from everywhere. The garden was full of fruit trees and flowers of all colors. That construction was a source of amazement for all those who visited the capital of the Babylonian empire. And princess Amidas, while contemplating such a marvelous garden built by her husband, could feel her native land once more. Such a luxurious effort was only possible due to the economic power of the kingdom of Babylon, which was the wealthiest nation of its era. Although several historical accounts confirm the existence of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the subject is still controversial, due to the lack of Babylonian documents that prove its existence, and also the lack of archaeological findings. Little is known about what dictated the end of the imposing gardens. The number one hypothesis is earthquakes. Although this great work has vanished, the story of the beautiful Hanging Gardens, the fruit of the love between the king of Babylon and his queen, is still part of the folklore of current and future generations. Zeus, the supreme god of Greek mythology, has always been worshipped by all the Hellenic peoples. Given his paramount role in the Greek pantheon, several temples were edified in his honor. But none could match the temple at Olympia, where the magnificent statue of Zeus was kept. This statue depicted Zeus sitting on his throne, with a height of more than 13 meters. This gigantic statue was made of ebony, gold, and ivory, ornamented with gems. The statue was carved by Phidias, a remarkable Greek sculptor. He also crafted another massive statue, which represented the goddess Athena. Located in the Athenian necropolis, next to the Parthenon, the statue of Zeus held the image of the goddess of victory in one of its hands. And this deity was always alongside Zeus. In his other hand, Zeus held a scepter, with an eagle resting on its top. The eagle is the animal consecrated to the lord of the Olympian gods. The temple of Zeus in Olympia was a pilgrimage site. Thousands of Greeks traveled to the city to attend religious rituals. But many also arrived in Athens to attend the Olympic Games, which were disputed in the same period of the religious ceremonies in honor of the great god. During the period when Greece was dominated by Rome, Emperor Caligula ordered the dismantlement of the statue, so that it could be brought to Rome. Zeus' head would then be replaced by the emperor's. But the statue managed to escape unscathed, since Caligula was killed before his order could be accomplished. Over the centuries, the festivities in honor of Zeus became less important with the emergence of Christianity, and the sanctuary of Zeus fell into decay. At the end of the fourth century of the Common Era, the Roman emperor Theodosius declared Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire, and pagan practices started to be persecuted. The temple of Zeus was now regarded as an epicenter of paganism and was permanently closed. The fate of the statue is still debated by experts. Some argue that it was dismantled and taken to Constantinople, where it was destroyed in a major fire, while others claim that it was pillaged and its precious ornaments were robbed. The remainder of the statue collapsed along with the temple. The great statue of Zeus, sculpted by Phidias, was an inspiration for several other Roman sculptors who carved statues of Jupiter, the Roman counterpart of Zeus. But none was as breathtaking as the glorious statue of Zeus in Olympia. The temple, dedicated to the goddess Artemis in Ephesus, was regarded as the ancient world's largest temple. The goddess Artemis was a divinity related to hunting, wildlife, and also a lunar deity. Artemis was deeply worshipped in the Greek world, and her temples were spread throughout the Hellenic world, but the majestic Ephesian temple had no match. Located in Asia Minor, the city of Ephesus is nowadays part of Turkey, and this city had one of the most prosperous seaports of ancient times. The temple was edified in the same place where older temples had once been built. Among them was a temple founded by the Amazons, honoring the goddess Artemis, the patron goddess of woman warriors. But the temple's edification started only in 550 BC, which would later become one of the wonders of the world. The temple was completed after 10 years. It was fully built in marble and ornamented with precious metals. The outlandish temple was 113 meters long, 43 meters wide, and 13 meters high. It became a pilgrimage site for believers, and it also attracted tourists from the ancient world. But in 356 BC, the temple suffered an attack. A man who wanted his name to be remembered for eternity premeditated the fire that would destroy the temple of Artemis. The magistrates decided that the arsonist's name could not be a part of history, but the criminal's identity is known today. Nevertheless, I refuse to mention the name who committed such a vile crime only to be famous. That would be to reward him for his crime. Legends affirm that the fire only occurred because Artemis had turned her attention to Macedonia. Since, on the very same day of the fire, the baby who would one day be known as Alexander the Great was born. Many years later, Alexander ordered the reconstruction of the goddess' temple. The temple of Artemis survived for many years, even enduring the fire set by the Goths, after which the temple was restored again. But it ended up being definitively closed after the pagan persecution by the Christians. The temple's fate remains unknown. However, part of its marble blocks was used for the construction of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Although lost in time, Antipater of Sidon, who is credited with creating the list of wonders of the world, said that all other wonders lost their brightness when he admired the temple of Artemis and Ephesus. The mausoleum at Halicarnassus is the less popular of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The great mausoleum was built in the city of Halicarnassus, then the capital of the kingdom of Kyria, which was satrap of the Persian empire, located in modern Turkey. In 353 BC, the satrap Mausolus ordered the edification of a great monument that would house the ruler's tomb after his death. The best Greek architects, masons, and artists were hired for the construction of Mausolus' pharaonic tomb. The satrap Mausolus died already during the first year of the mausoleum construction, but his wife Artemisia ordered the works to proceed in order to honor her husband. Built on a hill, the mausoleum stands 45 meters high and was lined in the best white marble. The building was ornamented with sculptures and high relief depicting the centauromachy, the clash between leopards and centaurs, and also the amazonomachy, which was the struggle between the legendary king Theseus of Athens against the Amazons. Dozens of statues were found across the building's platform, and 36 ionic columns 12 meters high decorated the terrace. There was a massive statue of a chariot at the top, a four-horse chariot driven by Mausolus and his wife Artemisia by his side. An underground chamber was built to shelter the remains of Mausolus and his wife, which were deposited alongside their jewels and treasures. Then, the tomb was sealed to prevent any form of looting. The great mausoleum of Helicarnassus became a major attraction in the region, almost mandatory for ancient time travelers who passed nearby. The majestic mausoleum collapsed due to a major earthquake more than a thousand years after its construction. The crusaders who occupied the area around the 15th century used part of the mausoleum's massive blocks to strengthen the structure of the Bodrum Castle. Nowadays, it is possible to visit the archaeological site of the ruins that were once the great mausoleum of Helicarnassus. Among the many cities founded by Alexander the Great, which bear his name, the Egyptian city of Alexandria is certainly the most well-known. Located at the mouth of the Nile River, the city grew and flourished, turning itself into one of the most prosperous Mediterranean cities. Its port became one of the key trade hubs of the ancient world. After Alexander's death, the Macedonian dominions were disputed by his senior officers. The Macedonian general Ptolemy established himself as the ruler of Egypt, and the Ptolemaic dynasty started. As an Egyptian pharaoh, Ptolemy ordered the construction of a massive lighthouse on the small island of Pharos. This colossal structure would be known as the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The building had a tower height of about 130 meters, something remarkable for that time. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was one of the tallest structures in the ancient world. The construction took 12 years to be completed. Made with blocks of white granite and marble, it marveled the sailors from distant lands who docked at the port. There was a pyre at the top that burned uninterruptedly. Its flame shone at night and could be seen from a distance of more than 40 kilometers. There was also a statue of Poseidon at the top of the lighthouse, the King of the Seas, a deity greatly revered by Hellenic sailors. First owned by the government of Alexandria, it later became a Roman and Arab possession. But the lighthouse continued to stand out on the Alexandrian coast for over 1,000 years. However, several earthquakes shook the lighthouse's structure, and in 1480, the lighthouse was already totally destroyed. Taking advantage of its strategic position, the Sultan Mamluk ordered the construction of a great fortress to defend the Port of Alexandria. In 1994, an expedition of maritime archaeologists found the submerged ruins of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. In 2015, the Egyptian government approved a plan to rebuild the lighthouse and flourish tourism in a city that was once one of the most visited in the world. The Colossus of Rhodes was a gargantuan bronze statue built near the entrance of the city of Rhodes. The colossal statue depicted the titan Helios who was a sun deity of Greek mythology. Its construction happened after a massive military success. The citizens of Rhodes fought against the Macedonian domination, which had established an isolating blockade around the island of Rhodes. The Macedonian invaders tried to siege and subjugate the population of Rhodes to conquer them. The Macedonians invested a fortune in siege equipment, but to no avail. With the support provided by the pharaoh Ptolemy of Egypt, Rhodes endured the siege and expelled the Macedonians. During their retreat, the invaders left a fortune in war equipment that was promptly sold by the Rhodes government and the money was used to build a colossal statue of Helios, the city's patron god. In 292 BC, the Colossus' construction began on top of a 15-meter marble pedestal. The statue had a stone-filled brass structure, but its lining was made of iron and bronze. Most of these metals had once been weapons, shields, and armor of the Macedonian army. After 12 years, the statue was ready, and the Colossus of Rhodes, about 30 meters high, stunned the sailors from distant lands as they approached the port of Rhodes. The precise location of the statue and its stance are still a matter of debate between experts. Yet, regardless of its stance and location, the Colossus of Rhodes was indeed an imposing edification. Nonetheless, the gigantic statue collapsed after a powerful earthquake in 226 BC. The ruins were so massive that people visited Rhodes just to see the fallen Colossus. In 653, when the island of Rhodes was under Arab domination, the Caliph ordered the dismantling of the Colossus' ruins and its metals were sold. After that, the Colossus of Rhodes was confined to people's imagination. Like the lighthouse of Alexandria, there are now plans to rebuild the splendid Colossus in honor of the sun god. The new Colossus is envisioned to measure something between 120 and 150 meters of height, five times greater than the original one, and it will cost close to 300 million dollars. The new Colossus is expected to have the same impact as its predecessor, which could amaze all those who saw it for the first time. Among the wonders of the ancient world, the Pyramids of Giza are undoubtedly the number one source of curiosity and fascination. As foretold by the name, they are located in Giza, currently Egypt's third-largest city, on the western bank of the Nile, very close to the city of Cairo, the country's capital. Located in Necropolis of Giza, the Great Pyramids stand out in the landscape. The archaeological complex has several pyramids, but three of them stand out the most. The Pyramid of Cheops is the tallest with 146 meters, the Pyramid of Khafre comes second with 143 meters, while the Pyramid of Menkaure is the smallest measuring 66 meters. These massive buildings were edified as an internal resting place for the remains of the great pharaohs of ancient Egypt. The pyramids' construction occurred around 2500 BC, and they were a symbol of the apex of the era of great Egyptian constructions. The Pyramid of Cheops required about 300,000 stone blocks, with two tons each. In order to carry out such an effort, more than 30,000 Egyptians worked in the most varied activities. In addition to the workers who performed the manual tasks, architects, doctors, and artists also worked on the construction site. Contrary to what had once been the most common opinion, these colossal works were not built by slaves, but by free men for the most part, and they took 200 years to be completed. The pyramids were built with four different types of stones, alabaster, basalt, granite, and limestone. The majority of the material for the pyramids' construction came from distant quarries brought from ships sailing the Nile. Several hypotheses attempt to explain how the ancient Egyptians were able to build a work of that magnitude with such primitive technologies. That mystery is a fertile ground for all kinds of far-fetched ideas, including the theory that the pyramids were built by aliens. To conceive that such a work could only be an extraterrestrial effort is to underestimate the human capacity to invent solutions to all sorts of issues. After their completion, the pyramids of Giza were quite different from what we were accustomed to since they were lined by polished limestone. The brightness of the white limestone pyramids could be spotted from afar. However, over the centuries, this coating was removed from the pyramids and served other purposes. Likewise, the treasures, which had surely been buried with the pharaohs, disappeared as well. Next to the pyramids, there is a large stone sphinx carved to protect the necropolis. It is the world's largest statue, made from a single stone only. The Pyramid of Cheops was considered the highest man-made building until the construction of the Lincoln Cathedral in England in 1311. In the 10th century, the son of the Sultan Saladin attempted to destroy the pyramids as he deemed them to be worship symbols. Even though he spent great resources, his effort only caused minimal damage to the pyramids. The pyramids of Giza are the only constructions that remain standing among all the seven wonders of the ancient world. They are one of the most visited tourist points in the world. An old Arab proverb says, time laughs at all things, but pyramids laugh at time.