I.
Pyramid of Giza
The Pyramids on the Giza Plateau
are located on the edge of Cairo, Egypt.
The Great Pyramid at Giza is the only surviving “ancient wonder”. The
Great Pyramid took 23 years to make and was completed in 2560 B.C. It is the largest of 80 pyramids in Egypt, with
a height of 480 feet. It was covered in quality limestone, that was stripped
away to rebuild Cairo.
II.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
were created as a surprise gift from King Nebuchadnezzar II for his queen,
Amytis of Media. Babylon was a city on/near
the Euphrates River. The location of the Euphrates has changed during the last
7,000 years. It is hypothesized how the
gardens were watered.
III.
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
The statute of Zeus was created
in the first century AD. The ivory was fastened over a wood frame. A secret method was used to soften the
ivory. Special techniques were used to
shape every detail. The seated statue of
45 feet in height took seven years to create, before it was installed in the
temple at Olympia.
IV.
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
was the elaborate tomb of the Persian Satrap (governor) Mausolus (who married
his sister Artemisia). Pitheus built the 14 story building with twice life-sized
statues and various building styles from different countries. This is the first,
known, building to have a statue put on top. A fifteenth century earthquake
destroyed the mausoleum and the remaining materials were used to make cement.
V.
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
The Temple of Artemis, the second
or three built on the same site. It was commissioned by King Croesus of Lydia and
begun in 550 BC. The building was almost
twice the size of the Parthenon with 126 -60’ columns entirely of marble. It took 50 years to finish by the architect
and his son. Iron tools were used. The temple was destroyed by arson, when the
wooden roof and interior stairs burnt a column fell and the temple collapsed.
Within seven decades temple was rebuilt.1,2
VI.
The Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes was a
giant bronze statue of the sun god, hellos.
The victory statue was 120 feet tall and loomed over the harbor site.
The frame of the statue was wood and iron with rocks added inside the base for
support. It was built on-site with a 100’ sand/dirt ramp spiraling up from the
ground around it during its construction. The 225 tons of bronze plates were riveted
into place. It took 12 years to build,
lasted 56 years, and toppled in an earthquake in 226 BC. It was left broken for
900 years because of an oracle that said if it was rebuilt then Rhodes would be
destroyed.
VII.
The Pharos of Alexandria
The Pharos, lighthouse, of
Alexandria was 400+ feet high and its beam could be seen 50 miles out to
sea. It was the first skyscraper. It was built during Ptolemy II’s reign by the
Greek engineer and architect Sostratus of Cnidus. Vast furnaces were kept burning and
bronze reflectors directed the light. It
is believed that a spiral ramp inside allowed donkeys to carry the fuel for the
furnaces. A remarkable feat of
engineering considering that the walls had to withstand all the weight of
above. In 1303 an earthquake toppled the lighthouse. It is now studied by marine archeologists.
Cite: DVD The 14 Wonders of the World: Ancient and
New.
2 http://www.softschools.com/facts/wonders_of_the_world/temple_of_artemis_at_ephesus_facts/69/
