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SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD- the most famous monuments of sculpture and architecture, described by ancient historians and travelers, incl. “father of history” Herodotus (b. c. 484 – d. c. 425 BC) in Stories. This number includes: the ancient Egyptian pyramids (3 thousand BC), the “hanging gardens” of Babylon in Babylon (7th century BC), the mausoleum in Halicarnassus (mid-4th century BC). ), Temple of Artemis in Ephesus (Asia Minor, c. 550 BC), Colossus of Rhodes (statue of Helios on Rhodes, c. 292–280 BC), statue of Zeus in Olympia (Greece, c. 430 BC), lighthouse on the island of Pharos in Alexandria (Egypt, 3rd century BC).
Almost entirely only the pyramids have survived to this day.
Near the city of Hilla in Iraq there are ruins of vaulted structures: apparently, “hanging gardens” were laid out on their roofs.
The British Museum in London contains fragments of sculpture from the Halicarnassus Mausoleum (sculptors Scopas, Timothy, Briaxis, Leochares). From the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus (Ionian dipter), rebuilt by architect. Heirokrat, the foundations have been preserved.
Other “wonders of the world” are known only from images and descriptions.
Ancient Egyptian pyramids
– structures for the burial of pharaohs, evidence of the high engineering art of 3 thousand BC, are located in Giza, near Cairo. In ancient times, all three pyramids were considered a “miracle”: Cheops (Khufu), Khafre (Khafre), Mikerin (Menkaure). The largest was built for Pharaoh Cheops. Its height is 137.2 m (originally 146.6 m), the length of each side at the base is 230.38 m, it is made of 2,340,000 limestone blocks, each of which weighed more than 50 centners and was supported by its own weight, without any fastenings . During construction, primitive tools were used (diorite hammers, copper saws and axes, tools made of polished stone), but the blocks were so skillfully processed that the gaps between them did not exceed 0.5 mm. From the outside, the pyramid was lined with white polished limestone and seemed to be a single monolith; the entrance was walled up. Inside there was an extensive network of passages, some leading to the pharaoh’s burial chamber, others to traps. In one of the chambers inside the pyramid (10.6 × 5.7 m) the sarcophagus of the pharaoh made of red granite was preserved.
The second largest is the Pyramid of Khafre, whose height is 136 m (originally 143.5 m). Around the pyramids were the burial places of the pharaohs' wives, entourage, temples, and a Sphinx carved from a whole rock with the face of the pharaoh.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Mausoleum in Halicarnassus.
The Colossus of Rhodes.
Residents of Rhodes decided to erect a monument in honor of the victory of 304 BC. over the Macedonian king Demetrius I. Approx. 290 BC At the entrance to the port of Rhodes, a giant statue of the sun god Helios, the patron saint of the island, was installed, called the colossus (Greek kolossos - large statue) of Rhodes. The sculptor Chares from the Rhodian city of Lindus, a student of Lysippos, cast an almost 40-meter statue in bronze, decorated with the inscription: “The colossus you are looking at, 80 cubits high (approx. 32 m), was created by Chares, born in Linda.” No image of this statue has survived, so there are many assumptions about what it looked like. There are two most reliable ones: the statue could stand in the harbor, the god Helios, depicted in full growth, held a torch in his hands, ships sailed between his widely spaced legs; the statue could stand in the center of the city on a high marble pedestal, raising its right hand to its forehead, peering into the distance.
According to Pliny's story, 500 talents of bronze (13 tons) and 300 talents of iron (7.8 tons) were spent on making the statue. The colossus was cast in parts, which were raised using earthen embankments. The basis for the statue was stone blocks held together with iron. The face and crown with seven rays were gilded. The construction of the Colossus lasted 12 years, and it existed for about 60 years. After 220 BC A devastating earthquake struck the island and the statue collapsed to the ground. Repeated and unsuccessful attempts were made to restore the Colossus. But even the fragments lying on the ground evoked admiration and amazement. In 977, the Arabs who captured the island sold the bronze fragments, which were melted down. Thus, traces of the famous Colossus, the short-lived “wonder of the world”, were destroyed.
Zeus statue in Olympia.
In Olympia, one of the main sanctuaries of Greece, the architect Libo of Elis built a majestic temple (mid-5th century BC) dedicated to the god Zeus. The Doric temple, larger in size than all the temples of that time (27.68 × 64.12 m), was built of limestone blocks, decorated with painted marble pediments (on one there is a depiction of the competition between Pelops and Oenomaus, on the other there is a battle between the Lapiths and the centaurs) and metopes (depiction of the labors of Hercules). Inside was a statue of Zeus, approx. 13 m, executed by Phidias approx. 430 BC At the foot of the sculpture was carved the inscription: “The Athenian Phidias, son of Charmides, created me.” Zeus sat on a luxurious throne, his upper body was naked, the lower part was draped in a cloak, on his head was a wreath of olive tree branches, in one hand he held a figurine of the goddess of victory - Nike, in the second - a rod crowned with an image of an eagle, the sacred bird of Zeus . The sculpture was made using the chrysoelephantine technique (from the Greek “chrysos” - gold, “elephantine” - ivory). Plates of gold and ivory were attached to the wooden sculpture: the open parts of the body of Zeus and Nike were made of ivory, the clothes and wreath were made of gold. The throne was also made of gold and ivory: the back, armrests and foot were decorated with ivory reliefs and gold images of gods and goddesses. Zeus's feet were shod in golden sandals and stood on a bench decorated with golden lions.
In 393 the Olympic Games were banned by Emperor Theodosius I as a pagan cult. By that time, according to some reports, the statue was stolen in parts by robbers. There is a legend that in 475, by order of Theodosius II, the statue of Zeus was transported from Olympia to Constantinople and soon died in a fire. Only descriptions of the statue and images on coins have survived.
Alexandrian lighthouse.
In Alexandria, the new capital of Egypt, founded in 332–331 BC. Alexander the Great built a majestic palace, parks and gardens. Here was the tomb of Alexander the Great, the Museion - an institution at the Temple of the Muses, where scientists and poets lived, and the famous Library of Alexandria, which housed about 500,000 scrolls. Famous mathematicians (Euclid), scientists, doctors, and astronomers lived in Alexandria. It was a major cultural center of that time. There, for the safe approach of ships to the city, the architect Sostratus built the Alexandria Lighthouse (c. 280 BC). A huge three-story tower 120 m high was located on the eastern shore of the island. Pharos. On the wall of the lighthouse there was an inscription carved: “Sostratus, son of Dexiphanes of Cnidus, dedicated to the savior gods for the sake of sailors.” The first floor, rectangular in plan, made of large limestone slabs (the length of each wall is 30.5 m), was oriented to the cardinal points. The second floor - an octagonal tower, lined with marble slabs - was oriented in the direction of the eight main winds. This part of the lighthouse was decorated with bronze statues, some of which served as weather vanes indicating the direction of the wind. The third lantern floor was round in shape and ended with a dome on which stood a bronze statue of Poseidon (Zeus), about 7 m high. The dome rested on granite columns. Here the lighthouse fire burned, the light of which was intensified by reflecting it in a system of metal concave mirrors, and was visible from afar. Fuel for the fire was carried upstairs by loaded donkeys along a spiral, gently sloping staircase. The lighthouse also served as a fortress, where a large garrison was located, an observation post to detect the enemy, and in the underground part there was a tank with drinking water in case of a siege.
The lighthouse stood for almost a thousand years, but in 796 it was severely destroyed by an earthquake. Later, the Arabs who came to Egypt tried to restore it: until the 14th century. the height of the lighthouse was only about 30 m. At the end of the 15th century. Sultan Qait Bey erected a fortress on the site of the lighthouse, which still stands today.
Last week, I went to visit my mother, and found my old children’s encyclopedia “7 Wonders of the World” from her, flipped through it with nostalgia, and finally decided to make a post about the wonders of the world, because today there are many more than 7 wonders of the world.
To begin with, I propose to recall these “7 wonders” of antiquity.
The only miracle that has survived to this day. Construction, which lasted twenty years, began around 2560 BC. e. Excavation data from January 2010 confirm the theory that the pyramids were built by civilian workers. Up to 10 thousand people were simultaneously employed at the construction site, with workers working in shifts of three months. It is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids of the necropolis of the city of Giza.
Initially, the Cheops pyramid rose to 147 meters, but due to the advance of sands, its height decreased to 137 meters.
The Cheops Pyramid consists of 2,300,000 cubic blocks of limestone with smoothly polished sides. Each block weighs on average 2.5 tons, and the heaviest is 15 tons, the total weight of the pyramid is 5.7 million tons.
Confirmation of the inexplicably high knowledge of the Egyptians in the field of astronomy and civil engineering is the location of the Cheops pyramid in relation to the cardinal points: the pyramid almost unmistakably points to the true north. As a result of precise measurements carried out in 1925, an incredible fact was established: the error in its position was only 3 minutes 6 seconds.
The base area of the pyramid is comparable to the area of 10 football fields.
We can talk for a long time about the pyramids shrouded in myths and legends, their labyrinths and traps, mummies and treasures, but we’ll leave that to Egyptologists. For us, the Cheops Pyramid is one of the greatest structures of mankind throughout its existence and, of course, the only First Wonder of the World that has survived to this day from the depths of centuries.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Babylon)
The city has long ceased to exist, but even today the ruins testify to its grandeur. In the 7th century BC. Babylon was the largest and richest city of the Ancient East. There were many amazing structures in Babylon, but most striking were the hanging gardens of the royal palace - gardens that became a legend.
the famous “Hanging Gardens” were not created by Semiramis and not even during her reign, but later, in honor of another - non-legendary - woman. They were built by order of King Nebuchadnezzar for his beloved wife Amytis, a Median princess who, in dusty Babylon, yearned for the green hills of Media.
This king, who destroyed city after city and even entire states, built a lot in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar turned the capital into an impregnable stronghold and surrounded himself with luxury unparalleled even in those times.
The design of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was a pyramid with a base (43x35 meters), which consisted of four tiers mounted on twenty-five-meter columns. The surface of each tier was covered with a layer of reeds (reeds), stone blocks held together with gypsum and lead plates, on which a thick layer of fertile soil was poured. All these measures helped to preserve water for plants for as long as possible, of which there was very little in Babylon.
The height of the structure was almost thirty meters! Trees, flowers, soil - all this was brought in carts drawn by oxen. Water was supplied through pipes from the Euphrates River. To do this, hundreds of slaves turned a huge wheel installed in one of the towers around the clock.
Zeus statue in Olympia
The statue of Olympian Zeus is the work of Phidias. An outstanding work of ancient sculpture, one of the seven wonders of the world. It was located in the temple of Olympian Zeus, in Olympia - a city in the region of Elis. Construction of the temple took about 10 years. But the statue of Zeus did not appear in it right away. The Greeks decided to invite the famous Athenian sculptor Phidias to create a statue of Zeus.
Ancient Roman sculpture "Seated Zeus", Phidias type. Hermitage Gold covered the cape that covered part of Zeus’s body, the scepter with an eagle, which he held in his left hand, the statue of the goddess of victory - Nike, which he held in his right hand, and a wreath of olive branches on Zeus’s head. Zeus's feet rested on a stool supported by two lions. The reliefs of the throne glorified, first of all, Zeus himself. Four dancing Nikes were depicted on the legs of the throne. Centaurs, lapiths, the exploits of Theseus and Hercules, and frescoes depicting the battle of the Greeks with the Amazons were also depicted. The base of the statue was 6 meters wide and 1 meter high. The height of the entire statue together with the pedestal was, according to various sources, from 12 to 17 meters. Zeus's eyes were the size of an adult's fist.
Temple of Artemis of Ephesus (Ephesus)
Several hundred years BC, when Ephesus was at the zenith of its glory, the inhabitants decided to build a large temple. By that time, the city was already about 600 years old, it was rich and powerful, growing and prospering under the patronage of the goddess Artemis, sister of Apollo and daughter of Zeus - known in Roman mythology as Diana the Huntress. Artemis was also considered the goddess of the moon and helped women during childbirth.
The place for the new, majestic and grandiose temple in the part of the goddess was chosen as sacred - even in ancient times, religious rituals took place there. The townspeople decided not to spare either money or time, and also attracted wealthy construction sponsors from other regions of the country.
The finished temple was magnificent, and was constantly decorated with new decorative elements - after all, Ephesus was a very rich city. Historical data is contradictory, but it is mentioned that the temple had many bronze statues, the interior was decorated with gold and silver, the statue of the goddess herself was made of ivory and gold, and trimmed with ebony.
It is noteworthy that in those days the temple was not only a religious building, but also a financial and business center. The souvenir business also flourished: not far from the temple, original souvenirs - its smaller copies - were successfully sold. Scientists still have not figured out which temple was considered a wonder of the world - rebuilt or burned by Herostratus
mausoleum in Halicarnassus
The Mausoleum in Halicarnassus is a wonderful monument of ancient Greek architectural art, which went down in the history of ancient culture as one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World. Our contemporaries generally believe that the mausoleum is the tomb of great leaders.
The builders placed the tomb in the peripterus - a building framed by a colonnade of 11-meter columns. To support the roof of the mausoleum, 36 columns were needed. The spaces between the columns were filled with various statues of mythological figures, and the roof looked like a step pyramid with 24 steps. Its crown was a marble quadriga, that is, an antique chariot with four horses harnessed to it. Huge statues of Mausolus and Artemisia were placed in the chariot, playing the role of charioteers. This magnificent sculpture reached a height of 6 m. In the tomb room there were marble sarcophagi intended for the royal couple. The foot of the mausoleum was decorated with sculptures of horsemen and marble lions.
In general, the history of the Halicarnassus mausoleum is eventful. At one time, he survived the conquest of the city by Alexander the Great, and even withstood the attack of pirates who set their sights on Halicarnassus at the beginning of the 1st century. However, after the Maltese attacked the mausoleum and took away stone and marble slabs from it, only the foundation remained of the majestic structure.
Colossus of Rhodes (Rhodes)
The colossus was the name given to a giant statue that stood in the port city of Rhodes, an island in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of modern Turkey. In ancient times, the people of Rhodes wanted to be independent traders.
The colossus grew on the shore of the harbor on an artificial hill lined with white marble. For twelve years no one saw the statue, because as soon as the next belt of bronze sheets was attached to the frame, the embankment surrounding the colossus was added to make it more convenient for the craftsmen to climb up. And only when the embankment was removed, the Rhodians saw their patron god, whose head was adorned with a radiant crown.
The sparkling god was visible many kilometers from Rhodes, and soon rumors about him spread throughout the ancient world. But half a century later, a strong earthquake that destroyed Rhodes knocked the colossus to the ground; the most vulnerable point of the statue was the knees. This is where the expression “colossus with feet of clay” comes from.
So the colossus lay on the shore of the bay - the main tourist attraction of the island. The defeated giant was seen by Pliny the Elder, who came there in the first century AD. What struck Pliny most was that only a few people could wrap their hands around the thumb of the statue.
The colossus lying on the ground was overgrown with cobwebs and legends. In eyewitness accounts, he seemed much larger than he actually was. Legends appeared in Roman literature that it originally towered over the entrance to the harbor and was so large that ships passed between its legs to the city.
Alexandria Lighthouse (Pharos)
The Lighthouse of Alexandria (Faros Lighthouse) is one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, built in the 3rd century BC. e. on the small island of Pharos off the coast of the Egyptian city of Alexandria. It was a busy port founded by Alexander the Great during his visit to Egypt in 332 BC. e.
The Alexandria Lighthouse was the world's first lighthouse and the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World that served a practical purpose, helping ships safely pass the reefs on their way to Alexandria Bay. The lighthouse, according to various estimates, rose to a height of 120 to 140 meters, and the light it emitted could be visible at a distance of up to 60 km.
The lighthouse stood for almost a thousand years, but by the 12th century AD. e., the Alexandria Bay became so silted that ships could no longer use it and the lighthouse fell into disrepair. Abandoned, it stood for some time, until in 796 AD. e. it was not destroyed by an earthquake. At the end of the 15th century. Sultan Qait Bey erected a fortress from the rubble on the site of the lighthouse, which was subsequently rebuilt more than once.
These are the miracles that were described in my book. The same ones: 7 wonders. But time does not stand still, and now there are many more such miracles. It seems to me that they are also worthy of our attention...
New 7 wonders of the world
Great Wall of China (China)
The Great Wall of China is one of the oldest architectural monuments in China and a symbol of the power of Chinese civilization. There is probably not a single civilized person in the world who has not heard of the Great Wall of China. It stretches from the Liaodong Gulf northeast of Beijing through Northern China to the Gobi Desert.
Construction took 10 years and faced numerous difficulties. The main problem was the lack of appropriate infrastructure for construction: there were no roads, there was no adequate water and food for those involved in the work, while their number reached 300 thousand people, and the total number of builders involved under Qin reached, according to some estimates, 2 million. Slaves, soldiers, and peasants were involved in the construction. As a result of epidemics and overwork, at least tens of thousands of people died. Outrage against the mobilization for the construction of the wall caused popular uprisings and served as one of the reasons for the fall of the Qin dynasty.
Probably, no creation of human hands amazes the imagination as much as the Great Wall of China - the most grandiose and longest architectural and fortification structure on the planet. The wall is not just impressive - it is stunning. First of all, the titanic labor invested in it and its prohibitive size. Truly, only the Chinese, organized and hardworking like ants, could endure this. In China they say that a good half of their history lies in the Great Wall of China - it was built by different generations and dynasties over more than two thousand years, and all the country’s wars are connected with it in one way or another.
Christ the Redeemer Statue (Rio de Janeiro)
One of the most famous statues in the world and certainly the most recognizable in Brazil is the statue of Christ the Redeemer. Installed on Mount Corcovado at an altitude of more than 700 meters, she looks at the huge city below her with outstretched arms in a gesture of blessing. The Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro, due to its fame, attracts millions of tourists to Mount Corcovado. From its height there is a beautiful view of the city of ten million with its bays, beaches, and the Maracana stadium.
The height of the statue is 38 m, including the pedestal - 8 m; arm span - 28 m. Weight - 1145 tons. Being the highest point in the area, the statue regularly (on average four times a year) becomes the target of lightning. The Catholic diocese specially keeps a supply of the stone from which the statue was built to restore parts of the statue damaged by lightning
The statue of Christ the Redeemer is without a doubt one of the main symbols not only of Rio de Janeiro, but of all of Brazil. Many tourists visit the statue every year. Mount Corcovado experiences a particularly large influx of visitors during the traditional annual carnival, which is held in Rio de Janeiro. Definitely, this grandiose monument is one of the greatest works of sculpture in the world.
Colosseum (Rome)
amphitheater, an architectural monument of Ancient Rome, the most famous and one of the most grandiose buildings of the ancient world that have survived to this day. Located in Rome, in the hollow between the Esquiline, Palatine and Caelian hills.
The construction of the largest amphitheater in the entire ancient world, with a capacity of over 50 thousand people, took place over eight years as a collective construction of the emperors of the Flavian dynasty. It began to be built in 72 AD. under Emperor Vespasian, and in 80 AD. The amphitheater was consecrated by Emperor Titus. The amphitheater was located on the site where there was a pond that belonged to the Golden House of Nero.
For a long time, the Colosseum was for the residents of Rome and visitors the main place for entertainment spectacles, such as gladiator fights, animal persecution, and naval battles.
The opening of the Colosseum was marked by 100 days of entertainment. During this time, several thousand warriors and 5 thousand wild animals brought from Africa died in gladiatorial tournaments. The theater's arena had a sliding floor that raised and lowered, and with the help of a water supply connected to the Colosseum, the stage was filled with water and naval battles were staged. Up to 3,000 gladiators could fight in the arena at the same time, and 50 thousand spectators, frantically demanding “bread and circuses,” tensely watched the bloody battles, chariot races and theatrical performances. The scale of the celebrations dedicated to the opening of the Colosseum could only be matched by the bloody celebration of the 1000th anniversary of Rome in 248, when dozens of lions, tigers, leopards, elephants, giraffes, horses, donkeys and hyenas were killed in just 3 days. The 1000th anniversary of the “eternal city” became the last day of life for 2000 gladiators.
Machu Picchu (Peru)
A city of ancient America, located on the territory of modern Peru. Machu Picchu is also often called “the city in the sky” or “the city among the clouds”, sometimes called the “lost city of the Incas”. This city was created as a sacred mountain retreat by the great Inca ruler Pachacutec a century before the conquest of his empire, around 1440, and functioned until 1532, when the Spanish invaded the Inca Empire. In 1532, all its inhabitants mysteriously disappeared.
Due to its modest size, Machu Picchu cannot claim to be a large city - it has no more than 200 buildings. These are mainly temples, residences, warehouses and other premises for public needs. For the most part they are made of well-processed stone, slabs tightly fitted to each other. It is believed that up to 1,200 people lived in and around it, who worshiped the sun god Inti there and cultivated crops on the terraces. For more than 400 years, this city was forgotten and was in desolation.
Machu Picchu, especially after receiving UNESCO World Heritage status, has become a center of mass tourism. In 2011, it was decided to limit the number of visitors. According to new rules, only 2,500 tourists per day can visit Machu Picchu, of which no more than 400 people can climb Mount Wayna Picchu, which is part of the archaeological complex. In order to preserve the monument, UNESCO requires that the number of tourists per day be reduced to 800. Machu Picchu is located in a remote region.
City of Petra (Jordan)
The city of Petra in Jordan is located in the heart of the desert. This place is the heritage of an ancient culture. Built more than two thousand years ago, it is of great value for admirers of ancient architecture and art. This ancient miracle city stretches along a winding valley formed among the rocks, on a site that was a river bed in ancient times. Steps carved into the rocks lead to an innumerable number of structures - monuments, necropolises, reservoirs, altars. More than eight hundred monuments of Petra have survived to this day.
Petra's surviving structures include rock-cut temples, dwellings, tombs, reservoirs, aqueducts and altars. If you approach the city along the es-Siq gorge, the first large monument that opens up to your gaze is el-Khazneh - a temple located in a solid rock with a two-tiered façade approx. 20 m.
A mysterious people who have reached unattainable architectural heights are the Nabateans. Without exaggeration, we can say that the best reminder that they left about themselves to their descendants and which speaks about them better than any chronicles is a windswept pink rock masterpiece, hidden by them among the inaccessible mountains.
Pyramid of Kukulcan (Mexico)
25 meters high with nine levels, located in the center of a large square. The base of the pyramid is a square with sides of 55.5 meters. On each side of the pyramid there are four wide staircases, each with 91 steps. And these stairs lead to the upper platform on which the temple is located.
The northern staircase of the pyramid ends with snake heads - a symbol of Kukulkan, because translated from the Mayan language, Kukulkan is a feathered serpent.
Exactly at 17:15, the light show begins - the sun's rays, when going around the ledges of the pyramid on the days of the equinox, through the play of light and shadows, depict the image of a revived ancient god. This effect lasts for 3 hours and 22 minutes. The sun goes lower and the image becomes clearer. Soon the seven curves of the body of the Solar Serpent appear - they are formed by the shadows of the seven ledges of the pyramid. The sun goes down - and the snake also slides, lower and lower. And below, at the foot of the pyramid, the head of the image coincides with the real stone sculptured head of the serpent, which ends the northern staircase of the pyramid.
The ancient builders of the Mayan tribe were simply brilliant, being able to calculate the parameters so accurately at that time and placing the walls of the pyramid strictly along the cardinal points. The Kukulcan Pyramid has some astronomical significance. Each of its staircases has 91 steps, and the total number of steps is 364, plus the upper platform step at the base of the temple, for a total of 365 - a number corresponding to the number of days in a year. And the side parts of the structure are divided in accordance with the number of months in the Mayan calendar - into eighteen sections.
Taj Mahal (India)
The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum-mosque located in Agra, India, on the banks of the Jamna River (the architects were probably Ustad-Isa and others). Built by order of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth (Shah Jahan himself was later buried here). Although the white marble dome of the mausoleum is the most famous component, the Taj Mahal is a structurally integrated complex. The building began to be built around 1632 and was completed in 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The management of the construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a Council of Architects under imperial control, including Abd ul-Karim Mamur Khan, Makramat Khan and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lakhauri is usually considered the main designer.
Majestic, divine, shining, and, despite its 74-meter height, so light and airy that it is like a fairy-tale dream, the Taj Mahal mausoleum rises in the valley of the Yamuna River - the most beautiful architectural creation of India, and, perhaps, of the whole earth... White marble domes soar high into the sky - one large and four small ones, in the chaste outlines of which one can guess the female form. Reflected in the motionless surface of an artificial canal, the Taj Mahal seems to float in front of us, representing an example of extraterrestrial beauty and perfect harmony... But it is not only architectural perfection that attracts millions of travelers from all over the world to the Taj Mahal. The story of its origin makes no less impression on the hearts of people... A story more like an oriental fairy tale or legend that any poet would envy...
Seven Wonders of the World, photos and descriptions of unique architectural structures show the greatness of ancient history.
The ancient era, with its greatest cultural and historical monuments, laid the foundation for the outstanding creations of mankind, which continue the legacy with new discoveries and genuine miracles.
What are the wonders of the world, how many of them exist, what are they, why is the word “miracle” used in relation to them, what significance do these objects have for world history and culture - we will try to answer these questions, as well as give a definition , a brief description and provide photographs of those that exist in the 21st century.
Since the times of Ancient Hellas, it has been customary to call a wonder of the world an ancient work of architecture and art, which has no equal in beauty, majestic size, precious decoration and originality.
There were 7 such miracles in the ancient world. Who hasn’t heard about the Eighth Wonder of the World? Probably everything. Can you name him? List them and you will see that there are only seven of them in our time. Not a single list or table in the textbook contains it. And all because the 8th wonder of the world does not officially exist - it is just an expression designed to evaluate something truly amazing and grandiose, or... to emphasize the extraordinary curiosity of some phenomenon or incident.
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7 wonders of the world - list
So what's included in the list:
- - the age is about 4.5 thousand years, every day crowds of tourists visit this attraction of Egypt.
- - an amazing and unusual gift made by a husband for his beloved wife. Beautiful, green gardens full of exotic plants, birds and animals grew among the dusty Babylon.
- Zeus statue in Olympia- only this miracle was located on the territory of continental Europe. The Olympic Games had been held for 300 years, and only then did the construction of the majestic and main temple begin.
- Temple of Artemis of Ephesus- a beautiful building, burned to “glorify” the name.
- mausoleum in Halicarnassus- stood in its place for quite a long time - nineteen centuries.
- The Colossus of Rhodes- a huge statue of the sun god, whom the people worshiped.
- Alexandrian lighthouse- not just a lighthouse, but a fortress city, on the top of which a fire burned day and night. Firewood was transported by mullahs along a winding road inside the structure.
Detailed description of the seven wonders
The Pyramid of Cheops
The first wonder of the world is the Pyramid of Cheops. The ancient heritage of Egypt is located in the northwestern part of Cairo. The location points to 4 parts of the world and shows the unique precision of the structure. The greatest Egyptian wonder of the world took 20 years to build. The labor of about a million slaves was used for its construction, whose work continued even after the death of Pharaoh Cheops.
The base area of the pyramid reaches 53,000 square meters. m, and the height at the end of construction reached 147 m. You can get inside the tomb of the pharaoh only through one entrance, which is located above the ground at a level of 15.5 m.
It is worth noting: Caliph Abdullah Al-Mamun decided to disturb the chambers of the pharaoh, who built a tunnel into the pyramid with the intention of profit, but in the end did not find any treasures.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The second wonder of the world is the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. They present a luxurious gift from Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian ruler, for his beloved wife. Subsequently, the wealth and splendor of the city were destroyed by flood. The structures and buildings where the gardens grew were washed away and broken under the influence of a powerful water flow.
The attraction confuses contemporaries about its location. Many archaeological scientists have made repeated attempts to find traces of this ancient phenomenon.
Zeus statue in Olympia
The third wonder of the world - the majestic Zeus was a masterpiece of jewelers. The author is the great master of that time - Phidias. Wonders of the World, described on Wikipedia, say that the author spent about 10 years creating his creation. To date, the exact dimensions of the statue have not been determined; it is believed that the approximate height was 12-18 m.
The pedestal for the throne was of impressive size and was decorated with fragments from the Olympic Games and the lives of the gods. On it sat a bare-chested Thunderer, supported at his feet by two lions. On the body there is a golden cloak with images of animals and plants. There is a wreath on his head, the Thunderer holds a scepter in one hand, and a golden statue of the Goddess of Victory in the other.
Temple of Artemis of Ephesus
The fourth wonder of the world is the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus. The ancient pilgrimage center is located in Turkey. It was built by the forces of the Amazons, who were considered the founders of the city. Soon the city was burned by Herostratus. In the 6th century, a new building project led by Hersiphron included white marble columns.
Its construction lasted 120 years and was carried out according to the same project, with the preliminary collection of funds and jewelry from the townspeople.
Good to know: On the day of the fire of the temple, Alexander III the Great was born, and the phrase “Gerostratus’s glory” turned into a symbol of a bad deed.
mausoleum in Halicarnassus
The fifth wonder of the world is the mausoleum at Halicarnassus. Governor Mavsol built his tomb under his personal supervision. The three-level mausoleum rose 46 meters. The lower level was faced with marble. It contained the tomb of the king. The next level featured a colonnade supporting the roof, creating a pyramidal shape.
The top was personified by the figures of King Mausolus with Artemisia, in a chariot with 4 horses.
The Colossus of Rhodes
The sixth wonder of the world is the Colossus of Rhodes. The islanders of Rhodes erected a monument to their patron Helios in gratitude for the victory against the invaders. The monument is the personification of the freedom and independence of the island’s inhabitants. The construction of the statue took 12 years. According to numerous descriptions of contemporaries, the Colossus was located on an embankment, which was a kind of gateway to the city. In one hand the young man held the flaming fire of Helios.
The height of the statue reached 36 m. The supporting pillars of the structure turned out to be unreliable and, just 65 years later, collapsed as a result of an earthquake. The statue of the Colossus of Rhodes is a wonder of the world that lasted less than all the others.
It is worth noting: the fragile structures later became known as the “Colossus with Feet of Clay.”
Alexandrian lighthouse
The seventh wonder of the world is the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The tower got its name from the city of the same name, located near the island of Pharos. The lighthouse fulfilled its direct role, illuminating the path of ships lost to the shore with flame at night. The designer of the gigantic structure of 140 meters was Sostratus of Knidos.
Consisting of several tiers, the lighthouse served as housing for sailors and port workers. At the top of the octagonal tower there was a light source - a large fire. The unique creation lasted until the 15th century, when an earthquake completely destroyed it.
Note: the second name of the lighthouse is Zeus the Savior.
Who first described the 7 wonders of the world
The founder of the work “On the Seven Wonders of the World” was Philo of Byzantium. His short 12-page essay consists of eyewitness accounts of unique buildings.
Philo of Byzantium did not see any of the described miracles with his own eyes, and wrote about them from the stories of others
Information about the life and work of the great engineer and poet consists of small facts that are famous for their great discoveries. The wonders of the world were described by many talented authors: Herodotus, Strabo, Pausanias, Sequester, Cassiodorus, etc. However, they did not have a single idea and uniquely defined unique monuments.
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
The famous wonders of the world that have come into our lives constitute the wonders of the ancient world. Why are there not five or six wonders of the world... but 7?
"7" is a number associated with the sacred god Apollo, signifying completeness and perfection in the minds of ancient civilization.
Compiles a list of venerable rulers of the ancient century. Based on their significance, grandiose monuments of that time were created.
Each monument on the list is the embodiment of architectural art. From the beginning of the Hellenic era, writings about unique monuments were distributed on papyri by Greek authors. They were widely studied at school and served as a teaching aid.
How many wonders of the world have survived to this day?
Only one Cheops pyramid has been completely preserved to this day. The Egyptian miracle of antiquity still holds the secrets of its great ancestors. At the moment, this is the largest architectural structure made of stone, reaching 137 m. During its existence, it decreased by almost 10 m.
Architectural sights, interesting to many researchers in the world and constituting the wonders of the ancient world, have been preserved partially or in the form of a copy:
- The lighthouse of Alexandria was destroyed by an earthquake and could not be restored. To date, only the fortress has survived.
- A copy of Zeus is on display in the Hermitage. This is the tallest ancient sculpture of our time with a height of 3.5 m.
- Having existed for 19 centuries, the mausoleum in Halicarnassus was destroyed by an earthquake. The tombs of Artemisia and Mausolus are in the British Museum.
- Only the German historian Robert Koldewey managed to discover the Gardens of Babylon over 18 years of excavations. The buildings of Ancient Babylon and the structures surrounding the gardens were found.
Seven Wonders of the World of Our Time
On July 7, 2007, a list of 7 modern wonders of the world was compiled. We will give a description and present a photo of each object that is included in the list, which was called the UNESCO World Heritage List.
the great Wall of China
The construction of the greatest defensive structure began in the 3rd century BC, and now it is still fraught with many legends. During construction, the main goals were pursued: protecting the territory from the Mongol invasion and creating a guarantee of the protection of one state from another. Lack of attention to the great structure gradually destroyed it in some places. Since the end of the twentieth century, a large-scale restoration of architecture began.
The year 1997 was marked by inclusion in the status of a miracle of the modern world. The architectural structure extends for almost 9 thousand km and has a height of 6 to 10 meters.
Do you know that: the construction of the wall led to tens of thousands of deaths due to hard labor and epidemics.
Statue of Christ the Redeemer
The famous symbol of the Brazilian people is located at the very top of Mount Corcovado. Rising above the city with outstretched arms, Christ the Redeemer, with his 38-meter height, seems to embrace all the inhabitants of the metropolis, and at the same time, he warmly welcomes guests from afar.
The construction of the monument is timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of independence. All residents of the country collected funds for the construction. The detailed production of the statue took place in France.
Taj Mahal
The pinnacle of the Mongolian architectural style is the snow-white palace, located on the banks of the Jumna. Construction took two decades and it was built by the middle of the 17th century.
The mausoleum contains the tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, a descendant of Tamerlane. The presence of four minarets along the edges of the palace helps protect the tombs from tremors and destruction.
Coliseum
The largest amphitheater of the ancient era seats more than 50 thousand people. The beginning of construction during the Flavian dynasty lasted 8 years. In the 8th century, due to its impressive size, it began to be called.
At the beginning of their existence, gladiators practiced their art in the arena of the amphitheater. After the plunder by barbarians and the earthquake of the 14th century, the Colosseum was literally taken away brick by brick. Only since the 18th century has the building been protected as an important architectural mega-object.
Machu Picchu
This is the nickname for the city in the sky, which is located at an altitude of about 2500 m above the sea. Previously it was the residence of the emperor. The almost untouched ancient city architecture did not suffer from the attacks of the Spanish conquerors.
The clear structure of the city is a delightful architectural design. However, little is known about the urban population and the city.
Petra
Jordanian Petra is a city in the rock, located above the sea at a level of 900 meters. The road to it is laid through a natural gorge, which serves as city walls.
The remaining ruins of houses built using the traditional stone method stretch for kilometers. Ed-Deir is a 45-meter monastery carved into the rock. The main attraction - the El-Khazneh mausoleum - still preserves the legend of countless treasures. Previously, the city served as a trade route, connecting Damascus and the Red Sea regions.
Note: The Indiana Jones adventure film was filmed in Petra.
Chichen Itza
Mexico is famous for the legendary city with a name reminiscent of legumes, which, among other things, are loved by the locals. Chichen Itza - a Mayan civilization, has a 24-meter pyramid, the Temple of Kukulcan, which has 365 steps.
There are as many steps in a year as there are days. The natural well located is the Sacred Cenote. Its depth is “deadly” - 50 m. Previously it was used for the ritual of sacrifice. It is known that living people were thrown into the cenote. Now tourists swim in it.
The change of civilizations leaves behind a grandiose heritage of architecture, which has been partially preserved to this day. The question - how many wonders of the world there are in the world and what they are - can now be answered definitely. The appearance of new wonders is evidence that there are still many mysterious places in the world to study and recognize their significance for all humanity.
We bring to your attention an interesting film about the seven wonders of the ancient world:
Nowadays, it is customary to call unique artistic and technical creations a wonder of the world, which, due to their level of performance, evoke 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 works 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 in a fire in the Library of Alexandria, like many other unique manuscripts. Only isolated entries in 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 small work 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 based on the stories he heard from others, but he himself never saw them.
In Europe, they learned about the Seven Wonders of the World after the publication of the book “Sketches on 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 works 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: the Egyptian pyramid at 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 ancient world, only the Great Pyramid of Cheops, located in El Giza, has survived.
For about four thousand years, the Cheops pyramid was the tallest structure. It was designed and built as the tomb of the most famous pharaoh - Khufu (Cheops). 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 the 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 took part in its construction. The construction required 2 million stone blocks, each weighing at least 2.5 tons. Workers used levers, blocks and ramps to lay them without mortar and fit each block together. When completed, the pyramid was a stepped structure. The steps were then covered with polished snow-white limestone blocks. The blocks fit so tightly together that you couldn’t even insert a knife blade between them. The Great Pyramid rose 147 meters high! The length of one of the sides of the base of the Cheops pyramid is 230 meters. The pyramid covers an area larger than nine football fields. The ancient Egyptians believed that if the body of a pharaoh was preserved, his spirit would live on after death, so they mummified the body of Pharaoh Khufu and placed it in a burial chamber located in the center of the pyramid.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
In the sixth century B.C. The New Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II ordered the construction of marvelous gardens for his wife Amytis. Being 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 Amytis, but also to create 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 the 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 a pipe dream, the project of Nebuchadnezzar II nevertheless came to life.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were a four-tiered pyramid, the tiers of which were both terraces and balconies. The tiers were supported 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. A unique irrigation system was designed for the gardens. Around the clock, several hundred slaves turned wheels with buckets to supply the plants with water.
The Babylonian Gardens were truly an oasis in hot and stuffy Babylon. For some unknown reason, Queen Amytis began to be called by the name of the Assyrian queen, Semiramis, and therefore the amazing gardens of Babylon were also called the Hanging Gardens of Semiramis.
In the 9th century BC, Alexander the Great was so captivated by the splendor 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 completely destroyed the palace. Babylon disappeared along with one of the most beautiful objects of antiquity - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.
The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus was created on the initiative and financing 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 BC. King Croesus of Lydia (considered the richest ruler of that time) built a majestic temple in the city of Ephesus in honor of the moon goddess Artemis, who was considered the patroness of young girls and animals. The temple was built from local building materials - marble and limestone, mined 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 Athenian temple, the Parthenon. It stood for two hundred years and in 356 BC. the temple was completely burned. According to history, Herostat set it on fire, 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 temple to be restored. The temple built by Alexander lasted until the 3rd century AD. The city was dying, the bay of Ephesus was covered with silt. The temple was plundered by the Goths and was inundated by numerous floods. Today, only a few blocks and one restored column can be seen on the site of the temple.
Halicarnassus Mausoleum.
Mausolus, the ruler of Caria, managed to achieve power and acquire significant wealth. Caria 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. Mavsol 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 they named it after the king - Mausoleum. Later, this name began to be given to 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 located in the tomb of the Mausoleum. Several stone lions guarded this room. Above the tomb itself stood a majestic temple, 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 the 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 mercilessly plundered by looters. 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 ancient world is the statue of the Colossus of Rhodes. The giant statue stood in the 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 the warlike Greeks. To commemorate this victory, they decided to build a statue of the sun god Helios. The exact location and type of the statue remained unknown to us; from the chronicles it only follows that it was made of bronze and reached a height of thirty-three meters. To make it stable, its hollow shell was filled with stones during construction. It took 12 years to build! In 280 BC. The colossus rose to its full height over the bay of Rhodes. After 50 years, a strong earthquake occurred, and the Colossus collapsed, breaking at the knee level. The local oracle demanded that the statue not be restored. 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 3rd century BC. On the island of Foros, not far from the shore of the Alexandrian bay, a lighthouse was built to help ships passing through the reefs on the way to the port of Alexandria. The lighthouse was 117 meters high and consisted of three massive marble towers. At the top of one of the towers stood a statue of Zeus. At night the lighthouse reflected the flames, and during the day a column of smoke rose above it. The lighthouse required a large amount of fuel to operate. The tree was brought to the lighthouse by numerous mules and horses. Bronze plates were used instead of mirrors to direct light into the sea. The Foros lighthouse stood for 1500 years and was destroyed by an earthquake. The Muslims built their military fort on the ruins of the lighthouse. This military facility still stands on the site of the Faros lighthouse.
Olympic statue of Zeus.
Three thousand years ago, Olympia was the religious center of Greece. At that time, the most revered Greek deity was the king of the gods - Zeus. Celebrations were held regularly, including sports competitions. It is believed that the first Olympic Games were held in 776 BC. After this, competitions were held every four years for 1100 years. During the games, all wars were stopped 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. There was supposed to be a statue of Zeus in the temple. 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 number of details that made up the sculpture, it looked like a monolithic figure. Zeus sat majestically on a throne decorated 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 fear. In 391 AD The Romans banned the Olympic Games and closed all Greek temples. A few years later, the statue of Zeus was transported to Constantinople. In 462 AD. the palace where the statue was located burned down. The Temple at Olympia was destroyed by an earthquake. Humanity has lost one of its wonders - the statue of Zeus at Olympia.
We can only hope that someday world technology will reach such a level that it will be able to recreate the seven wonders of the ancient world. And this will truly be a tribute to the memory of generations of talented architects of antiquity, who created architectural masterpieces that have no equal in the modern world.
The only one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world that has survived to this day is the Great Pyramid of Giza - the Pyramid of Cheops. In the suburbs of Egypt's capital, Cairo, this ancient monument was designed and built as the tomb of the most famous pharaoh Cheops (Khufu) and is recognized as the tallest structure of its time. It’s hard to believe, but the height of this miracle of art is almost 147 meters (imagine five nine-story buildings stacked on top of each other). Initially, the pyramid occupied an area larger than seven football fields, and the length of one of the sides of its base was over 230 meters.
Source: version. infoThe construction of the Great Pyramid, according to the official version of Egyptologists, was completed in 2540 BC. To create this truly extraordinary miracle, it took the joint efforts of 100 thousand people. According to archaeologists' calculations, the work lasted about 20 years.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
It is generally accepted to be the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which, according to one of the many versions, were built around 600 BC by order of the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife, the Median princess Amytis. Later, the daughter of King Cyaxares began to be called after the Assyrian queen.
Source: wikipedia.org
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were a four-story building, shaped like a pyramid, the tiers of which, supported by powerful columns, were both balconies and terraces. Hanging unique plants combined with fountains and ponds turned the Babylonian structure into a real oasis.
To supply the gardens with water, a special irrigation system was designed: hundreds of slaves turned wheels with buckets all day long. When Babylon fell into decay, there was no one to do the irrigation, and the unique flora of the hanging gardens died. Frequent earthquakes completed the job - finally destroying the palace. Babylon disappeared from the face of the earth, and with it the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the most beautiful monuments of antiquity, also disappeared into oblivion.
Zeus statue in Olympia
In the 5th century BC, the sports and religious center of Ancient Greece was Olympia, where the god Zeus was most revered. It was to him, the head of the ancient Greek Pantheon, that the Olympians unanimously decided to build a majestic temple. To implement the plan, the Athenian sculptor Phidias, famous for his sculptures, was invited to Olympia. The master faced a difficult task: to create a structure that would surpass all his previous creations in its monumentality. Phidias gave the go-ahead. Work has begun.
It took the sculptor and his apprentices ten years for the Ancient World to see this wonder of the world. The temple was entirely made of marble. Columns made of limestone were installed along its perimeter. On the walls of the temple there were picturesque bas-reliefs depicting Zeus and the twelve labors of Hercules.
Source: pinterest. ca
The thunder god himself, called “the embodiment of male beauty,” was made of ivory and reached a height of 13 meters. He sat majestically on a throne carved from ebony and covered with chased gold plates, and almost touched the ceiling of the temple.
Phidias' masterpiece did not go unnoticed. For many years, writers and philosophers admired him, classifying the statue of Olympian Zeus among the best creations of mankind. But in 476 there was a fire, during which this wonder of the world was lost.
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
The initiator and “sponsor” of the latest version of Artemision, the temple of Artemis of Ephesus, was. The construction of this wonder of the world, which began in 323 BC, from limestone and marble, continued for many years. The “highlight” of the temple, its main distinguishing feature, were 127 giant columns installed in nine rows. The interior decoration of Artemision was mesmerizing. There was everything here: marvelous statues made by the best architects of that time, and beautiful paintings by famous artists. And in the center of this splendor stood the statue of the goddess Artemis, the patroness of love relationships and the family hearth.
Source: journal. tapigo.ru
Artemision, rebuilt by Alexander, lasted six centuries. It was plundered and destroyed by the Goths, and was inundated by numerous floods. Today, the existence of this wonder of the world is evidenced by only one single column, restored from the rubble.
mausoleum in Halicarnassus
Ancient Halicarnassus, where the “father of history” Herodotus was born, was famous for its architectural beauty. White marble temples built in honor of Ares and Aphrodite, the Salmakin fountain, theaters and palaces attracted foreign guests to the city. But the real “pearl” of Halicarnassus, a wonder of the world, was the tomb of the despotic king, which he began to build during his lifetime.
Pytheas and Satyros, the best architects of that time, worked on the tomb, which consisted of three tiers and reached a height of 46 meters. Leochares and Skopas were entrusted with decorating the building - creating marble figures of gods, animals and horsemen.
