Thanks to the large number of lists found online, we know that people like to organize articles. We have proof that it is an ancient tradition, because there are many references in ancient texts to the Greek poet Antipater of the Seven Wonders of the World of Sidon. Antipater, originally from a city that still exists in modern Lebanon, wrote his list around 140 BCE, so we know that the first listicle is at least 2155 years old.
There have been countless lists of the most amazing buildings and structures of human creation since Antipater. Because the items on the lists tend to vary, none can truly claim to be “the” Seven Wonders of the World. The original Greek list is approved more than the rest, so we will agree with the experts and use the Seven Wonders of the World.
Centered on the world known at the time, these wonders are part of an incredible journey through various cultures and civilizations and show the will and determination of these ancient societies to honor their gods and create a lasting impact on their world. Although the scope and size are enormous, time and nature have wreaked havoc in massive endeavors and only one of the wonders still exists.
Here is our version of the world’s oldest list item, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World:
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, said to have been built by the Babylonians near the Euphrates in what we now call Iraq, had exterior walls of 56, 80 and 320. The maintenance alone would have been incredible, with an irrigation system made up of a pump, a hydraulic wheel and tanks in order to raise the water of the river in the air.
Built in 600 BCE, King Nebuchadnezzar II is said to have alleviated the homesickness of his wife’s homeland (what is today the northwestern part of Iraq and southeastern Turkey). Without any specific location known for these massive gardens, modern scholars are uncertain as to their actual existence.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
About 40 feet tall, the statue of Zeus at Olympia was a giant seated figure of the Greek god Zeus, which spanned the entire width of the aisle of the sanctuary at Olympia, Greece. This sanctuary was built just to house the incredible statue.
Decorated with gold and ivory, it was almost high enough to touch the top of the temple. Built by the Greek sculptor Phidias in 435 BCE, it was built for eight centuries, until Christian priests closed the temple in the fourth century BCE. There is no record of what happened to the statue, but it is believed to have been dismantled and moved to Constantinople, where it was destroyed by fire in the 5th and 6th centuries AD.
Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
The Mausolus Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was a tomb built for Mausolus, the satrap or governor, of Persian territory located in the western part of modern Turkey. Built by the Persians and the Greeks in 351 BCE, the tomb was approximately 135 feet.
The complex, consisting of a triple structure of white marble, is considered by many to incorporate Lycian, Greek and Egyptian architectural styles. The base of stone steps 60 led to lonic columns 36 and to a level 24 pyramid-shaped roof surmounted by a statue of horses 4 pulling a chariot. It is not surprising that the origin of the word “mausoleum” is attributed to this massive tomb.
Several earthquakes have shaken the structure over the centuries, but a massive earthquake in 1494 CE demolished the building, although its remains were later used to fortify a nearby castle structure.
Temple of Artemis
The construction of the temple of Artemis at Ephesus was started by Croesus of Lydia and took 120 years to build. Built at Ephesus, a Greek city in present-day Turkey, the temple consisted of a series of altars and temples. The temple has been destroyed several times by floods, fires and invasions, and rebuilt at least three times in its original location.
In 401 CE, the temple was destroyed for the last time by a crowd led by the Christian bishop Saint John Chrysostom. Remains were finally discovered in 1869 CE by an expedition led by John Turtle Wood who found the temple columns buried at the bottom of the Cayster River.
Lighthouse of Alexandria
With a height somewhere between 390 feet and 450 feet, the Alexandria Lighthouse (also called Pharos of Alexandria) was one of the tallest man-made structures on earth for many centuries. Built in the city of Alexandria, in Egypt, in the 3rd century BC by the Ptolemaic kingdom of Hellenistic Egypt and designed by the Greek architect Sostratos, it served to guide ships inside and outside from the port of the Nile. During his invasion of Egypt, the Roman general Julius Caesar wrote on the strategic importance of the lighthouse for the control of the city’s port.
Archaeologists have discovered ancient coins representing the lighthouse and concluded that it was probably a three-level structure comprising a square level at the base, an octagonal level in the middle and a cylindrical top. Above was a fallen 16-foot statue and probably a representation of Ptolemy II or Alexander the Great. Three earthquakes led to its destruction and the remains were used to build the Citadel of Qaitbay in its place in the 10th century.
In 1994, French archaeologists found remains of the lighthouse at the bottom of the port of Alexandria, and divers can visit the ruins today, one of the seven wonders that we can still visit.
The Colossus of Rhodes
A giant statue of the Greek titan god Helios, the colossus of Rhodes, was about the same size as the New York statue of liberty, which rests on feet from 151. It was designed by the sculptor Chares de Lindos and, at the feet of 100, it was the tallest statue of its time.
It was believed to have been a representation of the sun god standing naked, raising a torch in one hand and holding a spear in the other. Built in Hellenistic Greece around 292 – 280 BCE, it was destroyed by the great earthquake of 226 BC. Centuries after its destruction, an Arab force confiscated the remains after invading Rhodes, selling any remaining metal as scrap metal and erasing evidence of the statue’s true location.
The Great Pyramid of Giza
The only wonder to survive until modern times, the Great Pyramid of Giza was built around 2650 – 2500 BCE by the ancient Egyptians, part of a series of royal tombs.
Near Giza, Egypt, there are three large pyramids: Khufu, Khafra and Menkaura. By far, Khufu is the most impressive and as such, won him the title of The Great Pyramid. It covers 13 acres of desert and is estimated to contain millions of 2 stone blocks weighing 2 to 30 tonnes each. At the time it was built, it was even more impressive, covered by a layer of smooth white stone and perhaps a solid gold cornerstone on top, which were pillaged long ago.
Scientists speculate that wooden rollers and sleds were used to move the stones into place. Although narrow corridors and hidden rooms have been included inside to stop looters and grave robbers, modern archaeologists believe that most of the treasures hidden inside were stolen soon after construction.