Planet Seven Wonders

The amazing works of art and architecture known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World serve as a testament to the ingenuity, imagination and sheer hard work of which human beings are capable.

Pyramids of Giza, the oldest of the wonders and the only one of the seven substantially in existence today. Hanging Gardens of Babylon were marvels of agricultural engineering.  The famed statue of Zeus, the king of the gods in Greek Mythology, at Olympia, a large ornate figure of the god on his throne, at 12 meters (40 feet). Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, constructed to celebrate Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt. Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, monumental tomb of the Anatolian king Mausolus built by his widow Artemisia.  Colossus of Rhodes, was an enormous bronze sculpture of the sun god Helios, standing at about 33 meters (105-110 feet). Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria, standing over 107 meters (350 feet) tall, considered a technical masterpiece that served as the model for all lighthouses that followed.

The amazing works of art and architecture known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World serve as a testament to the ingenuity, imagination and sheer hard work of which human beings are capable.

Pyramids of Giza, the oldest of the wonders and the only one of the seven substantially in existence today, built between 2700 B.C. and 2500 B.C. as royal tombs, stood as the world’s tallest human-made structure for nearly 4,000 years.

Those who claimed to have witnessed the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, including Greek historians Strabo and Diodorus Siculus, described them as marvels of agricultural engineering. Despite being named one of the Seven Ancient Wonders, there is not much firsthand evidence that the gardens actually existed.

The famed statue of Zeus, the king of the gods in Greek Mythology, at Olympia, a large ornate figure of the god on his throne, made about 430 BCE by Phidias of Athens. At 12 meter/40 feet, it was so tall that its head nearly touched the top of the temple.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, a structure famous for its imposing size and for the works of art that adorned it, originally constructed to celebrate Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt about 550 BCE. The original Temple of Artemis was designed by the Cretan architect Chersiphron and his son Metagenes and decorated by some of the most celebrated artists of the ancient world.

Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, monumental tomb of the Anatolian king Mausolus built by his widow Artemisia. The mausoleum was designed between 353 and 350 BCE. by the Greek architects Satyrus and Pythis.

Colossus of Rhodes, was an enormous bronze sculpture of the sun god Helios, standing at about 33 meters (105-110 feet), built at the harbour of Rhodes. Designed by the sculptor Chares, the statue was the tallest of the ancient world. It was completed around 280 BCE.

Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria, standing over 107 meters (350 feet) tall, considered a technical masterpiece that served as the model for all lighthouses that followed, built for Ptolemy II of Egypt about 280 BCE on the island of Pharos off Alexandria. At the apex, a mirror was erected to reflect sunlight during the day. At night, a fire was lit to guide travelers.