Which were and where the seven wonders of the ancient world were found

When we talk about the Seven wonders of the ancient world We refer to a series of monuments which, from the point of view of the classic authors, were the most beautiful and extraordinary ever built by man; paradoxically, these structures coexister at the same time integral only for about 60 yearsand the only one to be still standing is the oldest of all, that is, the great pyramid. Traditionally, the seven wonders of the ancient world were the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Gizai Babilonia hanging gardensThe Temple of Artemide in Ephesusthe Statue of Zeus in OlimpiaThe Mausoleum of AlicarnassoThe Rhodes of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Of course it must be taken into account that “the list of seven wonders” was drawn up in Hellenistic cultural context of the third century. to. C.and therefore ignore The extraordinary monuments erected by other civilizations in other parts of our planet.

Cheope’s pyramid in Giza

Among the seven wonders, the Pyramid of Cheops in Gizain Egypt, is that olderbut it is also theonly to have preserved. Erected during the XXVI sec. to. C.was high 146 metersand today of these are preserved 138. The pyramid was part of one vast necropolis containing two more: that of Chefren, son of Cheops, and that of Micerino, son of Chefren. Mainly made of huge limestone blocks, it was built over several decades to be the tomb of the pharaoh Cheopreigning of the IV dynasty, whose kingdom is given Between 2589 and 2566 BC The first classic Greek language author to mention it in a writing was the historian Herodotus in the 5th century B.C

The hanging gardens of Babylon

Among all the wonders, i Gardens of Babylon are perhaps the most mysterious. To date in fact There is no archaeological trace attributable with certainty to this structure, e The exact location is not known. Some even believe that they have never existed and simply a poetic formula. According to tradition, the gardens were made between the 6th and 5th century to. C.at the time of the neo-babylonian domination on Mesopotamia, by the sovereign Nabukodonist II (604-562 BC), and went destroyed in an unspecified moment following the first century. d. C. In the Mesopotamian context, an archaeologically certified structure that could be identified with the hanging gardens, are the gardens made by the neo-absiro sovereign Sennacherib (705-681 BC). These, older than a century than the traditional story, were not in Babylon, but a Ninethe ancient axira capital.

The Temple of Artemis of Ephesus

THE’ArteMision It was a temple dedicated to ArtemisGreek goddess of hunting and moon, built in several stages ad Ephesein Asia Minor, in the current Türkiye, in the province of Izmir. The first two phases date back to the VII and the 6th century. to. C., but the most recent one, mentioned in the canon of the seven wonders of the ancient world, dates back to IV century to. C.after the death of Alexander the Great, which took place in 323 a. C. The Temple of Artemide It was 137 meters long, 69 wide and 60 tall. The Greek traveler Pausaniawhich saw him in the second century. d. C., described it how full of exceptional paintings and sculptures. The temple was certainly still in use in the III and the 4th century. d. There is It probably fell into ruin during the fifth century. d. C.together with many other pagan temples, because of the affirmation of the Christianity. The materials of the structure were taken and reused For the construction of other structures during the Middle Ages, and today of the ArteMision, there is only one column.

The statue of Zeus of Olimpia

There Statue of Zeus It was located within a large temple dedicated to the king of the gods a Olimpiaone of the most sacred centers in the Greek world (where i Olympic games). It was a statue Crisoelefantina, or in gold and ivory, more than 12 meters highwhich represented Zeus sitting on the throne, dating back to the 5th century to. C. Was made by Fidia (480-430 BC), one of the most famous sculptors of classical Greece, also author of many famous statues part of the decorative apparatus of Parthenon of Athens. The statue was seen and described by Pausania Still in the second century. d. C., and probably It fell into ruin with the rest of the sanctuary of Olimpia starting from the 5th century. d. C.when Christianity outclasted pagan cults.

The Mausoleum of Alicarnasso

The Mausoleum It was the monumental tomb built for himself and for his wife from Deck In the middle of the 4th century B.C; these was a satrapor a governor of a province ofPersian Empire (even if it was of Greek culture), more precisely of Caria, where it was alicarnasso. This area today corresponds to the Bodrum district, in southwestern Türkiye. The structure was 45 meters high and showed up like a colonnade supported by a powerful base. Everything had embellished with highly valuable statues. The term “mausoleum“, still in use today to indicate a great tomb, It derives from this construction. The Mausoleum of Alicarnasso he remained standing for most of the Middle Ages, And in the twelfth century it was still described as in good condition. He probably later destroyed by a series of earthquakesand at the beginning of the fifteenth century it was certainly in ruins.

The Rhodes giant

The Hilios giantthe god of the sun, among the seven wonders of the ancient world it was the last to be builtbut also the first to be destroyed. It was one Bronze statue 32 meters highbuilt by the inhabitants of the island of Rhodes At the beginning of the third century. to. C. To thank the god of the sun to have protected them from an invasion. It is not known in which part of the city of Rhodes it was: some believe that it was at the port mouth, others on the acropolis. The giant falls due to an earthquake in 226 BC. C., after just 56 years after its realization. The gigantic statue was not restored, and most likely in the following centuries it became a source of metal from which to draw. To date it does not remain No trace of the structure.

The lighthouse of Alessandria

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was made At the beginning of the third century. to. C.at the time of domination Ptolemaic (the last Faraoni dynasty, of Macedonian origin) in Egypt. It seems to be high 100 metersand this would have made it one of the highest structures ever made during antiquity. It was built onIsletta di Faropart of the Delta del Nilo, from which it took the name whose fortune was such as to be used today to define the object itself. We know quite well the appearance that it was supposed to have thanks to numerous descriptions that they came to us in the Middle Ages from Arab reporters and travelers. The base, with a square plan, was dominated by a central part with an octagonal plan, in turn surmounted by the final part with a circular plan. In ancient times, a large mirror which reflected the sunlight to report the position of the port of Alexandria to the ships even from far away. At night a fire was litwhose light was always amplified by the great mirror. Still well preserved during the Middle Ages, The lighthouse collapsed between the X and the thirteenth century due to a series of earthquakes. Someone Underwater archaeological reconnaissance They made it possible to find some remains in the Alexandria in front waters.