Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

More than two thousand years ago, a Greek poet called Antipater first made a list of the seven most spectacular monuments made by human beings. With slight changes over the years, this list survived for centuries and we know it today as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZA
The Pyramids were built for ancient Egyptian kings some four and a half thousand years ago, and they are the only one of the Seven Wonders still standing today.

THE STATUE OF ZEUS AT OLYMPIA
This enormous statue of ivory and gold stood in the temple of Zeus at Olympia, the home of the original Olympic Games.

THE HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON
The most mysterious of all the Seven Wonders. The splendid terraced gardens built by King Nebuchadnezzar were famous in the ancient world yet no one has ever found any remains of them.

THE TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS AT EPHESUS
Many great temples to the gods were built in the ancient world, but this was the most beautiful and renowned of them all. Today its ruins can still be seen at Ephesus in Turkey.

THE LIGHTHOUSE OF ALEXANDRIA
The first lighthouse ever built. It stayed in use for more than 1,000 years until it was finally destroyed by earthquakes.

THE MAUSOLEUM OF HALICARNASSUS
This enormous and lavishly decorated tomb was made for Maussolos, an ancient king of Caria. It because so famous that it gave its name–“mausoleum”–to all grand tomb buildings.

THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES
This vast statue, the greatest ever built in the ancient world, took twelve years to construct and astonished all who saw it. Today not a trace of the mighty figure remains.