WONDERS OF ANCIENT WORLD

Early Greek writers drew up lists of the most important buildings in the world they knew . Of these only the Great Pyramid has survived , but we know about the others from writers accounts and the work of archaeologists . Lets discussed about the seven wonders of the ancient world.

1. THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA

The great pyramid of Giza , Egypt is the oldest and the only one of the seven wonders to survive . It was made as a tomb for king Khufu . Who ruled Egypt from about 2551 to 2528 BC , and it is the largest stone structure ever built . Its sides are 230m long and it covers an area the size of 200 tennis courts . 

2. THE HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON

The legendary gardens of King Nebuchadnezzar 2 may not have existed . Some people believe they were created  in about 600 BC in Babylon , 88km south of present day Baghdad , the capital of Iraq . "Hanging" suggests that they were a series of terraces made of bricks , some glazed and brightly coloured .

3. THE STATUE OF ZEUS AT OLYMPIA 

This was an enormous statue of the Greek god carved by the sculptor Phidias . It was inside the Temple of Zeus built about 466 to 456 BC . The statue was 13m high and one of the largest indoor sculptures ever made . Today little remains of the temple and nothing of the statue .

4. THE TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS

The temple of Artemis at Ephesus Turkey was built to honour the Greek goddess of hunting and nature . The temple was completed in 550 BC . It was the largest of all ancient Greek buildings and measured 114 by 55m . Archaeologists have found the foundations and some columns of this ancient wonder .

5. THE MAUSOLEUM AT HALICARNASSUS

This was the tomb of Persian ruler Mausolus , who ruled part of the Persian empire from 377 to 353 BC . Halicarnassus(modern day called Bordum) in Turkey was his capital . After his death his widow built this magnificent tomb , which measured 105 by 242m and was 43m high . It was damaged by an earthquake and demolished in the year of  1522 . The word mausoleum has come to mean any great tomb .

6. THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES

The huge statue of sun god Helius stood in Rhodes harbour , Greece . In 305 to 304 BC warrior King Demetrius Poliorcetes attacked the city of Rhodes . When he abandoned his siege  the people built the giant statue as an offering to the god Helios . It took 12 years to built and stood 33m high but in 226 BC it was destroyed by an earthquake .

7. THE PHAROS OF ALEXANDRIA

This was a lighthouse off the coast of the city of alexandria . Work started on it in about 299 BC and it was completed about 20 years later . It was 124m tall the tallest lighthouse ever made . It was damaged by earthquake and in 1375 toppled into the sea . Marine archaeologist have found a few remains .