It was probably hard for the people of ancient times to imagine that the great monuments which they called “the Seven Wonders of the World” would ever vanish. But except for one, they have all disappeared!
They single remaining one is the pyramid of Cheops at Gizeh, Egypt. It was built about 5,000 years ago to serve as a tomb for a pharaoh and his queen.
The second wonder was the great Walls of Babylon, in what is now Iraq. They were built about 600 B.C. by the famous King Nebuchadnezzar.
The third wonder of the world was the statue of the God Zeus, at Olympia, Greece, fashioned by the Greek sculptor Phidias. The figure was about 40 feet high, with robes of gold, flesh and ivory, and eyes of precious gems. No trace of it exists.
The fourth wonder was the Temple of the goddess Diana at Ephesus, in what is now Turkey. The roof was supported by great stone columns 60 feet high, and the temple contained some of the finest works of Grecian art. It was burned by the invading Goths in A.D. 262.
The fifth wonder was the tomb in the city of Halicarnassus in what is now Turkey. It was built for King Mausolus, who died in 353 B.C. This was such a splendid structure and cost so much money, that we now call any elaborately decorated tomb “a mausoleum.”
The sixth wonder was the Colossus of Rhodes, a bronze statue of Helios, the sun god. It was about 105 feet high, and stood on the island of Rhodes. It was destroyed in an earthquake in 224 B.C.
The seventh and the last wonder was the lighthouse of Pharos, begun about 283 B.C. on the island of Pharos off the coast of Egypt. It is believed it was almost 600 feet high above its base, with a light burning at the top which guided ships to port. The beacon served for more than 1,500 years before it was finally destroyed by an earthquake.
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