Wonders of the world

Society Travel & Tourism
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Following places are considered as wonders of the world. Which of the following have you seen? What do you think about those places?
Check the following link for the info about these places:

http://www.123world.com/wonders/

1- Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater) of Rome
2- Eiffel Tower in Paris
3- Empire State Building in New York City
4- Suez Canal
5- The Taj Mahal
6- The Great Pyramid of Giza
7- The Great Wall of China
8- The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
9- The Leaning Tower of Pisa
10-The Statue of Liberty
11-The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
12-The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
13-The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
14-The Colossus of Rhodes
15-The Lighthouse of Alexandria

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Errr.. there are some places up there, which some one living in 2003, can’t possibly see. :slight_smile:

Of the original seven wonders of the world, only the Great Pyramid of Giza remains. Here is a little about each of those seven.

Courtesy: Princeton University

1. The Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and the only extant of the Seven Wonders. It was built in 2560 BC for the Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu or Cheops, as he is known to the Greeks. It is part of a complex of three pyramids at Giza. According to Herodotus it took over 20 years and 100,000 individuals to construct it. By the time Khufu decided to build his pyramid the Egyptian architects were already very good at creating pyramids. Khufu’s father had two pyramids and several pharaohs before him had pyramids.
It is also the largest of the wonders at 138 meters tall. Originally it was 147 meters tall but it has lost nine meters due to erosion and the loss of the limestone casing. Until the 19th century it was the tallest man-made object on earth. The Great Pyramid contains about 2.3 million blocks of limestone, each between two and fifteen tons. The first pyramid was built for the pharaoh Zoser. It was constructed with seven portions and was called the Step Pyramid.
While pyramids were under construction, the workers were not always at work. When the Nile River was in its flood stage the laborers went to work, since they could not work in the fields. When the flood waters receded, they stopped work on the pyramid and tended their farm crops. Some historians believe that pyramids were also a way to keep the population employed and fed while they couldn’t farm. Others believe that the pyramids’ only purpose was to be the tomb of the pharaoh and his home in the afterlife.
The entrance to the Great Pyramid leads to an unfinished burial chamber below ground level. Another passage-way goes up to an empty room called the “Queen’s Chamber,” but there was never a body inside that room. That passage-way also leads to a large gallery with a corbelled vault ceiling, which is connected to the true burial room. One reason for the many passage-ways might be that the pyramids were robbed so often not only of their limestone casings but of their treasures as well.
The Great Pyramid was built extremely accurately. Each of the four sides is aligned with one of the four cardinal directions. The Ancient Egyptians did not have compasses and therefore used the stars. Each one of the four sides of the pyramid is 229m (751 ft) and the maximum difference of the length of each side is 0.1%. The blocks were fitted so closely together that you cannot fit a piece of paper between them. The slope angle of each side is exactly 54 degrees and 54 minutes. The best explanation of how that blocks were moved up the pyramid says that the blocks were hauled up long ramps that wrapped around the pyramid.
Today, the Great Pyramid is a major tourist attraction.

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2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

We know the least about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. We don't even know that they truly existed. Many sites have been suggested for their location but none are very convincing. We know about the gardens almost entirely from writings that date to the first century BCE. The legends say that they were built by King Nebuchadnezzar II to console his Median wife, Amytis, who missed the greenery of her mountain homeland.

The German archaeologist Robert Koldeway found the remains of a vaulted building that he suggested might have been part of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. These chambers were several hundred meters away from the Euphrates River and Strabo had said the gardens were near the river so the chambers may not be part of the Hanging Gardens complex.

The traditional description of the gardens states that they were built within the walls of the Royal Palace. Historians also believe they were a series of landscaped terraces, constructed c. 8th -6th century BC. The plants did not actually "hang" but were built on these terraces, higher than ground level. They were irrigated by pumps that pumped water out of the river Euphartes. It is believed that they were built out of reeds, bitumen, lead, and stone, so that the water would not seep through.

Another fact that disputes the existence of the Hanging Gardens is that the kings of Babylonia were very interested in writing down their achievements, but, archaeologists have not yet discovered any cuneiform tablets that describe the gardens. Did the Hanging Gardens actually exist? Only future excavations will tell.

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3. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

It was the night of July 21, 356 BC and the Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus was burning to the ground. A madman, Herostratus, wanted to be famous and to be remembered, so he burned the temple down. It worked. Today we know his name and the date he did it. The date also happens to be the night Alexander the Great was born. Legend says that Artemis was too busy assisting at the birth of Alexander, so she couldn't save her beautiful temple.

The original temple was built by Croesus, king of Lydia, in about 550 BC. The architects were Chersiphron, his son, Metagenes, and Theodoros. It was famous for its great size, over 350 feet by 180 feet, and its numerous works of art. Pliny the Elder said it had 127 Ionic columns around the perimeter of the building. The temple contained a magnificent statue of Artemis that was made of gold, ebony, silver, and black stone. The dress was decorated with depictions of animals and bees. The temple was also used as a marketplace and travelers would come there to pay their respects to Artemis.

One of the most incredible things about the original temple was its columns. They were Ionic and they were made out of solid marble. The columns going across the front were 21 feet apart. The columns going front to back were, from center to center, were 17 feet apart. There were two rows of columns at Ephesus; in other temples there usually was one. The bases of 36 of the columns had relief sculpture carved into them. One example is in the British Museum. Some of the capitals had rosettes instead of volutes. Volutes are the curly things on the tops of Ionic columns. The volutes were different in that they did not have buttons. At the corners of the temples there were carved lions heads that served as rain-spouts.

The temple's sculpture was also very impressive. The pediment was extremely different in that it had a door and two windows built into it. The door was used for a mock appearance of the goddess at her temple. This appearance was an eastern religious idea. On either side of the door and in the eaves there were statues of Amazons. They were sculpted by four different sculptors, Phedias, Polycleitus, Kresilas, and Phradmon. Today, we do not have the actual sculptures but we do have Roman copies. Some of these copies can be seen in museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Capitoline Museum in Rome.

Eventually, Artemis' temple was rebuilt. The second temple had the same dimensions but was on a base 2.68 meters higher. In AD 262, Goths destroyed the temple completely, never to be rebuilt again. In 1860 one of the first archaeological digs began at Ephesus. Soon afterwards, John Turtle Wood found the remains of the temple in the depths of a swamp.

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4. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia

One of the most important parts of the Ancient Olympic Complex was the Statue of Zeus. It was built in the fifth century BC by Phidias of Athens. It has been described by both Strabo and Pausanius. The temple was already built when Phidias began his work. When Phidias was selected to build the statue, he had already built the statue of Athena at the Parthenon. The statue of Zeus took eight years to build.

We know a lot about the statue and how it was built because the remains of Phidias' workshop were found in the 1950s. Archaeologists found terra cotta molds for the statue and throne, chisels used by Phidias and his assistants, and many other things. These finds confirmed the date of 430 BC for the statue. Coins with depictions of the statue can still be found. The coins are chiefly from Elis. One of these coins was shown earlier in this report.

The statue was almost 12 meters (40 feet) high and was made out of gold, ivory, ebony, cedarwood, and precious stones. Zeus was seated on a large throne with a statue of Nike (Victory) in his outstretched right hand. In his left hand he held a scepter with a figure of an eagle on the top. The throne was decorated with mythical scenes and creatures which included gods, demigods, and heroes, doing important deeds. Strabo pointed out that if Zeus had stood up, he would not have fit in the temple.

The temple was destroyed in AD 426 after the Christians closed it in AD 391. The statue was destroyed in AD 462 in Constantinople after being moved by a group of wealthy Greeks.

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5. The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

What is the name for all large tombs today? Large tombs today are called mausoleums. The name mausoleum comes from the name of an ancient Persian Governor named King Mausollos. For King Mausollos' tomb his wife and sister, Queen Artemisia, dreamt up the immense Mausoleum.

She hired the architect Pythius to design the building. She also hired the four famous sculptors, Scopas, Bryaxis, Leochares, and Timotheus. Each sculptor was responsible for one side of the building. The statue on top was created by Pythius, according to Pliny the Elder. Scholars believe that the Mausoleum was started before Mausollos' death in 353 BC.

The basic plan for the building was a large temple with a 24-step pyramid on top. The total height of the Mausoleum was 45m (140 ft). This was composed of the 32m (99 ft) base, 7m (22 ft) 24-step pyramid, and 6m (19 ft) statue of a chariot on top. Pliny the Elder said that the total periphery of the building was 440 feet. He also said that the North and South sides were 64 feet long. He also claimed that the other two sides were shorter, but if that was so then the sides would not add up to 440 feet. A Danish archaeological dig between 1966 and 1977 found that the Mausoleum was probably 100 feet by 120 feet. Pliny also wrote that there were 36 columns around the outside of the building.

Each side of the Mausoleum was decorated with friezes of battle scenes from the Greek war with the Amazons. There were also two other types of friezes. One showed a chariot race and the other showed a battle between Lapiths and centaurs. There also were free-standing sculptures around the outside of the building and on the top. Fragments of the statues and friezes can be seen in the British Museum.

There have been many excavations done at the site of the Mausoleum. Charles Guichard wrote about workers discovering the burial chamber in 1522. He said that the sarcophagus was made out of alabaster, he also described bits of gold cloth that were left over from the burial. Sir Charles Newton excavated the site in 1856 - 1858. He discovered an Ionic capital, part of the chariot, and two larger-than-life-size statues. He speculated that the statues were of Mausollos and Artemesia. In 1966 - 1977 there was a Danish excavation that discovered the remains of an offering of food for Mausollos. They found whole sheep, goats, oxen, some chickes, doves, a goose, and a large amount of eggs.

The Mausoleum was destroyed between AD 1000 and AD 1400, probably by an earthquake. In 1494 the Knights of St. John of Malta built an immense castle during the crusades. This castle was built with blocks from the Mausoleum and the lime mortar was made out of burnt marble from some of the statues and columns. Today, that castle still exists and the parts from the Mausoleum are still visible.

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6. The Colossus of Rhodes

What may have been the statue that inspired the creation of the Statue of Liberty? It might have been the Colossus of Rhodes, built in 282 BC. The Colossus of Rhodes was built on an island near present day Turkey. It was a statue of the sun god, Helios, patron god of Rhodes. The statue was erected to give thanks to him after the island survived the siege of Rhodes. The siege was set in place by the Macedonians after the Rhodians refused to help them attack Ptolemy I in Egypt. Eventually the Macedonians gave up and left their supplies and equipment there. The Rhodians then sold the supplies and erected the Colossus with the money they earned.

The Rhodians hired Chares of Lindos to create the statue. It was made out of bronze and reinforced with iron and stones. The entire Colossus was 70 cubits in height, about 33 meters or 110 feet. The statue took the craftsmen about 12 years to complete. Popular belief from the Middle Ages says that the stood straddling the harbor mouth. Having statues built by the harbor mouth has occurred in other harbors but the Colossus was most likely erected in the center of the town or in Helios' sacred grove.

The Colossus of Rhodes was broken at its knees in c. 225 BC by an earthquake that also destroyed a good portion of Rhodes. When the statue fell it destroyed a few houses and buildings according to one ancient author. This therefor rules out the statement that the statue stood bestriding the harbor of Rhodes. According to Strabo, the Colossus was not rebuilt because an oracle told the people of Rhodes not to do so. The fallen Colossus was left there until AD 653. In AD 653 the metal was taken by the Arabs and sold to a Jew from Emesa. Myths say that the metal from the Colossus totaled 900 camel loads.

Today, archaeologists are still speculating on how the Colossus was built.

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7. The Pharos of Alexandria

What is the Spanish, Italian, and French word for "lighthouse"? The word is pharos, which comes from the name of a small island off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt. On this island there was a magnificent lighthouse. This lighthouse later became one of the seven ancient wonders of the world.

The construction of the Pharos of Alexandria was finished in 280 BC by King Ptolmey II Philadelphus. The project was started by his father, King Ptolmey I Soter. The Pharos' architect is unknown. However, we do know the name of the person who appears to be the donor for the lighthouse. His name was Sostratus of Cnidus, who was most likely a wealthy diplomat. Pliny the Elder tells us that the construction of the Pharos cost 800 talents. A talent was a bar of silver that weighs about 928 oz. (846 troy oz.). Knowing this, the Pharos would have cost $3,562,472.49 at today's silver prices.

The entire lighthouse was 384 feet high and was constructed in three parts with a large base. The first part was a cube sloping in slightly. It was 183 feet high. The second section was 90 feet tall and an octagonal prism sloping inwards. The last section was 24 feet tall. It was a cylinder.

In side this cylinder there was a fire that burned at night and a mirror. The mirror reflected the sun during the day and increased the light of the fire at night. The fuel for the fire was probably not wood, since Egypt does not have a large supply of firewood. Therefor it was most likely dried animal dung. The light from the fire and the mirror could supposedly be seen from many miles away. On top of the cylindrical section there was a statue. There have been many guesses as to who was depicted in the statue. It most likely may have been Zeus or Poseiden. We do know that the lighthouse was dedicated to the savior gods on behalf of those who sail the seas. The savior gods might have been Ptolmey I Soter and his wife.

The Pharos was the longest lasting of the six non-extant wonders. It aided sailors for over 1000 years before two earthquakes in AD 1303 and AD 1323 destroyed it. The destroyed Pharos was left there until AD 1480 when an Islamic fort was built on the site. It is called the Fort of Kait Bey and was created for military uses only. We have many depictions of the lighthouse from coins that have been found. Some of the coins show circular windows on the lighthouse along with tritons blowing long conch shells as horns. The reason we have so many coins with the Pharos on them is that there was a Roman Mint in Alexandria and the coin designers used the Pharos for inspiration. Recently, some scientists have found the remains of parts of the lighthouse. These remains are being raised to the surface to be examined. They have found many pieces of statues and blocks used in the Pharos.

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Faisal Bhai, You are right. I should've asked "seen” part for the existing ones and "information" about the ancient one. Thanks for the info. Actually, my nephew is doing his project on these and all the info will be helpful for him.

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From your original list, I have been to ;

1- Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater) of Rome
2- Eiffel Tower in Paris
3- Empire State Building in New York City
9- The Leaning Tower of Pisa
10-The Statue of Liberty
12-The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

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Another wonder of the world -> Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point!!!

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Unfortunately so far I have only visited the Eiffel tower :-(
WOuld love to see the Taj Mahal, Tower of Pisa, The Colossus of Rhodes
sigh let's make that everything on the list!

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Shinoo, getting to Leaning tower of Pisa in Pisa is a miracle in itself. One has to go through a zig zag puzzle of alleys to get to it. I went there at night and the neighbourhood is a bit scary.

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the best cultural city i’ve visited so far has to be Rome :k:

Colloseum, Forum Romanum, Trevi Fountain, the Sugar Cake, Mausolea
and even more impressing was visiting Pompei! the city which got engulfed by a vulcane- eruption! you can still see the bodies covered with dust. Impressive :k:

especially with a Latin/Greek background, this trip was unforgettable

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what about TAJ MAHAL?

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^^ Ghar ki murghi daal barabar…:hehe:

Thanks Faisal…:k:

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Though Taj Mahal is not one of the “7 wonders of the world” nor is Great Wall of China though they are in modern great wonders of the world. Taj Mahal is certainly one of teh most sought after historical site of the world.. a good link to its site.

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Taj_Mahal.html

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Degas, thanks for the nice link.

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[thumb=D]dg01900a-DaimlerGottliebWilhelm-18340317b-19000306d-02.JPG[/thumb]

This is also 1 of da wonder of da worlds. Built in 1881, has any1 ever taken a ride in this...!