The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The Pyramids of Egypt A group of three pyramids, Khufu, Khafra, and Menkaura located at Giza, Egypt, outside modern Cairo, is often called the first wonder of the world. The largest pyramid, built by Khufu (Cheops), a king of the fourth dynasty, had an original estimated height of 482 feet (now approximately 450 feet). The base has sides 755 feet long. It contains 2,300,000 blocks. The average weight of each block is 2.5 tons. Estimated date of construction is 2680 B.C. Of all the Ancient Wonders, the pyramids is the only one still standing. Hanging Gardens of Babylon Often listed as the second wonder, these gardens, which were located south of Baghdad, Iraq, were supposedly built by Nebuchadnezzar around 600 B.C. to please his queen, Amuhia. They are also associated with the mythical Assyrian queen, Semiramis. Archeologists think that the gardens were laid out atop a vaulted building, with provisions for raising water. The terraces were said to rise from 75 to 300 feet. Statue of Zeus (Jupiter) at Olympia Phidias (fifth century B.C.) built this 40-foot high statue in gold and ivory. All trace of it is lost, except for reproductions on coins. It was located in Olympia, Greece. Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus The temple was a beautiful marble structure, begun about 350 B.C., in honor of the goddess Artemis. The temple, with Ionic columns 60 feet high, was destroyed by invading Goths in A.D. 262. It was located in Ephesus, Turkey. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus This famous monument was erected in Bodium, Turkey, by Queen Artemisia in memory of her husband, King Mausolus of Caria in Asia Minor, who died in 353 B.C. Some remains of the structure are in the British Museum. This shrine is the source of the modern word mausoleum, which is a large above-ground tomb.

Colossus at Rhodes This bronze statue of Helios (Apollo), about 105 feet high, was the work of the sculptor Chares. He worked on the statue for 12 years, finishing it in 280 B.C. It was destroyed during an earthquake in 224 B.C. Rhodes is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. Pharos of Alexandria The seventh wonder was the Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria. Sostratus of Cnidus built the Pharos during the third century B.C.on the island of Pharos off the coast of Egypt. It was destroyed by an earthquake in the thirteenth century.

New Seven Wonders of the World

Great Wall of China China Built between the 5th century B.C. and the 16th century, the Great Wall of China is a stoneand-earth fortification created to protect the borders of the Chinese Empire from invading Mongols. The Great Wall is actually a succession of multiple walls spanning approximately 4,000 miles, making it the world's longest manmade structure. Christ the Redeemer Statue Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The Art Deco-style Christ the Redeemer statue has been looming over the Brazilians from upon Corcovado mountain in an awe-inspiring state of eternal blessing since 1931. The 130-foot reinforced concrete-and-soapstone statue was designed by Heitor da Silva Costa and cost approximately $250,000 to build - much of the money was raised through donations. The statue has become an easily recognized icon for Rio and Brazil. Machu Picchu Peru Machu Picchu, an Incan city of sparkling granite precariously perched between 2 towering Andean peaks, is thought by scholars to have been a sacred archaeological center for the nearby Incan capital of Cusco. Built at the peak of the Incan Empire in the mid-1400s, this

mountain citadel was later abandoned by the Incas. The site remained unknown except to locals until 1911, when it was rediscovered by archaeologist Hiram Bingham. The site can only be reached by foot, train or helicopter; most visitors visit by train from nearby Cusco. Chichen Itza Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico The genius and adaptability of Mayan culture can be seen in the splendid ruins of Chichen Itza. This powerful city, a trading center for cloth, slaves, honey and salt, flourished from approximately 800 to 1200, and acted as the political and economic hub of the Mayan civilization. The most familiar ruin at the site is El Caracol, a sophisticated astronomical observatory. The Roman Colosseum Rome, Italy Rome's, if not Italy's, most enduring icon is undoubtedly its Colosseum. Built between A.D. 70 and 80 A.D., it was in use for some 500 years. The elliptical structure sat nearly 50,000 spectators, who gathered to watch the gladiatorial events as well as other public spectacles, including battle reenactments, animal hunts and executions. Earthquakes and stone-robbers have left the Colosseum in a state of ruin, but portions of the structure remain open to tourists, and its design still influences the construction of modern-day amphitheaters, some 2,000 years later. Taj Majal Agra, India A mausoleum commissioned for the wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the Taj Majal was built between 1632 and 1648. Considered the most perfect specimen of Muslim art in India, the white-marble Taj Majal actually represents a number of architectural styles, including Persian, Islamic, Turkish and Indian. The Taj Majal also encompasses formal gardens of raised pathways, sunken flower beds and a linear reflecting pool. Petra Jordan Declared a World Heritage Site in 1985, Petra was the capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV, and likely existed in its prime from 9 B.C. to A.D. 40. The members of this civilization proved to be early experts in manipulating water technology, constructing intricate tunnels and

water chambers, which helped create an pseudo-oasis. A number of incredible structures carved into stone, a 4,000-seat amphitheater and the El-Deir monastery have also helped the site earn its fame.

7 Wonders of the Medieval World Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) west of Amesbury and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones and sits at the centre of the densest complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England.
Colosseum

The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering
Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa

The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa (meaning 'Mound of shards' or 'Potsherds') is a historical archaeological site located in Alexandria, Egypt.The necropolis consists of a series of Alexandrian tombs, statues and archaeological objects of the Pharaonic funeral cult with Hellenistic and early Imperial Roman influences
Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China stands as a monument not only to the technological achievement of Chinese civilization, but also to both the tremendous cost of human conflict that motivated such investment in defense and also to the wisdom that peace begins with me and my people. The Ming Dynasty collapsed because of division within, not because the wall was breeched by force

Porcelain Tower of Nanjing

The Porcelain Tower (or Porcelain Pagoda) of Nanjing, also known as Bao'ensi (meaning "Temple of Gratitude"), is a historical site located on the south bank of the Yangtze in Nanjing, China. It was a pagoda constructed in the 15th century, but was mostly destroyed in the 19th century during the course of the Taiping rebellion
Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture
Leaning Tower of Pisa

The leaning tower of Pisa is a cultural icon that perhaps symbolizes the human ability to sometimes almost defy nature. It amazes many observers that the tower has not given in to the law of gravity, although it is in danger of collapse. The leaning tower of Pisa leans by accident, not by designyet it was constructed in such a way that it has resisted the pull of gravity

Seven Natural Wonders of the World

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is a rocky gorge (ravine) in Arizona, USA. It was created by millions of years of wind and water erosion from the Colorado River, which cut through layer after layer of sediment. The rocks of the canyon walls range from 250 million years old at the top to over 2 billion years old at the bottom. Each layer of rock represents a distinct geological period of the Earth's past.

Paricutin Volcano Paricutin Volcano erupted out of a cornfield on February 20, 1943. Located just outside a city called Michoacan, about 200 miles west of Mexico City, Paricutin grew to 10,400 feet in just nine years, making it the fastest growing volcano ever recorded in history. Lava flows destroyed two villages and hundreds of homes, but caused no fatalities (although three people died from lightningassociated with the eruption). The Harbor at Rio de Janeiro

On the east coast of Brazil lies a picturesque scene of towering mountains and beautiful beaches. Portugese explorers were the first Europeans to see the Harbor, also known as Guanabara Bay, on January 1, 1502. They thought they had reached the mouth of an immense river and named it Rio de Janeiro, which means River of January. Landmarks include Sugarloaf Mountain and Corcovado Peak, which is the site of a gigantic statue of Jesus Christ. Northern Lights

Northern Lights, also called Aurora Borealis, are nature's fireworks. This spectacular light show takes place in the northern regions, but can be seen from many parts of the world. They occur when solar particles from the sun collide with gases in Earth's atmosphere. The collision energy between the solar particle and the atmospheric gas is emitted as a photon (light particle). When there are many collisions, you have an aurora - lights that seem to dance across the sky. Victoria Falls

On the African border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, the tranquil Zambezi River suddenly plummets 420 feet over a cliff to form the world's largest waterfall. Victoria Falls has five different parts Devil's Cataract, Cataract Island, Main Falls, Rainbow Falls and Eastern Cataract. David Livingstone, a Scottish missionary, was the first white man to see the waterfall in 1855. Although he named it after the Queen of England, native Africans continue to call it Mosi-oaTunya, which means The Smoke that Thunders, because the water makes thunderous spray clouds as it falls. Mt. Everest

About 60 million years ago, India was a separate continent that rapidly moved northward and collided with Asia. The crash pushed up the northern rim of India to create the highest mountain range in the world known as the Himalayas. Mt. Everest stands above the other mountains at 29,035 feet, making it the tallest on the planet. Thousands of people have tried to climb the treacherous mountain (it's 97 degrees below freezing!) - more than 700 have succeeded, but at least 150 have died trying. Great Barrier Reef

The world's largest coral reef is located in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland in Australia. It stretches over 1,400 miles in length and can be seen from space. An estimated 1,500 species of fish and 350 types of coral live and grow on the Great Barrier Reef.