Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The Pyramids at Giza, Egypt
Built more than 4,000 years ago, they are the oldest of the ancient wonders and the only ones still surviving. They served as tombs for the Egyptian pharaohs, whose mummified bodies were surrounded by treasures and personal belongings.

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Asia Minor
Built of marble in the 6th century B.C. in honor of the Greek virgin goddess of the hunt and the moon, it was rebuilt in the 4th century B.C. and finally destroyed by invading Goths in the 3rd century A.D. Fragments of the temple are in the British Museum, in London.

The Colossus of Rhodes
A bronze statue of the sun god Helios standing 105 feet high at the mouth of Rhodes harbor. According to legend, the Colossus straddled the harbor and vessels sailed between its legs. It was built on the Greek island during 292-280 B.C. (approx.) and was destroyed in 224 B.C. by an earthquake.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Built in the 6th century B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar 11, they consisted of terraces on which flowers and trees were grown. The gardens stretched along the banks of the Euphrates and were watered by irrigation channels.

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
An imposing figure, 30 feet high, of the supreme Greek god. The body was made of wood and covered with gold and ivory. It was designed in the 5th century B.C. by the Athenian sculptor Phidias and was destroyed by fire in A.D. 475.

The Pharos of Alexandria
The world's first known lighthouse, it stood 400 feet high and had a spiral ramp leading to the beacon. It was built on the island of Pharos, at the entrance to Alexandria harbor in Egypt, in about 280 B.C. By the 15th century it had fallen into ruin.

Mausoleum at Halicamassus, Asia Minor
The tomb of Mausolus, a ruler of the city of Caria in the 4th century s.c. Built by his widow, it was destroyed by an earthquake before the 15th century.