The familiar concept of “Seven Wonders of the World” was born in ancient times, more than 2 thousand years ago. Since then, it has united famous creations of ancient architecture.
Let's remember what is included in these “miracles”. After all, they have practically not survived to this day.
Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt
The only exception is the Cheops pyramid. It is already 4.5 thousand years old, but it still impresses with its grandeur. Construction took place over 20 years, and tens of thousands of Egyptians and slaves took part in it. Another hundred thousand were busy delivering blocks. Construction was completed around 2560 BC.
The pyramid consists of - as calculated today - 2.5 million blocks. The most amazing thing is that they are not held together by cement or any other binder. They are held together by tightly fitting each other. Now the top of the Cheops pyramid has been destroyed. Previously, its height was 147 meters.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Iraq
The next miracle is the “Hanging Gardens” of Babylon. Their purpose was to please the beauty, the wife of King Nebuchadnezzar P
The gardens rose in four tiers. From a distance it seemed that they were rising above the ground. In fact, it was very difficult to build structures in which, like in huge pots, not only flowers and shrubs, but also trees would grow. Both stones and lead plates were used. It was also necessary to bring and pour here a fairly large layer of fertile soil.
It is not surprising that in arid Babylon such an oasis seemed like a real miracle.
Zeus statue in Greece
In Greece there was a third “miracle” - a statue of Zeus. In the 5th century BC. a temple was built here in honor of the most important Greek god. Naturally, there was a statue of him inside the temple. The 20-meter tall Zeus sat on the throne, overwhelming the believers with his magnificence. This was not just a sculpture. The wooden body was covered with ivory. The god's robe naturally shone with gold.
Temple of Artemis in Turkey
Where modern Türkiye lies, in ancient times there was a temple of Artemis. It was built in the 6th century. BC. by order of King Croesus. The greatness and power of the goddess was to be emphasized by her statue. The basis of production was ivory. And also 127 high columns, as if supporting a huge structure.
The temple was burned in 356 BC. But he remained forever in people's memory.
Mausoleum in Halicarnassus Türkiye
The next “miracle” was again located in Turkey. This is the mausoleum at Halicarnassus. It became the tomb for Mausolus, the ruler of Caria, who lived in the 4th century BC. This structure, although inferior in height to the Cheops pyramid, still reached a significant height - 46 m. It was framed by columns, and crowned by a sculpture of a chariot.
Colossus of Rhodes in Greece
The sixth “miracle” can be called the statue of the Sun God - Helios. Its other name is the Colossus of Rhodes. This statue stood in Greece in the 3rd century BC. So the Greeks decided to thank their beloved god. They believed that it was Helios who helped them survive the fight against the invaders and survive the siege. In the hand of the young god there was a torch, as if lighting the way for ships sailing to and leaving the port of Rhodes. Six and a half decades later, the statue was destroyed by an earthquake.
At the moment they want to restore the statue to attract tourists.
By the way, in the famous series “Game of Thrones” there is a similar sculpture
Alexandria Lighthouse in Egypt
The world also lost the seventh “miracle” as a result of the shaking of the soil. This Alexandrian lighthouse, who in the 3rd century BC. was in Egypt, on the island of Pharos. For that time it was a huge tower. According to historians, its height reached 120 m. But even more amazing was the way in which the lighthouse sent light to ships. At its top, servants kept the fire burning, and specially made metal mirrors directed the light into the distance.
Sailors located 60 km from the port saw a distant spark in the night. It was a fire burning on top of the lighthouse. The most difficult task was to deliver enough wood for the fire. Carts and mules were used for this purpose. They went up the spiral staircase.
The series “Game of Thrones” also played up their own version of the Alexandria Lighthouse
Even now, thousands of years later, we respect these creations by the hands of ancient masters. What can we say about how their contemporaries perceived them! Indeed, these were miracles, there is no better way to say it.
New "Seven Wonders of the World" of the modern world.
Since almost all of these incomparable creations have been lost, the Swiss Bernard Weber proposed implementing the “New Seven Wonders of the World” project. The results were announced on July 7, 2007. Magic number "7".
Great Wall of China in China
Of course, the Great Wall of China, which at one time protected the state from nomads, could not give the palm to anyone. The wall was also supposed to unite the empire, which had just been formed, to help unite its people.
Construction lasted many years, in difficult conditions, when there were no roads and there was a shortage of necessary materials. But the result was great. There is no other architectural structure like this on our planet. The wall stretches for 8851.8 km. Every year over 40 million tourists come to see this miracle.
Amphitheater Colosseum in Italy
The largest amphitheater, the Colosseum, which has survived from the times, also enjoys well-deserved fame. Ancient Rome, and now constitutes one of the main attractions of Italy. The name "Colosseum" also comes from the word "colossus". To the Romans, the amphitheater seemed truly huge. After all, at that time the buildings reached a height of 8-10 m. Against their background, the Colosseum looked majestic. Once upon a time, thousands of guests flocked here to watch the famous gladiator fights.
Ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu Peru
On the territory of the present state of Peru there is ancient city Inca Machu Picchu. Its location is unique - on the tops of the mountains, in the heart of the inaccessible Andes. Despite all the achievements of science, the secrets of Machu Picchu have not yet been fully solved. It is also called “the city among the clouds” and is associated with the name of the ruler Pachacutec. The residence of the ruler, located at an altitude of 2450 m, was inaccessible to enemies. And to those who were on earth, it seemed that it was fitting for the ruler to live next door to the gods. Most likely, the city was built in the 15th century. Even today you can come there along the path of ancient pilgrims, you just need to be prepared for the fact that the hike will take several days.
But you will see a majestic sight - mountain peaks and an ancient city. Beautiful llamas graze here.
Ancient city - Petra in Jordan
Another ancient city, Petra, is located in what is now Jordan. The peculiarity of this city is that it is carved from stone. Otherwise it would have been impossible to build it here in the Siq Canyon. Bare rocks, steep cliffs, narrow gorges - such a panorama opens up to the eyes of tourists. But people lived and fought with enemies here too. Truly, a person is capable of inhabiting any place!
Taj Mahal Temple in India
Compared to this ascetic shelter of ancient people, the Taj Mahal temple in India seems to be a symbol of beauty and harmony. There is probably no better creation in Indian architecture. This temple is a mausoleum. It was built by order of Emperor Shah Jahan. His beloved wife unexpectedly died during childbirth, and the inconsolable husband decided to perpetuate her memory in this way - by erecting a most beautiful temple. Today there is no tourist coming to India who would not like to see the Taj Mahal. This temple is located in the city of Agra.
Statue of Christ in Brazil
The sixth of the new wonders of the world was the statue of Christ in Brazil. On Mount Corcovado, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the merciful Lord stretched out his hands over the people. This is Christ the Redeemer. It is symbolic that when thunderstorms rage here, the statue is often struck by lightning. After all, she is the most high point around. The height of this figure is 38 m, and it weighs more than 1145 tons. After a lightning strike, it is necessary to repair the damage caused to the reinforced concrete sculpture. Since they could not create such a huge figure in Brazil, they made the sculpture in France. They delivered it to Brazil in parts.
The seventh miracle was another ancient city of Chichen Itza. It belonged to the Mayan Indians and is located in Mexico. It was here that the Mayans gathered for prayers, and here, like nowhere else, they felt the presence of God. And today people feel awe when approaching the pyramids that were built by representatives ancient civilization. The most famous is the El Castillo temple in honor of the god Kukulkan.
All these sights, which only recently received the proud status of “New Wonders of the World,” have long become genuine treasures of our cultural heritage. The flow of tourists eager to see these wonderful places with their own eyes does not dry out. And it is gratifying that the “baton” of the ancient “miracles” has been taken up by no less wonderful, but accessible for viewing, “new miracles”.
— The Great Wall of China, which is a truly incredible object, on which a huge amount of money, materials, and human lives were spent.
The structure, unprecedented in its size, evokes delight when we only think about the state of the art of that time. Unfortunately, it was not included in the list due to its young age, but it is truly inspiring on a scale no less than the pyramids of Chiops.
City of Petra
- The city of Petra - this object was also rightfully included in the new seven wonders of the world, since it is a large city completely carved out of the mountains.
The skill of the workers is amazing even by modern standards, and if we remember again that this city is several thousand years old, then we can confidently say that this is true magic.
Sculpture of Christ
— The sculpture of Christ is popular among us from Brazilian television series, the tallest structure that crowns the elevation in Rio. The height of the statue is 38 m, the pedestal is 8 m, the weight of the statue is 1145 tons, the arm span is 30 m.
Machu Picchu
— Machu Picchu is an Indian city that has survived to this day and represents a monument to the old Inca civilization. The New Seven Wonders of the World put it on par with the Chinese Wall and Egyptian pyramids, there's a lot to look at here.
Pyramid of Chichen Itza
- Chichen Itza - these pyramids, which became a monument to the second great civilization - the Mayans. Preserved here ancient statues, buildings, inventions, in fact, in impeccable condition, which have survived to this day. Even individual pieces of furniture were found here.
Roman Coliseum
— The Roman Colosseum is the place where gladiator fights took place, soaked in blood and terrible stories, the last breaths of people and animals. The new wonders of the world include the Colosseum not only because of its beauty but because of the history, deeds in ancient works, narratives and stories.
Taj Mahal
— The Taj Mahal, a romantic haloed temple built to commemorate one of the most popular love stories in the world, is considered the best example of Mughal architecture, combining elements of Indian, Persian and Islamic architectural styles.
Egyptian pyramids
- Egyptian pyramids - they were included in the new eight wonders of the world, as the Egyptians were offended that their miracle was not included in the list of the best. It was decided to respect the request, since the design deserves admiration.
Last week, I went to visit my mother, and found my old children’s encyclopedia “7 Wonders of the World” from her, flipped through it with nostalgia, and finally decided to make a post about the wonders of the world, because today there are many more than 7 wonders of the world.
To begin with, I propose to recall these “7 wonders” of antiquity.
The only miracle that has survived to this day. Construction, which lasted twenty years, began around 2560 BC. e. Excavation data from January 2010 confirm the theory that the pyramids were built by civilian workers. Up to 10 thousand people were simultaneously employed at the construction site, with workers working in shifts of three months. It is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids of the necropolis of the city of Giza.
Initially, the Cheops pyramid rose to 147 meters, but due to the advance of sands, its height decreased to 137 meters.
The Cheops Pyramid consists of 2,300,000 cubic blocks of limestone with smoothly polished sides. Each block weighs on average 2.5 tons, and the heaviest is 15 tons, the total weight of the pyramid is 5.7 million tons.
Confirmation of the inexplicably high knowledge of the Egyptians in the field of astronomy and civil engineering is the location of the Cheops pyramid in relation to the cardinal points: the pyramid almost unmistakably points to the true north. As a result of precise measurements carried out in 1925, an incredible fact was established: the error in its position was only 3 minutes 6 seconds.
The base area of the pyramid is comparable to the area of 10 football fields.
We can talk for a long time about the pyramids shrouded in myths and legends, their labyrinths and traps, mummies and treasures, but we’ll leave that to Egyptologists. For us, the Cheops Pyramid is one of the greatest structures of mankind throughout its existence and, of course, the only First Wonder of the World that has survived to this day from the depths of centuries.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Babylon)
The city has long ceased to exist, but even today the ruins testify to its grandeur. In the 7th century BC. Babylon was the largest and richest city of the Ancient East. There were many amazing structures in Babylon, but most striking were the hanging gardens of the royal palace - gardens that became a legend.
the famous “Hanging Gardens” were not created by Semiramis and not even during her reign, but later, in honor of another - non-legendary - woman. They were built by order of King Nebuchadnezzar for his beloved wife Amytis, a Median princess who, in dusty Babylon, yearned for the green hills of Media.
This king, who destroyed city after city and even entire states, built a lot in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar turned the capital into an impregnable stronghold and surrounded himself with luxury unparalleled even in those times.
The design of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was a pyramid with a base (43x35 meters), which consisted of four tiers mounted on twenty-five-meter columns. The surface of each tier was covered with a layer of reeds (reeds), stone blocks held together with gypsum and lead plates, on which a thick layer of fertile soil was poured. All these measures helped to preserve water for plants for as long as possible, of which there was very little in Babylon.
The height of the structure was almost thirty meters! Trees, flowers, soil - all this was brought in carts drawn by oxen. Water was supplied through pipes from the Euphrates River. To do this, hundreds of slaves turned a huge wheel installed in one of the towers around the clock.
Zeus statue in Olympia
The statue of Olympian Zeus is the work of Phidias. An outstanding work of ancient sculpture, one of the seven wonders of the world. It was located in the temple of Olympian Zeus, in Olympia - a city in the region of Elis. Construction of the temple took about 10 years. But the statue of Zeus did not appear in it right away. The Greeks decided to invite the famous Athenian sculptor Phidias to create a statue of Zeus.
Ancient Roman sculpture "Seated Zeus", Phidias type. Hermitage Gold covered the cape that covered part of Zeus’s body, the scepter with an eagle, which he held in his left hand, the statue of the goddess of victory - Nike, which he held in his right hand, and a wreath of olive branches on Zeus’s head. Zeus's feet rested on a stool supported by two lions. The reliefs of the throne glorified, first of all, Zeus himself. Four dancing Nikes were depicted on the legs of the throne. Centaurs, lapiths, the exploits of Theseus and Hercules, and frescoes depicting the battle of the Greeks with the Amazons were also depicted. The base of the statue was 6 meters wide and 1 meter high. The height of the entire statue together with the pedestal was, according to various sources, from 12 to 17 meters. Zeus's eyes were the size of an adult's fist.
Temple of Artemis of Ephesus (Ephesus)
Several hundred years BC, when Ephesus was at the zenith of its glory, the inhabitants decided to build a large temple. By that time, the city was already about 600 years old, it was rich and powerful, growing and prospering under the patronage of the goddess Artemis, sister of Apollo and daughter of Zeus - known in Roman mythology as Diana the Huntress. Artemis was also considered the goddess of the moon and helped women during childbirth.
The place for the new, majestic and grandiose temple in the part of the goddess was chosen as sacred - even in ancient times, religious rituals took place there. The townspeople decided not to spare either money or time, and also attracted wealthy construction sponsors from other regions of the country.
The finished temple was magnificent, and was constantly decorated with new decorative elements - after all, Ephesus was a very rich city. Historical data is contradictory, but it is mentioned that the temple had many bronze statues, the interior was decorated with gold and silver, the statue of the goddess herself was made of ivory and gold, and trimmed with ebony.
It is noteworthy that in those days the temple was not only a religious building, but also a financial and business center. The souvenir business also flourished: not far from the temple, original souvenirs - its smaller copies - were successfully sold. Scientists still have not figured out which temple was considered a wonder of the world - rebuilt or burned by Herostratus
mausoleum in Halicarnassus
The Mausoleum in Halicarnassus is a wonderful monument of ancient Greek architectural art, which went down in the history of ancient culture as one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World. Our contemporaries generally believe that the mausoleum is the tomb of great leaders.
The builders placed the tomb in the peripterus - a building framed by a colonnade of 11-meter columns. To support the roof of the mausoleum, 36 columns were needed. The spaces between the columns were filled with various statues of mythological figures, and the roof looked like a step pyramid with 24 steps. Its crown was a marble quadriga, that is, an antique chariot with four horses harnessed to it. Huge statues of Mausolus and Artemisia were placed in the chariot, playing the role of charioteers. This magnificent sculpture reached a height of 6 m. In the tomb room there were marble sarcophagi intended for the royal couple. The foot of the mausoleum was decorated with sculptures of horsemen and marble lions.
In general, the history of the Halicarnassus mausoleum is eventful. At one time, he survived the conquest of the city by Alexander the Great, and even withstood the attack of pirates who set their sights on Halicarnassus at the beginning of the 1st century. However, after the Maltese attacked the mausoleum and took away stone and marble slabs from it, only the foundation remained of the majestic structure.
Colossus of Rhodes (Rhodes)
The colossus was the name given to a giant statue that stood in the port city of Rhodes, an island in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of modern Turkey. In ancient times, the people of Rhodes wanted to be independent traders.
The colossus grew on the shore of the harbor on an artificial hill lined with white marble. For twelve years no one saw the statue, because as soon as the next belt of bronze sheets was attached to the frame, the embankment surrounding the colossus was added to make it more convenient for the craftsmen to climb up. And only when the embankment was removed, the Rhodians saw their patron god, whose head was adorned with a radiant crown.
The sparkling god was visible many kilometers from Rhodes, and soon rumors about him spread throughout the ancient world. But half a century later, a strong earthquake that destroyed Rhodes knocked the colossus to the ground; the most vulnerable point of the statue was the knees. This is where the expression “colossus with feet of clay” comes from.
So the colossus lay on the shore of the bay - the main tourist attraction of the island. The defeated giant was seen by Pliny the Elder, who came there in the first century AD. What struck Pliny most was that only a few people could wrap their hands around the thumb of the statue.
The colossus lying on the ground was overgrown with cobwebs and legends. In eyewitness accounts, he seemed much larger than he actually was. Legends appeared in Roman literature that it originally towered over the entrance to the harbor and was so large that ships passed between its legs to the city.
Alexandria Lighthouse (Pharos)
Alexandrian lighthouse ( Faros lighthouse) - one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, was built in the 3rd century BC. e. on the small island of Pharos off the coast of the Egyptian city of Alexandria. It was a busy port founded by Alexander the Great during his visit to Egypt in 332 BC. e.
The Alexandria Lighthouse was the world's first lighthouse and the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World that served a practical purpose, helping ships safely pass the reefs on their way to Alexandria Bay. The lighthouse, according to various estimates, rose to a height of 120 to 140 meters, and the light it emitted could be visible at a distance of up to 60 km.
The lighthouse stood for almost a thousand years, but by the 12th century AD. e., the Alexandria Bay became so silted that ships could no longer use it and the lighthouse fell into disrepair. Abandoned, it stood for some time, until in 796 AD. e. it was not destroyed by an earthquake. At the end of the 15th century. Sultan Qait Bey erected a fortress from the rubble on the site of the lighthouse, which was subsequently rebuilt more than once.
These are the miracles that were described in my book. The same ones: 7 wonders. But time does not stand still, and now there are many more such miracles. It seems to me that they are also worthy of our attention...
New 7 wonders of the world
Great Wall of China (China)
The Great Wall of China is one of the oldest architectural monuments China and a symbol of the power of Chinese civilization. There is probably not a single civilized person in the world who has not heard of the Great Wall of China. It stretches from the Liaodong Gulf northeast of Beijing through Northern China to the Gobi Desert.
Construction took 10 years and faced numerous difficulties. The main problem was the lack of appropriate infrastructure for construction: there were no roads, there was no adequate water and food for those involved in the work, while their number reached 300 thousand people, and the total number of builders involved under Qin reached, according to some estimates, 2 million. Slaves, soldiers, and peasants were involved in the construction. As a result of epidemics and overwork, at least tens of thousands of people died. Outrage against the mobilization for the construction of the wall caused popular uprisings and served as one of the reasons for the fall of the Qin dynasty.
Probably, no creation of human hands amazes the imagination as much as the Great Wall of China - the most grandiose and longest architectural and fortification structure on the planet. The wall is not just impressive - it is stunning. First of all, the titanic labor invested in it and its prohibitive size. Truly, only the Chinese, organized and hardworking like ants, could endure this. In China they say that a good half of their history lies in the Great Wall of China - it was built by different generations and dynasties over more than two thousand years, and all the country’s wars are connected with it in one way or another.
Christ the Redeemer Statue (Rio de Janeiro)
One of the most famous statues in the world and definitely the most recognizable in Brazil - the statue of Christ the Redeemer. Installed on Mount Corcovado at an altitude of more than 700 meters, she looks at the large city, located under it. The Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro, due to its fame, attracts millions of tourists to Mount Corcovado. From its height there is a beautiful view of the city of ten million with its bays, beaches, and the Maracana stadium.
The height of the statue is 38 m, including the pedestal - 8 m; arm span - 28 m. Weight - 1145 tons. Being the highest point in the area, the statue regularly (on average four times a year) becomes the target of lightning. The Catholic diocese specially keeps a supply of the stone from which the statue was built to restore parts of the statue damaged by lightning
The statue of Christ the Redeemer is without a doubt one of the main symbols not only of Rio de Janeiro, but of all of Brazil. Many tourists visit the statue every year. Mount Corcovado experiences a particularly large influx of visitors during the traditional annual carnival, which is held in Rio de Janeiro. Definitely, this grandiose monument is one of the greatest works of sculpture in the world.
Colosseum (Rome)
amphitheater, an architectural monument of Ancient Rome, the most famous and one of the most grandiose buildings of the ancient world that have survived to this day. Located in Rome, in the hollow between the Esquiline, Palatine and Caelian hills.
The construction of the largest amphitheater in the entire ancient world, with a capacity of over 50 thousand people, took place over eight years as a collective construction of the emperors of the Flavian dynasty. It began to be built in 72 AD. under Emperor Vespasian, and in 80 AD. The amphitheater was consecrated by Emperor Titus. The amphitheater was located on the site where there was a pond that belonged to the Golden House of Nero.
For a long time, the Colosseum was for the residents of Rome and visitors the main place for entertainment spectacles, such as gladiator fights, animal persecution, and naval battles.
The opening of the Colosseum was marked by 100 days of entertainment. During this time, several thousand warriors and 5 thousand wild animals brought from Africa died in gladiatorial tournaments. The theater's arena had a sliding floor that raised and lowered, and with the help of a water supply connected to the Colosseum, the stage was filled with water and naval battles were staged. Up to 3,000 gladiators could fight in the arena at the same time, and 50 thousand spectators, frantically demanding “bread and circuses,” tensely watched the bloody battles, chariot races and theatrical performances. The scale of the celebrations dedicated to the opening of the Colosseum could only be matched by the bloody celebration of the 1000th anniversary of Rome in 248, when dozens of lions, tigers, leopards, elephants, giraffes, horses, donkeys and hyenas were killed in just 3 days. The 1000th anniversary of the “eternal city” became the last day of life for 2000 gladiators.
Machu Picchu (Peru)
City ancient America, located in the territory of modern Peru. Machu Picchu is also often called “the city in the sky” or “the city among the clouds”, sometimes called the “lost city of the Incas”. This city was created as a sacred mountain retreat by the great Inca ruler Pachacutec a century before the conquest of his empire, around 1440, and functioned until 1532, when the Spanish invaded the Inca Empire. In 1532, all its inhabitants mysteriously disappeared.
Due to its modest size, Machu Picchu cannot claim to be large city- there are no more than 200 structures in it. These are mainly temples, residences, warehouses and other premises for public needs. For the most part they are made of well-processed stone, slabs tightly fitted to each other. It is believed that up to 1,200 people lived in and around it, who worshiped the sun god Inti there and cultivated crops on the terraces. For more than 400 years, this city was forgotten and was in desolation.
Machu Picchu, especially after receiving UNESCO World Heritage status, has become a center of mass tourism. In 2011, it was decided to limit the number of visitors. According to new rules, only 2,500 tourists per day can visit Machu Picchu, of which no more than 400 people can climb Mount Wayna Picchu, which is part of the archaeological complex. In order to preserve the monument, UNESCO requires that the number of tourists per day be reduced to 800. Machu Picchu is located in a remote region.
City of Petra (Jordan)
The city of Petra in Jordan is located in the heart of the desert. This place is a heritage ancient culture. Built more than two thousand years ago, it is of great value to admirers ancient architecture and art. This ancient miracle city stretches along a winding valley formed among the rocks, on a place that was a river bed in ancient times. Steps carved into the rocks lead to an innumerable number of structures - monuments, necropolises, reservoirs, altars. More than eight hundred monuments of Petra have survived to this day.
Petra's surviving structures include rock-cut temples, dwellings, tombs, reservoirs, aqueducts and altars. If you approach the city along the es-Siq gorge, the first large monument that opens up to your gaze is el-Khazneh - a temple located in a solid rock with a two-tiered façade approx. 20 m.
A mysterious people who have reached unattainable architectural heights are the Nabateans. Without exaggeration, we can say that the best reminder that they left about themselves to their descendants and which speaks about them better than any chronicles is a windswept pink rock masterpiece, hidden by them among the inaccessible mountains.
Pyramid of Kukulcan (Mexico)
25 meters high with nine levels, located in the center of a large square. The base of the pyramid is a square with sides of 55.5 meters. On each side of the pyramid there are four wide staircases, each with 91 steps. And these stairs lead to the upper platform on which the temple is located.
The northern staircase of the pyramid ends with snake heads - a symbol of Kukulkan, because translated from the Mayan language, Kukulkan is a feathered serpent.
Exactly at 17:15, the light show begins - the sun's rays, when going around the ledges of the pyramid on the days of the equinox, through the play of light and shadows, depict the image of a revived ancient god. This effect lasts for 3 hours and 22 minutes. The sun goes lower and the image becomes clearer. Soon the seven curves of the body of the Solar Serpent appear - they are formed by the shadows of the seven ledges of the pyramid. The sun goes down - and the snake also slides, lower and lower. And below, at the foot of the pyramid, the head of the image coincides with the real stone sculptured head of the serpent, which ends the northern staircase of the pyramid.
The ancient builders of the Mayan tribe were simply brilliant, being able to calculate the parameters so accurately at that time and placing the walls of the pyramid strictly along the cardinal points. The Kukulcan Pyramid has some astronomical significance. Each of its staircases has 91 steps, and the total number of steps is 364, plus the upper platform step at the base of the temple, for a total of 365 - a number corresponding to the number of days in a year. And the side parts of the structure are divided in accordance with the number of months in the Mayan calendar - into eighteen sections.
Taj Mahal (India)
The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum-mosque located in Agra, India, on the banks of the Jamna River (the architects were probably Ustad-Isa and others). Built by order of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth (Shah Jahan himself was later buried here). Although the white marble dome of the mausoleum is the most famous component, the Taj Mahal is a structurally integrated complex. The building began to be built around 1632 and was completed in 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The management of the construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a Council of Architects under imperial control, including Abd ul-Karim Mamur Khan, Makramat Khan and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lakhauri is usually considered the main designer.
Majestic, divine, shining, and, despite its 74-meter height, so light and airy that it is like a fairy-tale dream, the Taj Mahal mausoleum rises in the valley of the Yamuna River - the most beautiful architectural creation of India, and, perhaps, of the whole earth... White marble domes soar high into the sky - one large and four small ones, in the chaste outlines of which one can guess the female form. Reflected in the motionless surface of an artificial canal, the Taj Mahal seems to float in front of us, representing an example of extraterrestrial beauty and perfect harmony... But it is not only architectural perfection that attracts millions of travelers from all over the world to the Taj Mahal. The story of its origin makes no less impression on the hearts of people... A story more like an oriental fairy tale or legend that any poet would envy...
The first man appeared on planet Earth 2 million years ago; archaeological excavations in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania help to draw such conclusions. During its existence, humanity has evolved, leaving behind vivid traces of its existence.
What can so clearly demonstrate to us the level of development, religion, power in various periods of human habitation on earth, if not the work of human hands? Architectural monuments are a real treasure trove of history. This is what helps us remember our majestic past, our former power, recreate lost historical information, be proud of our ancestors and believe in the strength of modern society.
7 Wonders of the World– this is the most striking demonstration of the majesty of past years. Why 7? Let's start with the fact that the 7 wonders of the world were identified back in ancient times. The number “7” was considered sacred, the number of the great god Apollo; it was a symbol of completeness and impeccability.
There are stories about these delightful historical monuments back in the Hellenistic era - this is the period of time that ends with the death of Alexander the Great, more precisely in 323 BC. The ancient papyri that have reached us indicate that the wonders of the world were the subject of study in school.
The first to describe the 7 wonders of the world known today was Herodotus. True, the ancient Greek historian in his work “History” displayed only three monuments. And in the 3rd century AD the world already appeared full list“7 Wonders of the World”, which has survived to this day.
Over time, the list changed several times, old things were removed, new things were added. However, we will now look at the wonders of the world that were on the very first ancient list that has survived to this day.
The 7 Wonders of the World include: the Pyramid of Cheops and the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt, the Statue of Zeus in mainland Greece, and the Statue of Zeus in Babylon Hanging Gardens Semiramis, on the territory of modern Turkey the Temple of Artemis and the Mausoleum in Halicarnassus were located, the Colossus of Rhodes towered on the island of Rhodes
Of all these majestic historical monuments, only one has survived to this day; the rest of the architectural masterpieces, unfortunately, were destroyed.
The Pyramid of Cheops. This is the only wonder of the world that has survived to this day. The largest pyramid at Giza was built around 2000 BC. The base of the building is square, its height reaches 147 meters, but due to the fact that sandstorms and strong winds occurred around the pyramid for several millennia, one of the 7 wonders of the world went a little underground, significantly reducing its height.
According to scientists, the construction of this tomb lasted for thirty years. But the body of the pharaoh inside the walls of the tomb was never found - this fact remains a mystery to this day.
Looking at this historical monument will take your breath away. The Pyramid of Cheops amazes with its beauty and grandeur. Were ancient Egyptian slaves able to build such a masterpiece without modern tools? How did they do it? 
Hanging Pyramids of Babylon. In fact, hanging gardens should have been called "hanging" gardens. During archaeological excavations, historians came across a palace complex, which was made in the form of a pyramid. The entire pyramid was covered with a lot of vegetation, which seemed to hang from the tiers of the structure.
One of the Seven Wonders of the World was built in the 7th century BC, by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II, who at that time ruled Babylon the Great.
Nebuchadnezzar entered into an alliance with the ruler of Media, Cyaxares, which was reinforced by the marriage of the Babylonian king and the daughter of Cyaxares, Amytis. Amytis from Media, a country with rich nature, filled with greenery and fresh air, was forced to move to Babylon, a city built on arid terrain, dusty and sandy. Watching his wife suffer, the caring husband decided to give his wife a gift - to create a kind of oasis where Amitis would feel at home. Nebuchadnezzar did just that, thereby giving birth to one of the 7 wonders of the world - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Why the Gardens of Babylon? The answer to this question is very simple: this is a mistake of ancient historians. They prescribed the gardens to the Assyrian queen Semiramis, who lived two centuries earlier.
Where exactly the Hanging Gardens were located still remains a mystery. Historians have several hypotheses about this. 
Zeus statue in Olympia. According to Greek mythology, Zeus is the main god. He is worshiped by thunder and lightning, the sky and the air, and the other gods fear him.
The statue of Zeus, which amazed the minds of mankind, was erected in the 5th century BC in the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. The temple was made of marble and amazed with its majesty and beauty. One of the most famous and talented architects of Greece, Phidias, was invited to make the statue of the Thunderer.
In 435 the statue was unveiled. At this moment, all of Greece froze in amazement. No wonders of the world could compare with the power, strength, and beauty of the statue of the great god Zeus. Zeus was made of gold and ivory. She sat on a golden throne, in her hands was a golden scepter, a golden eagle sat proudly at her feet, and a wreath adorned her head.
It is known that in the 5th century AD the statue still existed. But after the Greeks adopted Christianity, all temples were closed. Theodosius I ordered the statue to be dismantled into parts. After which the great work of art burned down, either in Constantinople or in Greece itself. 
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The Temple of Artemis was built in the 6th century BC. But before this architectural structure acquired the form in which it became one of the wonders of the world, it was built many times and destroyed many times.
The inhabitants of the ancient world, namely Greece, worshiped the great goddess of fertility Artemis. At a certain point, having chosen a place where sacrifices were mainly made for the goddess, the inhabitants of Ephesus began construction. Wooden buildings could not withstand natural destruction, so the temple was built several times.
Finally, the famous and talented sculptor Chersifon built a better temple in 450 BC, but a hundred years later it was burned. Then the sculptor’s followers decided to make the temple out of marble. It was the greatest masterpiece of art, and it became one of the 7 wonders of the world. The majestic structure was of enormous proportions: length – 105 meters, width – 51 meters.
Unfortunately, already in 263 the temple was plundered by the Goths. In the 4th century AD, a single religion, Christianity, was proclaimed, which demanded the destruction of all pagan cultural monuments. 
Mausoleum in Halicarnassus. When exactly the construction of the mausoleum began remains unknown. Construction is considered to have begun around the 4th century BC. The time when Kariya was still a colony of the Persian Empire.
The ruler of Caria, Mavsol, began construction during his lifetime. It was finished by Mavsol's wife.
By the way, the name “mausoleum” comes from the name of the ruler – Mavsol.
The finished structure was amazing, it was so beautiful. The mausoleum in Halicarnassus was a large architectural structure, inside of which there was its own courtyard. Thin and at the same time very powerful carved images decorated the decoration of the building.
It is not known exactly how the mausoleum was destroyed. The historical monument was finally destroyed by a Maltese raid in the 15th century, or an earthquake.
The remains of the mausoleum were found in 1977 as a result of archaeological excavations by Christian Jeppez. 
The Colossus of Rhodes. The Colossus of Rhodes is the penultimate one on the ancient list of 7 wonders of the world.
Unfortunately, if you now want to admire one of the most powerful monuments of ancient architecture - the 36-meter high Greek god of the sun - Helios, then you will not be able to. Since the greatest historical monument was destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BC. That work of art, which was created by the greatest ancient sculptors over the course of 12 years, stood for only 60 years.
The decision to create such a sculpture of impressive size was prompted by the gratitude of the inhabitants of Rhodes, for the fact that the supposedly great Helios contributed to the fact that Demetrius the Great was able to protect the city from the conquerors.
Now they are trying to restore one of the 7 wonders of the world. According to the plan of modern architects, the statue will be increased in size by another 30 meters, and there will be an entertainment complex inside it. 
Alexandrian lighthouse. The list of “Wonders of the World” ends with a work of art that was located near Alexandria.
Alexandria was a port city, and the coast Mediterranean Sea was too shallow and the bottom was rocky. Therefore, in 285, a grandiose construction began on the island of Pharos, near Alexandria.
As a result of lengthy work, a 120-meter statue consisting of three sections appeared to the world. In the upper compartment of which a huge fire was burning. Stone and marble are the main components of the structure, which was supposed to be built to last. But, unfortunately, fate was not destined for such a long existence for the magnificent tower. After standing for almost 1000 years, the masterpiece of ancient art collapsed as a result of an earthquake. 
Wonders of the world, how many mysteries and secrets do they contain? There is so much we still don’t know and will never know. One thing becomes clear: it is necessary to carefully protect our cultural values so that our descendants can admire the amazing historical monuments with their own eyes.
Egyptian pyramids in El Giza
EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS, tombs of Egyptian pharaohs. The largest of them - the pyramids of Cheops, Khafre and Mikerin in El Giza - were considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World in ancient times. The construction of the pyramid, in which the Greeks and Romans already saw a monument to the unprecedented pride of kings and cruelty that doomed the entire people of Egypt to meaningless construction, was the most important cult act and was supposed to express, apparently, the mystical identity of the country and its ruler. The population of the country worked on the construction of the tomb in a state free from sedition. agricultural work part of the year. A number of texts testify to the attention and care that the kings themselves (albeit of a later time) paid to the construction of their tomb and its builders. It is also known about the special cult honors that were given to the pyramid itself.
The pyramids of Egypt served as tombs for their dead kings. In the center of the ritual complex of the building are the Egyptian pyramids, according to the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians they had magical powers, in which the mummified pharaoh could achieve eternal life. The first step that led to the creation of the Egyptian Pyramids complex was the Pyramid of Djoser, built shortly after Egypt became a single land (around 3000 BC). The pyramids of Egypt became famous mainly due to the Pyramid of Cheops, located in Giza, which was discovered centuries later. The Egyptian pyramids were distinguished by unique technological features, and it is still not entirely clear how exactly they were built. The true evolution by which the Egyptian pyramids developed can be traced from the earliest prehistoric tombs to the splendor of the Giza Plateau. The pyramids were built on the left - western bank of the Nile (West - the kingdom of the dead) and towered over the entire city of the dead - countless tombs, pyramids, temples. The largest of the three is the Pyramid of Cheops (architect Hemiun, 27th century BC). Its height was initially 147 m, and the length of the side of the base was 232 m. For its construction, 2 million 300 thousand huge stone blocks were required, the average weight of which was 2.5 tons. The slabs were not held together with mortar; only extremely precise fitting held them in place. In ancient times, the pyramids were faced with polished slabs of white limestone, their tops were covered with copper slabs that sparkled in the sun (only the Cheops pyramid retained the limestone casing; the Arabs used the coating of other pyramids in the construction of the White Mosque in Cairo). Near the Pyramid of Khafre rises one of the largest statues of antiquity and our time - a rock-cut figure of a reclining sphinx with the portrait features of Pharaoh Khafre himself. The Great Pyramids were surrounded by a number of small tombs of the pharaohs' wives and their entourage. Such complexes necessarily included the sanctuaries of Upper and Lower Egypt, large courtyards for the Heb-su festival, and mortuary temples, the servants of which were supposed to support the cult of the deceased king. The space around the pyramid, surrounded by steles, was connected through a long covered passage to the temple on the banks of the Nile, where the body of the pharaoh was met and funeral ceremonies began. All pyramids are precisely oriented according to the cardinal points, which indicates high level astronomical knowledge of the ancient Egyptians, the calculation of the angles of inclination of the faces is absolutely impeccable. In the Cheops pyramid, the angle of inclination is such that the height of the pyramid is equal to the radius of the imaginary circle into which the base of the pyramid is inscribed. A remarkable engineering discovery of ancient architects and builders was the construction of five unloading chambers in the thickness of the masonry above the burial chamber, with the help of which it was possible to remove and evenly distribute the colossal load on its ceilings. In addition to the chambers, there are other voids in the pyramid - corridors, passages and galleries, the entrances to which were carefully walled up and camouflaged. Nevertheless, the burials in the pyramids were looted, apparently quite soon after the burial of the pharaohs. The thieves knew all the traps well, so they were most likely connected either with the builders or with the priests who carried out the burials. The buildings in El Giza, with their grandeur and apparent uselessness, amazed the imagination already in ancient times, which is best conveyed by the Arabic proverb: “Everything in the world is afraid of time, but time is afraid of the pyramids.”
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
THE HANGING GARDENS OF SEMIRAMIS, gardens in the palace of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC), which he ordered to be laid out for his beloved wife, the Median princess; traditionally ranked among the Seven Wonders of the World. The first mention of wonderful gardens was preserved in the “History” of Herodotus, who probably visited Babylon and left us the most complete description of it. Perhaps, with an eye to the “father of history,” the hanging gardens in the Hellenistic era were placed on the list of the greatest and most famous buildings.
Gardens in Babylon
Curiously, however, one of the world's most impressive sights is not even mentioned by Herodotus: the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are said to have been built by King Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled the city for 43 years starting in 605 BC. There is a less credible alternative story that the gardens were built by the Assyrian queen Semiramis during her five-year reign starting in 810 BC. This was the peak of the city's power and influence, when King Nebuchadnezzar built an amazing array of temples, streets, palaces and walls, which included the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. According to legend, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built to surprise and delight Nebuchadnezzar's wife, Amytis. Amytis, the daughter of the king of Media, married Nebuchadnezzar in order to create an alliance between the peoples. She came from a green, sunny country, and the sun-dried terrain of Mesopotamia seemed depressing to her. The king decided to recreate his homeland by creating artificial mountains with gardens. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon got their name not because they hung like a cable or rope. The name comes from an imprecise translation of the Greek word, which means not only “to hang” but “to overhang,” as in the case of a terrace or balcony. Already in the time of Herodotus, the construction of the hanging gardens was attributed to the legendary conqueror of all Asia - the Assyrian queen Shamurmat (in Greek pronunciation - Semiramis). The gardens were located on a wide four-tier tower. The terrace platforms were made of stone slabs, covered with a layer of reeds and filled with asphalt. Next came gaskets made of two rows of bricks, fastened with plaster and lead slabs, which prevented water from entering the lower floors of the garden. This entire complex structure was covered with a thick layer of fertile soil, which made it possible to plant the largest trees here. The tiers rose in ledges, connected by wide staircases with pink and white slabs. Every day, thousands of slaves pumped water from deep wells at the top into numerous canals, from where it flowed to the lower terraces. The murmur of water, shade and coolness among the trees (brought from distant Media) seemed miraculous. At its base, the structure rested on columns and ceilings forming vaults. It was in these halls of the palace in the lower tier of the garden that Alexander the Great, the conqueror of Babylon and Asia, died. After the desolation of Babylon (Alexander's heirs no longer returned to this capital of their great predecessor), the flood destroyed the walls of the palace, the water softened the poorly baked clay, the terraces settled, the vaults and supporting columns collapsed. The only trace of the once grandiose monument of engineering at the present time is the network of intersecting trenches discovered thanks to the excavations of Robert Koldewey in 1898 near the Iraqi city of Hille (90 km from Baghdad), in the sections of which traces of dilapidated masonry are still visible.
Statue of Olympian Zeus
ZEUS OF OLYMPIAN STATUE, an illustrious statue of the king of gods and men by the great Greek sculptor Phidias; one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The statue was placed in the cult center of the Olympic sanctuary - the Temple of Zeus, in the sacred grove of Altis. When asked by the artist Panen how Phidias intended to represent the supreme god, the master replied: “...The way Zeus is presented by Homer in the following verses of the Iliad: Rivers, and as a sign Zeus waves his black eyebrows: Quickly the fragrant hair rose up from Kronidas Around immortal head; and the many-hilled Olympus shook.”
Zeus statue in Olympia
Phidias executed the statue using the chrysoelephantine technique: the exposed parts of the body were lined with ivory plates, the robes were cast in gold, and the base of the sculpture was wooden. The height of the statue reached approx. 17 m high. If the god “rose”, his height would far exceed the height of the temple itself. Travelers who saw Zeus in Olympia call the combination of power and mercy, wisdom and kindness in his face amazing. In his hand the Thunderer held a statue of Nike (a symbol of victory). The richest throne of Zeus was made of gold and ivory. The back, armrests and foot were decorated with ivory reliefs and golden images of the gods and goddesses of Olympus. The lower walls of the throne were covered with drawings by Panen, and its legs were covered with images of dancing Nikas. Zeus's feet, shod in golden sandals, rested on a bench decorated with golden lions. In front of the pedestal of the statue, the floor was covered with dark blue Eleusinian stone; a basin carved into it for olive oil was supposed to protect the ivory from drying out. The light that penetrated the doors of the dark temple, reflected from the smooth surface of the liquid in the pool, fell on the golden clothes of Zeus and illuminated his head; to those who entered it seemed that the radiance emanated from the very face of the deity. Possibly at the end of the 4th century. The statue of Zeus was transported to Constantinople and installed at the capital's hippodrome, where it died during one of the fires.
Mausoleum in Halicarnassus.
MAUSOLEUM IN HALICARNASUS, tomb of King Mausolus of Caria (died 353 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The building originally combined the eastern step pyramid and the Greek Ionic peripter (architects Satyr and Pytheas). Like other Greek monuments from among the Seven Wonders of the World, the mausoleum was famous not only for the grandeur of its architecture, but also for its collection of sculptures - the base of the pyramid, on which a Greek-type temple and another pyramid rested, was decorated with reliefs with scenes of the Amazonomachy of the most famous sculptors of the 4th century. BC e. - Leochares, Scopas, Briaxis and Timothy.
mausoleum in Halicarnassus
In 377 BC, the city of Halicarnassus was the capital of a small kingdom along the Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor. It was in this year that the ruler of this land died and left control of the kingdom to his son, Mausolus. Mavsol continued the expansion of territory begun by his father, reaching the southwestern part of Asia Minor. Mausola, with his queen, ruled Halicarnassus and the surrounding areas for 24 years. Mausolus, although a local resident, spoke excellent Greek and admired the Greek way of life and government. Then, in 353 BC. Mausolus died, leaving his queen, who was also his sister (It was a local custom for rulers to marry their own sister), alone, with a broken heart. As a tribute to him, she decided to build the most magnificent Halicarnassus mausoleum, which became his tomb. Soon the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus became a famous building, and now the name of Mausolus is associated with all majestic tombs, since it was from his name that the word “mausoleum” appeared. The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was so beautiful and unique that it became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The almost untouched mausoleum stood for approx. 1800 years in the middle of an empty city until the 15th century, when it was dismantled by the crusaders, who strengthened their stronghold on the Aegean Sea with its slabs - the castle of St. Petra (modern Bodrum in Turkey). It was in the walls of the fortress and surrounding houses that the English archaeologist C. T. Newton discovered in 1857 relief slabs from the base of the tomb (currently located in the British Museum in London and the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul), statues of Mausolus and his wife Artemisia (who continued after death king, the construction of their common tomb) and a colossal chariot that crowned the entire structure.
Temple of Artemis of Ephesus.
ARTEMIS TEMPLE OF EPHESIS (Artemision), one of the most famous and revered centers of pilgrimage of the ancient world; Since the Hellenistic era, it has traditionally been included in the list of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
The Temple of Artemis of Ephesus today is the remains of columns and meager fragments lying on the ground, and this is all that remains of the seventh wonder of the world. According to Strabo, the temple of Artemis of Ephesus was destroyed at least seven times, and rebuilt the same number of times. Archaeological finds indicate at least four restorations of this temple, beginning in the 7th century BC. Chersiphon and Metagenes built a two-winged temple in the 6th century BC. and it, according to Herostratus, was burned - the next magnificent structure, built entirely of marble, appeared in 334 BC, and was completed in 250 BC. The Temple of Artemis of Ephesus aroused the admiration of even Alexander the Great, who paid for the continuation of work. Scopas and Praxiteles also worked there, and Hirocrates was responsible for the design. The Hellenistic temple was built on a podium, to which a 13-step staircase led. A double colonnade surrounded the outer and inner space (105 x 55 m). The relief columns were the work of Scopas, while Praxiteles worked on the decoration of the altar. Unfortunately, as we have already said, the temple of Artemis of Ephesus has not survived. The oldest traces the veneration of Artemis near her birthplace dates back to pre-Greek times; The giant temple of the goddess was built in the 6th century. BC e. architect Khersiphron from Knossos. During one of the sieges, the inhabitants of Ephesus stretched a rope from the temple to the city, thereby turning it into an inviolable sanctuary. The glory of Artemision was so great that people from all over the Greek ecumene placed their savings there. Socrates' student, the famous historian Xenophon, who transferred a large sum of money to the goddess for safekeeping before going to Persia (described in Anabasis), upon his return, as a token of gratitude to Artemis, he built a small temple on it - an exact copy of the Ephesian one - in the town of Skillunte in Elis. July 21, 356 BC e. The temple of Artemis of Ephesus, the main shrine of the Greeks of Asia Minor, was burned by Herostratus - a blasphemy was committed that shocked the entire Hellenic world. Subsequently, a legend arose that Artemision burned down on the day when the future conqueror of Asia, Alexander the Great, was born. When Alexander approached the city 25 years later, he wished to restore the temple in all its splendor. The architect Alexandra Deinocrates, who supervised the work, retained its previous plan, only raised the building to a higher stepped base. The entire structure amazed with its magnificence and scale, unusual for Greek architecture. The temple occupied a huge area - 110 x 55 m, the height of the Corinthian columns (there were 127 of them), which surrounded the structure in double rows, was also grandiose - about 18 m; the roof of Artemision was covered with marble tiles. One of the attractions of the structure were 36 columns, decorated at the base with reliefs almost as tall as a man. Great Greek masters took part in the decoration of such a revered place: Praxiteles sculpted reliefs for the altar in the fence of the sanctuary, Scopas made the reliefs of the columns, Apelles placed his paintings in the temple; The art gallery of Artemision enjoyed just as much fame as the collection of paintings in the Athenian Propylaea. The sanctuary also flourished under the Romans; sources report rich donations of silver and gold statues to the temple and the construction of a portico along the road from the city to the sanctuary (approx. 200 m). The Acts of the Apostles mentions the indignation that the preaching of the Apostle Paul caused in the city, which interfered with the trade in silver models of the temple of the goddess, the manufacture of which was the most profitable craft here. In 263, the Goths who burst into Asia Minor, hearing about the untold riches of the city and Artemision, plundered the sanctuary; the next blow was the prohibition of pagan cults in the Roman Empire in 391 under Theodosius I the Great. It is known, however, that the cult of Artemis continued to be held here for another two centuries, until the place was finally abandoned after the earthquake. In 1869, as a result of excavations begun by the English archaeologist J. T. Wood in a swamp at the supposed site of the sanctuary, the base slab of the structure was discovered and numerous offerings to the temple were found. The famous reliefs of the columns of Artemision are currently in the British Museum (London).
Faros lighthouse.
FAROSIAN LIGHTHOUSE (Alexandria Lighthouse), a lighthouse on the eastern shore of the island. Pharos within the boundaries of Alexandria, the Hellenistic capital of Egypt; one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The builder of this miracle of technology, the first and only colossal lighthouse in the entire Greek world, was Sostratus of Knidos. On the marble wall of the building, Sostratus carved the inscription: “Sostratus, son of Dexiphanes of Cnidus, dedicated to the savior gods for the sake of sailors.” He covered this inscription with a thin layer of plaster with the glorification of King Ptolemy Soter written on it. Over time, the falling plaster revealed the true name of the builder and great engineer.
Alexandrian lighthouse
During the construction of the lighthouse, the most remarkable and ingenious inventions of Alexandrian scientists were used. The lower floor of the three-tier 120-meter tower had four faces facing north, east, west and south, the eight faces of the second tier were oriented in the direction of the eight main winds. The third floor - the lantern was crowned with a dome with a statue of Poseidon about 7 m high. A complex system of metal mirrors enhanced the light of the fire lit at the top of the structure and made it possible to observe the expanse of the sea; the lighthouse itself was also a well-fortified fortress with a large military garrison. Travelers who saw the lighthouse wrote about the ingeniously arranged statues that decorated the lighthouse tower: one of them always pointed with its hand at the sun along its entire path and lowered its hand down when it set, another struck the hour every day and night, and by the third one could find out the direction wind. The amazing structure stood until the 14th century, but even in its already severely destroyed form, its height was approx. 30 m. Currently, only the base of the lighthouse has been preserved, entirely built into the medieval fortress (now the base of the Egyptian fleet).
The Colossus of Rhodes.
COLOSSUS OF RHODES, a giant statue of Helios by the sculptor Chares on the island. Rhodes; one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was built with money received by Rhodes after the sale of the siege engines of Demetrius I Poliorcetes, who tried to capture this richest Greek island in 305 BC. e.
The Colossus of Rhodes
Travelers in New York Harbor can see a wonderful sight. A huge statue of a robed woman appears in front of them, standing on a small island in the harbor, holding a book in her hands and a torch reaching into the sky. The statue measures almost one hundred twenty feet from the feet to the crown. It is sometimes called the "Modern Colossus", but more often it is called the Statue of Liberty. The Colossus of Rhodes, which the Statue of Liberty so reminds us of, is an ancient creation of the ancients, located on the island of Rhodes. The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue standing along the banks of the strait, one leg was on one bank, the other on the other. According to the project, ships were supposed to sail between the legs of the statue. Unfortunately, the Colossus of Rhodes turned out to be “weak in the legs”; due to the earthquake, its legs broke and the huge statue collapsed into the water. For a long time, the remains of his legs remained, serving as proof of his existence, but they have not survived to this day. The Colossus of Rhodes today has become a symbol of a large-scale, but poorly thought out project at its foundation, which could easily collapse. Helios was not just a particularly revered deity on the island - he was its creator: not having a place dedicated to him, the sun god carried the island in his arms from the depths of the sea. The statue of the god towered right at the entrance to the harbor of Rhodes and was visible to those sailing from the neighboring islands; the height of the statue was approx. 35 m, i.e. almost three times higher than the Bronze Horseman in St. Petersburg. The base of the statue was made of clay with a metal frame, and the top was decorated with bronze sheets. To work on the image of the god directly at the site of its installation, Hares used a clever technique: with the gradual elevation of the sculpture, the earthen hill around it also rose; the hill was subsequently torn down, and the statue in its entirety was revealed to the astonished inhabitants of the island. The production of the grandiose monument required 500 talents of bronze and 300 talents of iron (about 13 and about 8 tons, respectively). The colossus also gave rise to a kind of fashion for giant statues in Rhodes already in the 2nd century. BC e. About a hundred colossal sculptures were installed. The creation of the bronze giant lasted approx. 12 years, but it stood, however, only 56 years. In 220 BC e. During the earthquake, the statue collapsed, unable to withstand the vibrations of the soil. As Strabo writes, “the statue lay on the ground, overthrown by an earthquake and broken at the knees.” But even then the Colossus caused surprise by its size; Pliny the Elder mentions that only a few could clasp the statue's thumb with both hands. The remains of the Colossus lay on the ground for more than a thousand years, until they were finally sold by the Arabs, who captured Rhodes in 977, to a merchant who, as one chronicle says, loaded 900 camels with them. At present, it is not possible to fully reconstruct the appearance of the statue. Not so long ago, a couple of years ago, another election was held, where the new 7 wonders of the world were determined.
Modern Wonders of the World
The new list includes the following miracles:
The Great Wall of China - in our humble opinion, it should be included in all such lists that touch on new wonders of the world. The wall is a truly incredible object, on which a lot of money, materials, and human lives were spent. The design, amazing in its size, evokes admiration when we first think about the level of technology that existed at that time.
- Petra- this object was also rightfully included in the new 7 wonders of the world, since it represents the whole city, entirely carved into the rocks. The skill of the workers is surprising even by modern standards, and if we remember again that the city is several thousand years old, then we can confidently say that this is a real miracle.
- Christ statue- known to us from Brazilian TV series, a tall structure crowning a hill in Rio. Considering the new 7 wonders of the world, we believe that we could have chosen something else, more worthy, but this is only our personal opinion.
- Machu Picchu- an Indian city that has survived to this day, and is a monument to the ancient Inca civilization. The new wonders of the world put it on par with the Chinese Wall and the Egyptian pyramids, and we tend to agree with them - indeed, there is something to see here.
- Chichen Itza- these are buildings that became a monument to another great civilization - the Mayans. Ancient sculptures, buildings, and inventions have been preserved here, surviving to this day in almost perfect condition. Even some pieces of furniture were found here. Our verdict is that modern wonders of the world must include this city.
- Roman Coliseum- a place where gladiator battles took place, soaked in blood and scary stories, the last breaths of people and animals. The New Wonders of the World include the Colosseum not just because of its beauty, but because of the history, involvement in ancient works, stories and narratives.
- Taj Mahal- fanned with a romantic aura, a temple built in memory of probably one of the most famous love stories in the world, it deserves to be included in the modern 8 wonders of the world solely because of its history.
- Pyramids of Egypt- they were included in the new 8 wonders of the world, because the Egyptians were offended that their “miracle” was not included in the list of the best. It was decided to respect the request, since, indeed, the design deserves admiration. The next new 8 wonders of the world A new selection of candidates for the list of “modern 8 wonders of the world” is currently underway. The fact is that the previous selection attracted a lot of attention and allowed us to significantly increase knowledge about natural wonders, engineering and others. Therefore, today it is proposed to once again choose new 8 natural wonders of the world. The selection will take place in several stages; 21 finalists are currently being determined.
Illustrated interpretation Seven Wonders of the World.
