Pyramids of Egypt

The famous pyramids located in Giza, near the city of Cairo, Egypt, are the oldest and best preserved of the Seven Wonders of the World. Ancient Egyptian kings had them built as their tombs, although ancient Greeks and Romans believed the structures to be purely ornamental. The largest pyramid, called the Great Pyramid, now stands 137 m (450 ft) tall. The Great Pyramid and two other pyramids, built from about 2600 to 2500 BC, are the best remaining examples of this Egyptian architectural feat.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Technically, the gardens did not hang, but grew on the roofs and terraces of the royal palace in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar II, the Chaldean king, probably built the gardens in about 600 BC as a consolation to his Median wife who missed the natural surroundings of her homeland.

The Temple of Artemis

The Temple of Artemis was built in Ephesus in Greece in 356 BC and was destroyed by the Goths in AD 262.

The Statue of Zeus

The Greek sculptor Phidias created the 12-m (40-ft) tall Statue of Zeus in about 435 BC. The statue stood in Olympia, and was perhaps the most famous sculpture in ancient Greece. Phidias made the god’s robe and ornaments from gold and carved the body out of ivory.

The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was built about 353 BC. The mausoleum was a huge marble tomb built for King Mausolus of Caria in Asia Minor.

The Colossus of Rhodes

The Colossus of Rhodes was built about 280 BC. Standing 30 m (100 ft) high, it was built to guard the entrance to the harbour at Rhodes. The ancient Greeks and Romans considered it to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The Pharos of Alexandria

The Pharos of Alexandria, was an ancient lighthouse. The lighthouse stood on an island in the harbour of Alexandria and was over 134 m (440 ft) tall.