The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: A Journey Through History's Grandest Creations

Hello friends, welcome back to my channel Ali's Travel Diaries. Today we will talk about the seven wonders of the ancient world. In this video we will go through some of the wonders of the ancient world. Seven wonders of the world, preeminent architectural and sculptural achievements of the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East, as listed by various observers. The best known are those of the 2nd century BC writer Antipater of Sidon and of a later known observer of the 2nd century BC who claimed to be the mathematician Philon of Byzantium. Though neither of these writers intended the term wonder to carry any special meaning, the expression seven wonders of the world has ever since served to describe outstanding natural and man-made features. Included on the list in its eventual form were the following. Number one, the pyramids of Giza are the oldest of the wonders and only one of the seven substantially in existence today. There are actually three pyramids, each bearing the name of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. The largest, known as the Great Pyramid, is generally believed to have been built as a tomb for the pharaoh Khufu. At 455 feet 140 meters high when completed around 2560 BC, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world for more than 3,800 years. The second pyramid, probably that of Kaffir, has a relieving chamber containing a granite sarcophagus, though no trace of the third pyramid, Menkor, has survived. Other than their function as tombs, the pyramids' purpose remain a mystery. Their huge scale and precise orientation towards the cardinal points of the compass suggest that they had religious significance. By the 2nd century BC, when travelers Antipater of Sidon and Philo of Byzantium wrote their famous lists of the seven wonders of the world, the Sphinx, a giant sculpture of a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human being, was also attributed to Cheeps. This structure, along with the Memphis-area pyramids of Giza, Saqqara, Dasher, Abu Ruwaish and Abu Sir were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Number two, hanging gardens of Babylon, thought to be a series of landscaped terraces watered by a complex system of conduits. The location of the hanging gardens is unknown, though they are generally ascribed to Queen Samuramat, King Nebuchadnezzar II or the Assyrian King Senesherib. The earliest written record of the gardens is a letter by the Greek historian Xenophon in which he describes them as being in Babylon. However, there is no physical evidence that the gardens existed there. Moreover, the site of ancient Babylon is still unidentified. There is also no agreement as to whether the gardens were created by King Nebuchadnezzar, Queen Amidus or Queen Samuramat, although each of these rulers is credited by one ancient author. According to tradition, the gardens were constructed by Nebuchadnezzar in 600 BC for his Median wife, Amidus, who missed the mountains and greenery of her homeland. Another version attributes the gardens to Samuramat, who ruled Babylon in the 9th century BC. Whether the hanging gardens of Babylon really existed is a matter of debate. Supporters of their historical existence point out that the gardens are mentioned by several writers, including the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus, who visited Babylon in the 1st century BC. Opponents argue that no contemporary Babylonian accounts of the gardens exist and that they appear only in writings of Greek and Roman authors, who frequently confuse their geography. They also note that archaeological excavations have uncovered no evidence of the gardens, yet have found numerous water systems and lush vegetation in the vicinity of Babylon. Those who believe the gardens did exist maintain that Tehe were situated in the northern part of ancient Babylon, probably on the banks of the river Diyala. Number 3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia. Described by the Greek poet Pliny the Elder as being 40 feet 12 meters tall, the statue of Zeus seated on a cedarwood throne was garnished with gold and ivory and was housed in the vast temple of Zeus at Olympia. According to legend, the statue was crafted by the renowned sculptor Phidias, who also designed the Parthenon, a massive marble temple on the Acropolis of Athens. The statue of Zeus was one of only two of Phidias' works for which he is known to have used ivory and gold. Work on the statue began in 466 BC and it was unveiled 12 years later in the sanctuary of Olympia, which played host to the Olympic Games every four years. Here the chief god of the Olympians was worshipped. As one of the seven wonders of the world, the statue remained in place until 426 AD when the temple was destroyed by fire. Some time later the statue was moved to Constantinople, where it was consumed by another blaze 50 years later. No accurate copies of the Number 4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. Located in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis is believed to have been built by King Croesus of Lydia in 550 BC, was destroyed by a madman named Herostratus in 356 BC and then rebuilt. Unfortunately, little remains of the temple today except for some fragments. In the British Museum, the structure was completely destroyed by invading Gothic forces in 262 AD in 1926. Excavations at the site uncovered the remains of three earlier temples along with evidence of Croesus' temple and the 4th century structure. The temple was renowned not just for its sheer size but also for the countless beautiful pieces of artwork that decorated it. According to Pliny the Elder, the temple measured 420 feet by 180 feet 130 by 55 meters and featured 127 columns, each adorned with intricate carvings. The temple hosted the worship of the goddess Artemis, who was revered as the patron deity of Ephesus. Her cult was so popular that pilgrims would travel to the city to pay her homage. The cult was said to have originated when the Arcadian hero, hunter and slayer of the monster Actaeon happened upon the goddess bathing. When Artemis realized she had been discovered, she transformed him into a stag. His hunting dogs tore the animal to pieces and to honor. The memory of Actaeon, the women of the region erected a bronze statue of him inside the temple. Over time, the popularity of this statue grew and the cult spread. One of the most fascinating of the Seven Wonders, the monument was. The tomb of Mausolus, ruler of Caria, in southwestern Asia Minor. During his three-year reign, the area enjoyed peace and prosperity and Mausolus is remembered for his public works projects. Upon his death in 353 BC, his sister and widow, Artemisia II, took the throne. She enlisted the help of four of the leading sculptors. Of the age, Scopas, Bryaxes, Leoceres and Timotheus, to design and build a fitting monument for her husband. The mausoleum stood 140 feet 43 meters high and was surrounded by a garden wall that measured 120 by 120 feet 36 by 36 meters. An inscription above the entrance proclaimed, if you would know the man in whom all the earth is blessed with good fortune, look upon this monument. But though the mausoleum was a showcase of amazing craftsmanship, it proved unstable. After just 50 years, severe earthquakes caused the monument to collapse, only a fraction of it remains today. But that which has survived can be seen in the British and Istanbul museums, as well as in the collection of the French Louvre. Number six, Colossus of Rhodes. One of the most iconic images of the ancient world, the Colossus is depicted as a gigantic bronze statue of the sun god Helios standing astride the harbor entrance of the Greek island of Rhodes. Created by the sculptor chairs of Lindus in 280 BC, the monument was designed to commemorate the city's victory against Dimitrius in the siege of Rhodes. According to Roman historians, the Colossus was 105 feet 32 meters tall. Some sources claim it was composed of 54 separate sections, while others say it consisted of 30. Whatever the true number, the statue was made of bronze and reinforced with iron rods, while no written descriptions of the statue remained. The image that has come down to us shows the Colossus standing in a relaxed pose with its arms extended, covering its face with one hand and holding a torch in the other. A fire broke out in the harbor sometime before 226 BC and lasted six days before the flames were extinguished. This event is sometimes mistakenly believed to have caused the statue's destruction, but ancient accounts do not support this theory. Rather, it appears that the statue was dismantled for salvage during the 226 BC earthquake. The last mention of the Colossus in any ancient source comes from the 4th century historian and philosopher Ammianus Marcellinus, who notes that some of its parts still remained in his day. Number 7. Pharaohs of Alexandria. Standing nearly 12 stories high, the lighthouse of Alexandria was arguably the most useful of the Seven Wonders. It was built for Ptolemy II of Egypt around 280 BC on the island of Pharos off the coast of Alexandria. According to the ancient historian Strabo, the lighthouse was instrumental in guiding ships safely into the harbor. It is described as being more than 350 feet 110 meters high and as tall as the Great Pyramid of Although the light at the top of the tower could be seen for many miles, it is unclear exactly how the beacon functioned, but scholars believe that a mirror was used to reflect and magnify the flames that burned within a furnace for centuries. The lighthouse of Alexandria was the tallest man-made structure in the world and its construction techniques were studied by medieval builders throughout Europe. The lighthouse suffered structural damage in the mid-13th century and collapsed in a 14th century earthquake. Some early lists included the walls of Babylon or the palace of King Cyrus of Persia. Among the other structures that have been proposed as possible candidates are the aqueducts of Segovia in Spain, the Indian stupa at Sanki, China's Great Wall, the Indian monument of Chennakeshava, the mausoleum of Halicarnassus and the palace of Knossos. The Seven Wonders of Greco-Roman Antiquity inspired the compilation of many other lists of attractions, both natural and man-made, by successive generations. Thank you for watching. If you liked the video, don't forget to like and subscribe. Goodbye.