7 Wonders Of The World

Lighthouse of Alexandria

Egypt

The Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is undoubtedly one of the greatest architectural feats of antiquity. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was at least as tall as a 25 story modern building and stood for over 16 Centuries - from the mid-3rd century B.C. to the 14th century A.D. when an earthquake shook its remaining segments down. Some of its structure survives as stone building blocks for a small on-site castle fortress - some others lie submerged in the lapping Mediterranean Sea. The Pharros of Alexandria (as the structure is also known) served a useful function - its burning flame could be seen at night by faraway ships seeking the harbor's shelter.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Turkey

Around 350 B.C., a widow built this imposing white marble tomb, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, to exalt her husband Mausoleus, a Persian provincial ruler. Centuries later the building blocks of the Mausoleum were "borrowed" to erect new structures including a castle. Today, little if anything remains of this once glorious monument in Bodrum (Halicarnassus's current name). King Mausoleus's name, however, lives on in its modern word derivation: Mausoleum.

Pyramid of Khufu

Egypt

The Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops in Greek) at Giza is the largest, oldest and only true surviving member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was meticulously built around 2550 B.C. with 2.3 million stone blocks (most the size of small pickup trucks). The rugged exterior we see today on Pharaoh Khufu's tomb was originally covered by a smooth limestone surfacing. That valuable material was subsequently filched by later rulers for use on their own buildings. This lowered the height of the pyramid by about 6% to its current height of 137 meters (450 feet). It's still the tallest of the Great Pyramids and held the world's tallest man-made structure title for over 4400 years until 1889 when the Eiffel Tower was built. Regrettably, the treasures inside the burial chamber were looted by ancient tomb robbers. No one has any idea what happened to the pharaoh's mummy.

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

Greece

In the mid-5th century, the famed Greek sculptor Phidias created the 12 meter (40 feet) high Statue of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. He depicted the Greek's chief god majestically sitting on his throne. The Statue of Zeus was likely embellished with gold, gems and ivory. Nothing remains of the Statue of Zeus today except for the remarks of ancient writers who saw it. What is believed to be portions of the relief sculptures that adorned the pediments of the marble temple that housed the Statue of Zeus are displayed in the nearby museum in Olympia (where the Olympic Games began several centuries earlier).

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Turkey

The Temple of Artemis - one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - honored the Greek goddess Artemis ("Diana" to the Romans). This temple had gone through various revampments and rebuilding through the years - and was intentionally burned down twice. Its glory days were the 5th and 4th Centuries B.C. when the Temple of Artemis was ornately decorated and held up by over 100 expertly chiseled marble columns. Nothing verifiable is left at its site in Ephesus. The marble debris that litters the spot today is likely from buildings constructed centuries later.