What are the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World? Check List

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are still the most impressive things that people have ever built, even though the modern world has skyscrapers and space stations. 

This list, put together by ancient Greek scholars and travelers as a must-see guide for tourists and learners alike, included the architectural wonders of the Mediterranean rim and the Near East.

The current list of wonders of the ancient world we use today wasn't finished until the Renaissance, even though it is based on writings from the 2nd century BCE. These buildings weren't just pretty; they were amazing works of engineering that pushed the limits of art and physics. 

Six of the original seven have fallen apart or turned to dust, leaving only the Great Pyramid of Giza as a silent witness to history. We look into the stories behind these lost giants and the one survivor who refuses to die below.

List of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

First and foremost, let’s take a look at the following table, which details the builders, timelines, and ultimate fate of the ancient wonders, before learning about the oldest buildings in the world in detail. 

1. Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid is the oldest ancient wonder and, remarkably, the only one that remains largely intact. Completed around 2560 BCE for the Pharaoh Khufu, it held the record for the world's tallest man-made structure (at 146.5 meters) for over 3,800 years. 

Construction required an estimated 2.3 million blocks of stone. While its smooth white limestone casing was stripped away centuries ago, the core structure remains a testament to Egyptian mathematical precision.

2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon

A 19th C interpretation of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Courtesy - Wikimedia 

This is the only wonder whose actual existence remains unverified. Accounts describe the Hanging Gardens of Babylon as a series of ascending tiered gardens filled with trees, shrubs, and vines, resembling a green mountain constructed of brick. 

Legend says King Nebuchadnezzar II built it for his wife, Amytis, who missed the green hills of her homeland. Archaeologists have found no physical evidence in Babylon (modern-day Iraq), leading some to believe it was a poetic invention or perhaps located in Nineveh instead.

3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia

Statue of Zeus, an antique art of Quatremère de Quincy (1815), and its ruins in Olympia 

Created by the renowned sculptor Phidias around 435 BCE, this seated figure of the king of the gods was located inside the Temple of Zeus. The statue was a chryselephantine sculpture, meaning it was made of ivory plates and gold panels over a wooden framework. 

Standing nearly 40 feet tall, it was so massive that if Zeus had stood up, he would have unroofed the temple. The statue was eventually lost to fire, likely in Constantinople, where it had been moved for preservation.

4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

The earliest known representation of the temple by Martin Heemskerck. Courtesy - Wikimedia

Dedicated to the Greek goddess of the hunt, this temple was famous not just for its size but for its beauty. Located near modern-day Selçuk, Turkey, it was rebuilt three times. 

The most famous version was destroyed in 356 BCE by a man named Herostratus, who set fire to it specifically to immortalize his name. The final structure featured over 127 columns, each 60 feet high. Today, only a single lonely column marks the site.

5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, found in the collection of the Bibliothèque municipale de Lyon. Courtesy - Getty Image

This tomb was built for Mausolus, a satrap (governor) of the Persian Empire, and his wife Artemisia II. It blended Greek, Egyptian, and Lycian architectural styles, standing about 45 meters tall. 

The structure was so magnificent that the ruler's name, Mausolus, became the origin of the word mausoleum, which we still use today to describe grand above-ground tombs. It stood for centuries before a series of earthquakes between the 12th and 15th centuries dismantled it.

6. Colossus of Rhodes

The earliest known representation of the Colossus, from the 1572 Octo Mundi Miracula. Courtesy - Wikimedia

A massive bronze statue of the sun god Helios, the Colossus, stood at the harbor entrance of Rhodes. It was built to celebrate a military victory and stood approximately 33 meters (108 feet) high, roughly the size of the Statue of Liberty from foot to crown. 

Tragically, it was the shortest-lived wonder. Just 54 years after its completion in 280 BCE, an earthquake snapped the statue at the knees, and it lay in ruins for hundreds of years before being sold for scrap.

7. Lighthouse of Alexandria

From the 1572 Octo Mundi Miracula, the earliest known representation of the lighthouse, Courtesy - Wikimedia

Located on the island of Pharos in Alexandria, Egypt, this lighthouse was a marvel of practical engineering. Estimated to be over 100 meters tall it utilized a massive mirror to reflect sunlight by day and fire by night, making its light visible for up to 30 miles away. 

It survived for over a millennium before being damaged by tremors. In 1480, the Sultan of Egypt used the fallen stones to build the Citadel of Qaitbay, which stands on the site today.

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What are the New 7 Wonders of the World? 

In 2007, a global poll organized by the New7Wonders Foundation announced a new list to represent modern heritage. Unlike the ancient list, which was concentrated in the Mediterranean, this list covers the globe.

• Great Wall of China (China)

• Petra (Jordan)

• Colosseum (Italy)

• Chichén Itzá (Mexico)

• Machu Picchu (Peru)

• Taj Mahal (India)

• Christ the Redeemer (Brazil)

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The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World serve as a reminder of civilization's ability to create beauty and scale that defies the technology of the time. While six of these wonders have vanished, their legacy influences modern architecture and art. For the curious traveler, visiting the Giza Plateau offers the only chance to touch a piece of this ancient history directly.