7 wonders of the ancient world message. A brief history of the seven ancient wonders of the world (8 photos). Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Nowadays, it is customary to call unique artistic and technical creations a wonder of the world, which, due to their level of performance, evoke the admiration of most specialists. But in fairness, this erroneous approach should be corrected - the wonders of the world include specific objects created by people in ancient times.

The earliest information about the seven wonders of the world was found in the works of the ancient philosopher and scientist Herodotus. Five thousand years BC, Herodotus tried to classify these wonderful and mysterious objects. The work of Herodotus, in which he described in detail the unique architectural masterpieces of the ancient world, burned in a fire in the Library of Alexandria, like many other unique manuscripts. Only isolated entries in surviving manuscripts and fragments of structures related to the Seven Wonders of the World, which were found as a result of archaeological excavations, have survived to this day.

In a small work by Philo of Byzantium, entitled “On the Seven Wonders of the World,” seven objects of antiquity are described on twelve pages. But the author wrote his work based on the stories he heard from others, but he himself never saw them.

In Europe, they learned about the Seven Wonders of the World after the publication of the book “Sketches on the History of Architecture.” In it, the author, Fischer von Erlach, meticulously described seven unique objects of antiquity.

In Rus', the very first mention of the seven wonders of the world was found in the works of Simeon of Polotsk, who in his notes refers to a certain Byzantine source.

The list of the most famous monuments of the ancient world includes: the Egyptian pyramid at El Giza, the statue of Olympian Zeus, the Pharos lighthouse, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus.

Pyramids of Giza.

Today, of all the listed seven wonders of the ancient world, only the Great Pyramid of Cheops, located in El Giza, has survived.

For about four thousand years, the Cheops pyramid was the tallest structure. It was designed and built as the tomb of the most famous pharaoh - Khufu (Cheops). Construction of the pyramid was completed in 2580 BC. Then more pyramids were built here for the grandson and son of Cheops, as well as pyramids for the queens. But the Great Pyramid of Cheops is the largest of them. Archaeologists suggest that the construction of this pyramid took about 20 years and at least one hundred thousand people took part in its construction. The construction required 2 million stone blocks, each weighing at least 2.5 tons. Workers used levers, blocks and ramps to lay them without mortar and fit each block together. When completed, the pyramid was a stepped structure. The steps were then covered with polished snow-white limestone blocks. The blocks fit so tightly together that you couldn’t even insert a knife blade between them. The Great Pyramid rose 147 meters high! The length of one of the sides of the base of the Cheops pyramid is 230 meters. The pyramid covers an area larger than nine football fields. The ancient Egyptians believed that if the body of a pharaoh was preserved, his spirit would live on after death, so they mummified the body of Pharaoh Khufu and placed it in a burial chamber located in the center of the pyramid.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

In the sixth century B.C. The New Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II ordered the construction of marvelous gardens for his wife Amytis. Being a Median princess, she missed her homeland in dusty and noisy Babylon, which was famous for the aromas of numerous gardens and green flowering hills. The king wanted not only to please Amytis, but also to create a masterpiece that could glorify him.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are considered the second wonder of the world. There are chronicles that describe in great detail the gardens of the Babylonian king. According to the records found, the gardens were built around 600 BC. Ancient Babylon was located on the banks of the Euphrates River, south of modern Baghdad. Despite the fact that the idea of creating flowering gardens and green hills among the arid Babylonian plain was considered a pipe dream, the project of Nebuchadnezzar II nevertheless came to life.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were a four-tiered pyramid, the tiers of which were both terraces and balconies. The tiers were supported by powerful columns. Each of them was planted with unique plants (flowers, trees, grass and shrubs). Seeds and seedlings for gardens were brought from all over the world. Outwardly, the pyramid resembled a constantly blooming hill. A unique irrigation system was designed for the gardens. Around the clock, several hundred slaves turned wheels with buckets to supply the plants with water.

The Babylonian Gardens were truly an oasis in hot and stuffy Babylon. For some unknown reason, Queen Amytis began to be called by the name of the Assyrian queen, Semiramis, and therefore the amazing gardens of Babylon were also called the Hanging Gardens of Semiramis.

In the 9th century BC, Alexander the Great was so captivated by the splendor of the gardens of Babylon that he placed his residence in the palace. He loved to relax in the shade of the gardens and remember his native Macedonia. When the city fell into decay, there was no one to supply water to the gardens, all the plants died, and numerous earthquakes finally destroyed the palace. Babylon disappeared along with one of the most beautiful objects of antiquity - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.

The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus was created on the initiative and financing of Alexander the Great. The interior of the temple was magnificent: beautiful statues and stunning paintings created by the best artists and architects of that time. But the history of this temple began long before that. In 560 BC. King Croesus of Lydia (considered the richest ruler of that time) built a majestic temple in the city of Ephesus in honor of the moon goddess Artemis, who was considered the patroness of young girls and animals. The temple was built from local building materials - marble and limestone, mined in the nearby mountains. The main feature of the temple was the giant marble columns in the amount of 120 pieces. In the center of the temple stood a statue of the goddess Artemis. This temple was larger than the then famous Athenian temple, the Parthenon. It stood for two hundred years and in 356 BC. the temple was completely burned. According to history, Herostat set it on fire, thus dreaming of becoming famous for centuries. An interesting coincidence - the temple was burned on the day when Alexander the Great was born. Years have passed. Alexander the Great visited Ephesus and ordered the temple to be restored. The temple built by Alexander lasted until the 3rd century AD. The city was dying, the bay of Ephesus was covered with silt. The temple was plundered by the Goths and was inundated by numerous floods. Today, only a few blocks and one restored column can be seen on the site of the temple.

Halicarnassus Mausoleum.

Mausolus, the ruler of Caria, managed to achieve power and acquire significant wealth. Caria was then part of the Persian Empire, and the city of Halicarnassus became its capital. He decided to build a tomb for himself and his queen. But, as he dreamed, the tomb should be unusual - it should become a monument to his wealth and power. Mavsol himself did not live to see the completion of this majestic object, but his widow continued to supervise the construction. The tomb was completed in 350 BC. and they named it after the king - Mausoleum. Later, this name began to be given to majestic and impressive tombs.

The mausoleum in Halicarnassus was a rectangle measuring 75x66 meters and 46 meters high. The ashes of the reigning couple were kept in golden urns located in the tomb of the Mausoleum. Several stone lions guarded this room. Above the tomb itself stood a majestic temple, surrounded by statues and columns. A step pyramid was erected on top of the building. And the whole complex was crowned with a sculptural image of a chariot, which was ruled by the reigning couple. After 18 centuries, a powerful earthquake destroyed the Mausoleum to the ground. In 1489, the ruins of the majestic tomb were used by Christian knights to build their castle. The tomb itself was mercilessly plundered by looters. Currently, parts of the foundation of the Mausoleum, reliefs and statues that were found during excavations are in the British Museum in London.

The Colossus of Rhodes.

The fifth wonder of the ancient world is the statue of the Colossus of Rhodes. The giant statue stood in the port city on the island of Rhodes. The inhabitants of Rhodes considered themselves independent traders and tried not to interfere in other people's military conflicts, but they could not avoid the fact that they themselves were repeatedly conquered. In the 4th century, the people of Rhodes managed to defend their city from the invasion of the warlike Greeks. To commemorate this victory, they decided to build a statue of the sun god Helios. The exact location and type of the statue remained unknown to us; from the chronicles it only follows that it was made of bronze and reached a height of thirty-three meters. To make it stable, its hollow shell was filled with stones during construction. It took 12 years to build! In 280 BC. The colossus rose to its full height over the bay of Rhodes. After 50 years, a strong earthquake occurred, and the Colossus collapsed, breaking at the knee level. The local oracle demanded that the statue not be restored. For 900 years, every visitor to Rhodes could look at the statue of the defeated god. In 654 AD. The Syrian prince, who captured the island, removed all the bronze plates from the statue and took them to Syria.

Alexandrian lighthouse.

In the 3rd century BC. On the island of Foros, not far from the shore of the Alexandrian bay, a lighthouse was built to help ships passing through the reefs on the way to the port of Alexandria. The lighthouse was 117 meters high and consisted of three massive marble towers. At the top of one of the towers stood a statue of Zeus. At night the lighthouse reflected the flames, and during the day a column of smoke rose above it. The lighthouse required a large amount of fuel to operate. The tree was brought to the lighthouse by numerous mules and horses. Bronze plates were used instead of mirrors to direct light into the sea. The Foros lighthouse stood for 1500 years and was destroyed by an earthquake. The Muslims built their military fort on the ruins of the lighthouse. This military facility still stands on the site of the Faros lighthouse.

Olympic statue of Zeus.

Three thousand years ago, Olympia was the religious center of Greece. At that time, the most revered Greek deity was the king of the gods - Zeus. Celebrations were held regularly, including sports competitions. It is believed that the first Olympic Games were held in 776 BC. After this, competitions were held every four years for 1100 years. During the games, all wars were stopped to allow the participants to arrive at the competition site. The citizens of Olympia decided to build a majestic temple dedicated to Zeus in the city. It took ten years to build it. There was supposed to be a statue of Zeus in the temple. The sculptor Phidias and his assistants first created a wooden frame for the sculpture, then covered it with ivory plates, while the god’s clothes were made of gold sheets. Despite the huge number of details that made up the sculpture, it looked like a monolithic figure. Zeus sat majestically on a throne decorated with precious stones and inlaid with ebony. The statue reached a height of 13 meters, reaching the ceiling of the temple. For 800 years after its creation, the statue of Zeus at Olympia was the seventh wonder of the world. The Roman Emperor Caligula wanted the statue to be moved to Rome. According to legend, when the workers sent by the emperor arrived, the statue burst into loud laughter and the workers fled in fear. In 391 AD The Romans banned the Olympic Games and closed all Greek temples. A few years later, the statue of Zeus was transported to Constantinople. In 462 AD. the palace where the statue was located burned down. The Temple at Olympia was destroyed by an earthquake. Humanity has lost one of its wonders - the statue of Zeus at Olympia.

We can only hope that someday world technology will reach such a level that it will be able to recreate the seven wonders of the ancient world. And this will truly be a tribute to the memory of generations of talented architects of antiquity, who created architectural masterpieces that have no equal in the modern world.

Everyone has heard about the wonders of the world, but there is often confusion about what exactly is considered such. Often this list includes those buildings and monuments that, of course, have enormous historical and cultural value, but are not included in the official list. In addition, in 2007, new “miracles” were chosen in Portugal, so we can say that there are already more than seven of them. All of them made a huge contribution to the culture of mankind. Wikipedia and other encyclopedias write in great detail about the seven wonders of the world. Let's look at a brief description of each.

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The wonders of the Ancient World are studied in history lessons at school. It included those structures that were created before our era. Not a single one of them has survived to this day, except for the Cheops pyramids. These include:

Pyramid of Cheops.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia.
Colossus of Rhodes.
Alexandrian lighthouse.

Pyramid of Cheops and Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Both structures belong to the legendary tombs, but the time of their construction is very different.

It is interesting that the Cheops pyramid - the most ancient wonder of the world and, at the same time, the only one that has survived to this day. It was created approximately two thousand years BC. e., and there are still debates about the mysteries of its construction and sometimes completely incredible theories are put forward. For example, the shape of the pyramids exactly repeats the location of the stars in the constellation Orion, so some consider the pyramids to be a gift from alien civilizations. Every year thousands of tourists from all over the world come to see them. Indeed, the building amazes once and for all.

This structure, like all the mausoleums built later, received the name of King Mausolus, who, after his death, ordered the erection of a monument similar to the pyramids of Egypt, glorifying the king himself and his wife. The building was not only a tomb, but also a temple. On the first tier the king rested, and on the second one it was possible to conduct divine services. In the mausoleum, both statues of gods and statues of Mausolus himself and his wife Artemisia were installed. The statues of the royal couple have survived to this day; you can find photos of them and even look at them in the British Museum.

The gardens got their name from the legendary Queen Semiramis, but, oddly enough, she has nothing to do with them. Two centuries after her death, the Babylonian king decided to marry the daughter of the king of Media - a country surrounded by gardens and greenery. Babylon stood in the desert, and in order to amaze the bride, the ruler ordered the creation of gardens of unprecedented beauty. The tubs with plants bloomed so magnificently that they almost hid the building on whose walls they were located, and seemed to hang in the air. The structure looked especially majestic in the middle of the barren desert, when the traveler saw a magical garden in the endless sands, symbolizing the greatness of Babylon and its king.

Supreme Greek god reached the height of a five-story building, to work on it, the architect Phidias demanded the creation of a workshop replicating the temple in which the statue was installed. At the same time, Zeus, sitting on the throne, seemed to “not fit” into the temple; if the statue could stand up, it would break the vault. This emphasized the greatness of God.

The materials were also selected appropriately: ivory and gold. Interesting: Phidias, in those distant times, when physics had not yet reached its peak, managed to choose the material and location of the statue in such a way that it seemed that the light falling on it was reflected, and it seemed to glow from within. After the establishment of Christianity and the closure of pagan temples, Zeus was transported to Constantinople, where, unfortunately, he burned down.

Its significance was great; the building was used not only for religious ceremonies, but also for public meetings and even trade. The best sculptors and architects worked on the structure; the building amazed with its beauty and majesty. It is also famous for the fact that it was burned by the hot-tempered young man Herostratus, who thus decided to leave his name in history. It is worth noting that he really succeeded. Fortunately, the temple was restored.

The Colossus of Rhodes

The colossus on feet of clay collapsed seventy years after its construction, but rightfully takes its place among the wonders of the world. There is some debate about its height; estimates range from forty to sixty meters. There is a legend that ships sailed easily between his legs, although this theory is now controversial. According to the descriptions found, the colossus could have been located not in the port, but on land, in the city of Rhodes. It was erected as a thank you to the god Helios for protecting the city from enemy troops who left after a year of siege. Interestingly, the main sculptor of the colossus committed suicide, because to complete his creation he borrowed a huge amount, which he was unable to return.

Alexandrian lighthouse

Alexandria Lighthouse - this structure saved the lives of more than one ship, as its light spread over sixty kilometers. Built among reefs and rocks, the one hundred and thirty-five meter high lighthouse pointed the way to a saving bay in one of the most dangerous places at sea. According to surviving descriptions, the sculptures inside the lighthouse were very interesting:

One of them pointed to the position of the sun all day, and at night her hand dropped.
The other was built like a clock, striking the hour every sixty minutes.
The third always pointed with her hand in the direction where the wind was blowing, and was thus used as a weather vane.

To perpetuate his name, the sculptor, who was required to glorify the king, resorted to a trick - he carved his name on a stone, covered it with plaster and wrote the name of the king. Centuries later, the plaster crumbled, and the name of the architect came to us - Sostratus of Knidos.

Pyramids of Giza

Every person, regardless of the level of education and social status, has heard about seven wonders of the world, representing the greatest monuments of human civilization since ancient times. Few people remember the entire list, and almost all of them have not survived, however, even in our time, attempts are being made to compile new, alternative lists of attractions that can compete with the ancient creations of human genius.

The first who tried to formulate human achievements in the form list of wonders of the world, were the ancient authors of ancient Hellas, whose written heritage has survived to this day.

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Zeus statue in Olympia

The "father of history" Herodotus was the first to point out the architectural wonders that existed in his time. His work mentions three majestic structures on the Greek island of Samos - a mountain tunnel, a temple of Hera and a dam.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Beginning with Herodotus, the list of attractions grew, changed and was supplemented by other Greek authors until it was formulated in its final form as a list of seven points.

Historically and geographically 7 Wonders of the Ancient World are related to the territories conquered by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC.

They were scattered throughout all the territories of the Ecumene - from ancient Egypt to Babylon and ancient Greece.

mausoleum in Halicarnassus

The most ancient wonder of the world, but ironically the only one that has survived to this day is the main Egyptian attraction - The Pyramid of Cheops, included in the complex. When selecting the new Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramid was awarded the title of “Honorary Candidate”.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Second wonder of the world, semi-mythical Hanging Gardens of Babylon, existed for 7 centuries until they died in a flood of the 1st century BC.

The third miracle, huge Temple statue of Zeus at Olympia, made of ivory, precious woods and inlaid with gold, stood for 9 centuries, but burned down in a fire in the 5th century AD.

In the Turkish city of Selcuk you can still see the ruins of the fourth wonder of the world, Temple of Artemis in, which at one time exceeded the size of the huge temple of Jupiter in.

Statue of the Colossus of Rhodes

Halicarnassus Mausoleum lasted longer than all other attractions of the ancient world (with the exception of the Pyramid of Cheops).

This amazing architectural monument stood proudly for 19 centuries, but the elements overcame it too - the mausoleum was destroyed by an earthquake.

Lighthouse in Alexandria

The ruins of the colossal structure can currently be seen in Bodrum, Turkey.

Earthquakes also destroyed two other ancient monuments - a bronze statue of the Colossus of Rhodes(destroyed in the 3rd century BC) and in Egypt (destroyed in the 14th century).

New seven wonders of the world

At the beginning of the 21st century, on July 7, 2007, on the day of the “three sevens”, new seven wonders of the world were named in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon, each of which may well compete with lost architectural treasures.

The project was organized by the non-profit organization New Open World Corporation (NOWC) on the initiative of the Swiss Bernard Weber. The selection of the new seven wonders of the world from the famous architectural structures of the world took place via SMS messages, telephone or Internet. About 100 million votes were taken as part of the selection of attractions, but since the conditions did not prohibit voting more than once, this list began to be questionable almost immediately after publication.

However, at present this is the most famous of such ratings and therefore, along with it, is the main guide for tourists actively traveling around the world with

The great Wall of China

One of the undisputed leaders of the list is one of the largest and oldest architectural monuments in the world. Its total length is 8851.8 km, in one of the sections it passes near Beijing. Construction began in the 3rd century BC. e. during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. A fifth of the then population of the country, i.e., about a million people, took part in the construction.

Today the wall is a symbol of China, both for the Chinese themselves and for foreigners. At the entrance to the restored part of the Wall you can see an inscription made by Mao Zedong - “If you have not visited the Great Wall of China, you are not a real Chinese.”

Machu Picchu

The famous statue of Jesus Christ, with outstretched arms and gaze turned towards the city, stands on the top of Mount Corcovado in. At the foot of the monument there is an observation deck, which offers amazing views of the sandy beaches, the huge bowl, the bay and the Sugarloaf peak, similar in its outline to a lump of sugar.

White Temple Wat Rong Khun

Along with the main lists of wonders of the world, new, alternative lists exist and continue to be compiled - author’s and based on survey results.

Statue of Liberty in New York

As a modern alternative to the famous the Pyramid of Cheops a glass pyramid of Paris (France) was proposed.

The most striking among modern temple complexes is considered to be the Buddhist one opened in 1997 in Thailand. This temple, according to journalists, is quite capable of eclipsing the ruins Temple of Artemis in Other similar structures include one built in 1604 in Amritsar (India), in (Japan) and Sagrada Familia in Barcelona (Spain).

Temple complex Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Dubai "Garden of Miracles"(UAE), where on an area of 72 thousand square meters. m grow 45 million flowers, also (according to journalists) can compete with Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The royal botanical records also fully comply with the formal criteria. Kew Gardens(UK), Royal Flower Park Keukenhof(Netherlands) and gardens (France).

Compare with 137-meter Alexandria lighthouse lighthouses are capable of beauty these days Lindau(Germany) and lighthouse "Cape Florida"(USA). And the lighthouse Jeddah(Saudi Arabia) almost catches up with Alexandria in height - 133 meters.

Acropolis in Athens

Statue of Zeus at Olympia, according to the logic of journalists, today it may eclipse Golden Buddha in (Thailand) - the world's largest golden statue of a deity. At the same time, it does not matter at all that Buddha is not nearly as stern and angry as Zeus the Thunderer.

And Mausoleum at Halicarnassus there were followers in the modern world, this title was awarded to the mausoleum and Mausoleum of V.I.Lenin in Moscow.

Alhambra Palace and Fortress

And finally, the statue Colossus of Rhodes journalists compared it with a statue in (Brazil), which is comparable to the ancient structure not only in height, but also in its location by the sea.

At the same time, some new lists of wonders of our time are deliberately narrowed to cover sites by location or time of creation.

Easter Island

For example, ratings by country have been repeatedly compiled (in Russia, Portugal, Belgium and others) or exceptional objects of the underwater world have been identified (cracks, reefs, islands and even underwater ruins).

The finals of the competition for the title of man-made new wonders of the world also included other equally worthy attractions, and some of them, in the opinion of many people, are much more worthy of being on the final list of “the very best.”

Timbuktu

In particular, obvious competition could come from the American one, which is larger in size and installed 40 years earlier. . It is also quite surprising that the final list of seven wonders does not mention the Cambodian - the largest religious building ever created by people.

All these great monuments of human civilization were on the list of contenders, along with, Sydney Opera, in Spanish Granada, Eiffel Tower, Moscow Kremlin,, moai sculptures on, a castle, a Buddhist temple in and the city.

Seven new wonders of nature

Iguazu Falls

Komodo Park

Seven new wonders of nature is a competition also organized by the Swiss non-profit organization New Open World Corporation (NOWC), which, through a worldwide popular vote, has found the seven most amazing natural places on Earth.

Project "Seven New Wonders of Nature" started at the end of 2007. Until 07/07/09, the nomination and preliminary selection of all candidates took place, among whom was the Russian natural pearl - Lake Baikal. Voting was completed by the mystical date - 11/11/11.

Among the main natural wonders are the longest river in the world - Amazon and its jungle; The largest underground river is in the Philippines.

Time is fleeting. Civilizations change, leaving behind a grandiose architectural heritage. Unfortunately, everything is subject to destruction, especially what was built by human hands. That is why the ancient seven wonders of the world, the description of which is known to everyone culturally, for the most part have not survived to our time. They were replaced by others that still existed. The seven wonders of the world of our time were chosen long and scrupulously. The result of this work was seven grandiose architectural structures that became famous throughout the world.

Definition of the concept

What are the wonders of the world, and why did they receive such a proud name? Why were they singled out among all the monumental works of the ancient world and modern times? And they are named so due to the fact that they are located above the category of time. These monuments of architectural thought are admired now in the same way as they were admired in ancient times. There are legends about them.

Until recently, there were the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. The Pyramid of Cheops is the only one of them that has survived to this day. Others, such as the Hanging Gardens or the Lighthouse of Alexandria, did not survive. They are known only from manuscripts, essays by contemporaries and paintings recreated from descriptions.

How the new list was elected

Thus, it was necessary to choose new seven wonders of the world. The architectural monuments passed a real competition (it was held by the independent organization “New Open World Corporation”). All modern means were used, including votes being received over the Internet and via SMS messages. 90 million people around the world cast their vote for the monument that they considered most worthy of bearing such an honorable title. Thus, among several dozen applicants in 2007, the seven wonders of the world of our time were chosen. We will talk about each of them in more detail below. For now, I would like to list those who were only one step away from the highest award. Thus, the finals included Red Square in Moscow, the Stonehenge building, the Eiffel Tower and the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

It is noteworthy that the Giza Pyramids were also finalists in the competition, but the Egyptian authorities refused to participate in it. Most likely, they do not consider it possible for these architectural monuments to be included in the new seven wonders of the world, because they already appear in the ancient ones.

the great Wall of China

There are many legends and beliefs about how they built it. So, many people are still sure that the people who worked on its construction are buried right inside the structure - this is not so. Although it is true that more than a million people died during construction.

So, the construction of the Great Wall of China dates back to the 3rd century BC. Its construction was conceived by the emperors. The construction pursued many goals, the main of which were:

protection of lands from nomadic tribes;
the inadmissibility of assimilation of foreigners into the Chinese nation;

Thus began construction, which dragged on for centuries. Rulers changed: some treated the building with disdain (the Manchu Qing dynasty), others, on the contrary, carefully monitored the construction.

It should be said that a significant part of the wall collapsed because it was not properly maintained. Only the site near Beijing was lucky - for a long time it served as a kind of gateway to the capital. Nevertheless, in the late eighties of the 20th century, large-scale restoration work began, and in 1997 the Wall was included in the seven wonders of the world of our time.

Why was she awarded such an honorary title? This is the longest architectural structure in the world: its total length is 8851.8 kilometers. How did they build the Great Wall of China that they were able to reach such unprecedented dimensions? The process went on for millennia, systematically. However, it is worth saying that this is not a solid structure. There are gaps throughout the Wall. This is what allowed the great Genghis Khan to conquer China and rule there for 12 years. Every year tens of millions of tourists visit this modern wonder of the world.

Rio: Christ statue

Completely on the other side of the planet, in Rio de Janeiro stands the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer. He rises above the city, with his arms outstretched, as if hugging all the residents and guests of the multimillion-dollar city.

The monument was built in honor of the centenary of Brazil's independence. A truly picturesque place was chosen for its construction: Mount Corcovado, from which you can see the whole of Rio, with its Sugar Loaf peak and famous beaches.

The whole country raised funds for the construction: the magazine “O Cruzeiro” announced a subscription, the funds from which were used for the construction of the monument. The project was entrusted to Silva Costa, although other options had been proposed before him: for example, the outstretched arms of Christ, like a crucifix, were proposed by K. Oswald, an artist.

Brazil at that time was a poor, unindustrial country, so it was impossible to implement such a large-scale project. France came to the rescue - it was there that the statue of Christ the Redeemer was made in detail. And then it was transported to Brazil. The parts were transported to the construction site by a small railway, which is still in operation today. Millions of tourists annually climb one of the most famous structures of our time.

Taj Mahal

In Indian Agra, on the banks of the Jumna, the greatest palace-mausoleum, the Taj Mahal, is located. This is the tomb of the wife of the great descendant of Tamerlane, Shah Jahan. The woman's name was Mumtaz Mahal, she died during childbirth.

The Taj Mahal in India is the pinnacle of the Mughal architectural style. It included a synthesis of the art of Indians, Persians and Arabs. The most famous element of the structure is the huge snow-white dome. The mausoleum itself is made of white marble. It is a five-domed palace containing the tombs of both the Shah himself and his wife. It is noteworthy that the four minarets located along the edges are slightly inclined - this protects the tombs from destruction in case of earthquakes, which are not uncommon in India. Adjacent to the mausoleum itself is a park with picturesque fountains and a lake. The Taj Mahal was built in 1653. 20 thousand builders completed such a large-scale project in 22 years.

The mausoleum itself, thanks to its numerous visitors, brings considerable funds into the Indian treasury.

Chichen Itza

The legendary Mayan city is located on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. This is not an ordinary city - it served as the capital, political and cult center. Chichen Itza was built in the 7th century AD. Most of the buildings belong to the Mayan culture, some of them were erected by the Toltecs. At the end of the 12th century, there were no inhabitants left in Chichen Itza. One of the mysteries is connected with this, which has not yet been explained: either the Spaniards were the culprits, who destroyed the Mayans during the invasion of Mexico, or everything happened naturally due to the decline in the economic situation of the capital.

Several architectural structures were found on the territory of the ancient city at different times. However, the most remarkable of them is the Chichen Itza pyramid. This is a kind of center of legendary Mayan knowledge, their religious beliefs, a cult center. The 24-meter high has four sides with 9 steps each. The staircases located on each side of the pyramid have 91 steps. If you add up their number, you get 364 plus one leading to the small temple that crowns the pyramid. It turns out 365 - the number of days in a year.

The balustrade along the edges of the stairs represents the body of a snake, the head of which is located at the base of the pyramid. B gives the impression that the snake is moving. Moreover, in the fall it goes down, and in the spring it goes up.

Ritual temples are located at the top of the pyramid and inside it. They were probably used for sacrifices.

Coliseum

The new seven wonders of the world of our time include European monuments. This is the famous Roman Colosseum. Its appearance is partly due to the oppressive rule of Nero. Having committed suicide, he left behind a grandiose palace with a lake in the very center of Rome. Vespasian, who came to power, decided to forever erase the cruel Nero from the memory of the people. It was decided to give the luxurious palace to imperial institutions, and to build a huge amphitheater on the site of the lake. This is how the Colosseum appeared. Initially, after construction in 80, it was called the Flavian Amphitheater. The building received its modern name only in the 8th century, most likely due to its impressive size.

Initially, it was used to entertain the people with gladiator fights, baiting animals, etc. They even celebrated the 1000th anniversary of Rome there. However, in the Middle Ages, due to the invasion of barbarian tribes, the Colosseum was partially destroyed; a powerful earthquake of the 14th century played a significant role in this process. Afterwards, the grandiose structure is taken away brick by brick for construction needs.

Only in the 18th century, Pope Benedict XIV began to protect the Colosseum as an important architectural object. Now it is a symbol of Rome, which is visited by a great many tourists from all over the world.

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is a unique city in South America, located at an altitude of almost 2,500 thousand meters above sea level. The Spanish conquerors were unable to reach it, which is why the architecture of the ancient city remained untouched.

Machu Picchu was discovered only at the very beginning of the 20th century by a professor at Yale University. It is noteworthy that very little is known about the city; they know nothing about the size of the population, the purpose of the building, etc. One thing is clear: Machu Picchu has a very clear structure and layout.

Currently under guard. UNESCO has limited the number of daily visitors to 2,500 people.

Petra - the pearl of Jordan

A city in the rock - this is how one can characterize another wonder of the modern world, Jordanian Petra. The path to the city lies through natural gorges, which are the city walls. In ancient times, Petra was of great importance - it lay on the trade route between Damascus and the Red Sea region, as well as Gaza and the Persian Gulf. The city lived by trade.

The inhabitants of Petra knew how not only to skillfully process stone, but also to collect water. In essence, the city has become an artificial oasis in the middle of the desert.

The main attraction that attracts tourists is Al Khazneh. According to scientists, this is a temple-mausoleum. There are many legends associated with the building. According to some, this is the place where Pharaoh hid his wealth during the time of Moses, according to others, this is a repository of loot from robbers.

Tourists around the world know Petra and its main temple from the film about the adventures of Indiana Jones.

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 is the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which 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 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 were 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 survived from the times of Ancient Rome and now constitutes one of the main attractions of Italy, also enjoys well-deserved fame. 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 Inca city of Machu Picchu Peru

On the territory of the present state of Peru is the ancient Incan city of 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, it is the highest point in the surrounding area. 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 of an 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”.

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