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Know About

The Wonders of the World

Know About The Wonders of the World

KNOW ABOUT THE WONDERS OF THE WORLD ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronics, mechanical, photocopying, recording and or without permission of the publisher. Published by

maple press

MAPLE PRESS PRIVATE LIMITED office: A-63, Sector 58, Noida 201301, U.P., India phone: +91 120 455 3581, 455 3583 email: [email protected] website: www.maplepress.co.in Reprinted in 2019 ISBN: 978-93-50335-74-1

Contents Preface ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5 1. Ancient Seven Wonders of the World I. The Great Pyramid of Giza�������������������������������������������������8 II. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon ���������������������������������11 III. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia��������������������������������������14 IV. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus��������������������������������17 V. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus�����������������������������������20 VI. The Colossus of Rhodes�������������������������������������������������23 VII. The Lighthouse of Alexandria�������������������������������������26 2. New Seven Wonders of the World I. The Great Wall of China���������������������������������������������������30 II. Christ the Redeemer Statue��������������������������������������������32 III. Machu Picchu������������������������������������������������������������������35 IV. Chichen Itza���������������������������������������������������������������������38 V. The Colosseum of Rome �������������������������������������������������41 VI. Taj Mahal�������������������������������������������������������������������������43 VII. Petra��������������������������������������������������������������������������������47

3. Other Wonders of the World I. Angkor Wat������������������������������������������������������������������������50 II. The Leaning Tower of Pisa����������������������������������������������53 III. The Throne Hall of Persepolis���������������������������������������56 IV. The Aswan High Dam����������������������������������������������������59 V. The Suez Canal������������������������������������������������������������������61 VI. The Great Barrier Reef���������������������������������������������������64 VII. Iguazu Falls��������������������������������������������������������������������67 VIII. Krakatoa Island������������������������������������������������������������69 IX. Victoria Falls��������������������������������������������������������������������72 X. Eiffel Tower�����������������������������������������������������������������������75 XI. Mount Everest�����������������������������������������������������������������78

Preface The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World first came into existence around 2200 years ago. Greek historian Herodotus was the first to write a list of the Seven Wonders of Ancient World. The list has gone through many changes over the years. The monuments that featured in the ancient list were the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum at Haliranassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Among these, except the Pyramid of Giza, all others are destroyed. Beside these, there are several other wonders which have survived the test of time. They not only mesmerize us with their beauty and grandeur but also with their architectural magnificence. A number of myths, mysteries and cultural significance revolve around these wonders. This book gives a detailed account of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, New Seven Wonders of the World and also familiarizes the readers with various other wonders that exist in the world.

Chapter 1

Ancient Seven Wonders of the World Although most people know that a list exists of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only few will be able to name them. The list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was originally compiled during the second century BC. The first reference to the idea was found in the history of Herodotus which can be traced back to the 5th century BC. Decades later, Greek historians wrote about the greatest monuments at the time. Callimachus of Cyrene, chief librarian of the Alexandria Museum, wrote ‘A Collection of Wonders around the World’ but little is known about the collection as it was destroyed with the Alexandria Library, during a massive fire. The final list of the seven wonders was compiled during the Middle ages. The list comprised the seven most impressive monuments of the Ancient World, some of which barely survived to the Middle ages. Among the oldest references to the canonical list are the engravings



Know About The Wonders of the World 

by the Dutch artist Maerten van Heemskerck and Johann Fischer von Erlach’s History of Architecture. Today, archaeological evidence reveals some of the mysteries that surrounded the history of the wonders for centuries. For their builders, the Seven Wonders were a celebration of religion, mythology, art, power and science. For us, they reflect the ability of humans to change the surrounding landscape by building massive yet beautiful structures, which stood the test of time till the present day. The Ancient Seven Wonders of the World are: 1. The Great Pyramid of Giza 2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon 3. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia 4. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus 5. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus 6. The Colossus of Rhodes 7. The Lighthouse of Alexandria

7

I The Great Pyramid of Giza The defining symbol of Egypt, the Great Pyramid of Giza is the tallest man-made structure in the world. It is the oldest, yet the only surviving of the Seven Ancient Wonders. Located at the city of Giza, it is a burial ground of ancient Memphis. Presently, it is a part of Greater Cairo, Egypt. The pyramid was built over a span of twenty years.



Know About The Wonders of the World 

Among the three pyramids, the Great Pyramid of Khufu is on top of the list of wonders. The monument was built by the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu of the fourth dynasty to serve as a tomb after his death. Egyptians believed that the king was considered as a mediator between the Gods and the people and thus, deserved the finest of tombs. The tradition of pyramid building started in ancient Egypt as a sophistication of the idea of a mastaba or platform covering the royal tomb. One can notice this in early pyramids, such as the Step Pyramid of King Zoser at Saqqara. Before construction, the site was first prepared and blocks of stone were transported and placed. An outer casing of limestone was used to smooth the surface, which gradually disappeared in the later years. Today, the Great Pyramid along with the other pyramids and the sphinxes are located in the touristic region of the Giza Plateau. There is a museum in the area which displays the mysterious Sun Boat which was discovered in 1954 near the south side of the pyramid. The boat is believed to have been used to carry the body of Khufu in his last journey on earth before being buried inside the pyramid. It also serves as a means of transportation in his afterlife journey according to ancient Egyptian beliefs. When it was built, the Great pyramid was 481 ft high. Over the years, it lost 30 ft off its top. It was ranked as 9



Know About The Wonders of the World 

the tallest structure on Earth for more than 43 centuries till it was surpassed in the nineteenth century AD. It was covered with a casing of stones to smooth its surface. Its architectural magnificence makes it one of the beautiful Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

10

II The Hanging Gardens of Babylon The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was located on the east bank of the River Euphrates, about 50 km south of Baghdad, Iraq. Nebuchadnezzar II is credited for building the legendary Hanging Gardens. It is believed that the Gardens were built by Nebuchadnezzar for his beloved wife.



Know About The Wonders of the World 

While most of the descriptive accounts of the Gardens are recorded by the Greek historians, Babylonian records do not say much about it, although descriptions of the palace, the city of Babylon and the walls are found. Even the historians who gave detailed descriptions of the Hanging Gardens have never seen it. When Alexander’s soldiers saw Babylon, they were so impressed by its beauty that later when they returned to their homeland, they had numerous stories to tell about the amazing gardens and palm trees at Mesopotamia. Archaeologists are still struggling to find where the Garden was located, their irrigation system and its true appearance. Recent archaeological excavations at the ancient city of Babylon in Iraq found some traces of the palace.

12



Know About The Wonders of the World 

Other findings include the ‘Vaulted Building’ with thick walls and irrigation well near the southern palace. A group of archaeologists surveyed the area of the southern palace and reconstructed the Vaulted Building as the Hanging Gardens. They located the Gardens in the area stretching from the river to the palace. Nevertheless, with the beauty of the blossoming flowers, waterfalls, terrace filled in greenery, ripe fruits, and exotic creatures definitely makes it one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

13

III The Statue of Zeus at Olympia The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was located in the ancient city of Olympia, on the west coast of modern Greece. The magnificent temple of Zeus was built around 450 BC and was designed by the architect Libon. As the



Know About The Wonders of the World 

temple seemed too plain and simple, it was decorated with a majestic statue of Zeus. For the years that followed, the temple attracted a number of visitors and worshippers from all over the world. In the first century AD, the Roman emperor Caligula attempted to transport the statue to Rome. However, his attempt failed when the primary foundation built by Caligula’s workmen collapsed. After the Olympic Games were banned in 391AD, the Temple of Zeus was closed. Over the years, Olympia was further struck by earthquakes, landslides and floods, and the temple was completely damaged by fire in the fifth century AD. Earlier, the statue had been transported by wealthy Greeks to a palace in Constantinople. The statue survived there until it was destroyed by a severe fire in 462AD. Today, the only thing left at the site is mere rocks and debris. Pheidias was given the task of constructing the statue. Pheidias’ workshop in Olympia still exists and is coincidentally identical in size and orientation to the Temple of Zeus. There, he sculpted and carved the different pieces of the statue before they were assembled in the temple. The statue was occasionally decorated with gifts from kings and rulers. The most notable of these gifts was a woolen curtain which was dedicated by the Syrian king Antiochus IV. 15

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The Wonders of the World

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