Little-known wonders of the world (13 photos). Little-known wonders of the world (13 photos) Therefore, a project about new wonders was put together

The classic list of the seven wonders of the world has been known to us since school days, when we studied Ancient history. Only the pyramids of Egypt have survived to our times, which can be seen by anyone who visits this country. The Pyramid of Cheops at Giza is the only surviving wonder of the world. Other miracles - Colossus of Rhodes, hanging gardens Babylon, Alexandrian lighthouse– collapsed over the centuries, some due to fires and earthquakes, others due to floods.

The classic list of wonders of the world includes:

1. Pyramid of Cheops (burial site of the Pharaoh of Egypt) - created by the Egyptians in 2540 BC. e. ;
2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Babylon - created by the Babylonians in 605 BC. e. ;
3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia - created by the Greeks in 435 BC. e.;
4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (built in honor of the goddess Artemis in Turkey) - created by the Greeks and Persians in 550 BC. e.;
5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus - created by the Carians, Greeks and Persians in 351 BC. e.;
6. The Colossus of Rhodes was established by the Greeks between 292 and 280. BC e.;
7. Lighthouse of Alexandria - built in the 4th century BC. e. by the Greeks a lighthouse, and named in honor of Alexander the Great.

All the photographs presented below with the wonders of the world are either models of what the majestic structures used to look like, or what remains of them at the present time. It's a pity that they couldn't withstand natural disasters.

Some time later, cultural figures began to add additional attractions to this list, “miracles” that still surprise and inspire. So, at the end of the 1st century, the Roman poet Martial added only the rebuilt Colosseum to the list. After a while, in the 6th century, Christian theologian Gregory of Tours added Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple to the list.

Different sources mention different combinations of wonders of the world, for example, English and French writers and historians equated the Alexandria Catacombs, the Leaning Tower in Pisa, the Porcelain Tower in Nanjing, and the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul as wonders of the world.

New list of wonders of the world

In 2007, a UN organization organized a vote to approve a new list modern miracles Sveta. They voted by phone, Internet and SMS messages. And this is the final list:

Colosseum in Italy;
Great Chinese Wall;
Machu Picchu – ancient city Incas in Peru;
Taj Mahal in India is a magnificent mausoleum-mosque in India;
Petra is an ancient city, the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, located in modern Jordan;
Christ the Redeemer statue flying over Rio de Janeiro in Brazil;
pyramids of Giza in Egypt;
Chichen Itza in Mexico, an ancient city of the Mayan civilization.

All of them have been preserved from ancient times, except for the statue of Christ the Redeemer, which was finally built in 1931 of the last century and has since become a symbol of Brazil and one of its largest cities - Rio de Janeiro.

How to see them?

The new list of wonders has been officially approved by the UN, and now everyone who travels to the country can see them. No one excursion route will not avoid visiting these attractions. They try to carefully preserve them for future generations, but also use them for modern needs.

For example, the Colosseum is known for its excellent acoustics. Famous singers and musicians from all over the world often perform there, and operas are staged in the open air.

The Taj Mahal is also open to tourists, but this is the tomb of the padishah’s beloved wife, so people only inspect it and admire the beauty of its architectural forms and interior paintings.

Be in China and not visit Great Wall is considered simply indecent. There are many excursions to it, but you cannot climb it: it is a huge obstacle course and walking on it is dangerous. That's why everyone takes pictures near her plots in the most picturesque places.

The Pyramids of Giza can be viewed from the outside and inside, and nearby you can see the grandiose statues of ancient sphinxes.

Excursions to the ancient cities of Machu Picchu, Petra and Chichen Itza are extremely interesting, but physically difficult - you will have to walk for a long time through the ruins. However, tourist holidays in these countries are well organized, and you will not regret if you spend a day or two visiting these magnificent places.

Chichen Itza - ancient Mayan city

Why exactly 7 wonders of the world, and not 10 or 15?

As you have probably already noticed, people used to have a special attitude towards the magical number seven. Everyone knows that there are 7 holes on the human head - 2 eyes, 2 nostrils, 2 ears and a mouth. When a person sees seven objects at the same time, he can immediately count them with his eyes, without even thinking, however, if there are more of them, he will have to count them in his mind.

Thus, due to seemingly such primitive conclusions, people began to strive to reduce the number of something to seven. For example, highlight 7 days in a week, seven colors in a rainbow, 7 tones in a sound series, and so on.

It is not at all surprising that the ancient Greeks identified the Seven Wonders of the World, because the number 7 was the sacred number of Apollo, the god who patronized art.

More than one and a half thousand years ago, on July 21, a strong earthquake destroyed the legendary Alexandria Lighthouse. The fate of other wonders of the world was also extremely sad: none of them survived, with the exception of the Pyramid of Cheops.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

They were built by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II in the 7th century BC, but stood until the end of the millennium. Constant flooding made the foundation unstable, and at one point the gardens simply collapsed in the blink of an eye.

Gardens of Babylon. (wikipedia.org)

The Colossus of Rhodes

This giant met overseas guests in Greece on the island of Rhodes. It repeated the fate of the Alexandria lighthouse - the earthquake of 224 BC knocked the Colossus off his feet right into the sea.

The Colossus of Rhodes. (wikipedia.org)

mausoleum in Halicarnassus

Mausoleum in Halicarnassus. (wikipedia.org)

This palace can rightly be called a “long-liver” - it lasted until 1494, but an earthquake turned it into ruins. The remains of a mausoleum that stood for more than a thousand years can be seen in Turkey

Zeus statue

In 435 BC, a statue of Zeus appeared in Olympia, which took ten years to build. According to historical sources, this is a creation from Ivory, gold and marble were transferred to Constantinople, where it burned down during a terrible fire already in the 4th century AD.

Statue of Zeus. (wikipedia.org)

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

This temple avoided the fate of the lighthouse in Alexandria and the Colossus of Rhodes because it was built on marshy ground in 560 BC. e. In 356 it was set on fire by the Greek Herostratus, but the building was later repaired. Several centuries later, the house of the goddess Artemis was plundered by the Goths, and when Christianity began to spread throughout Turkey, the stones were used to build other temples.

Temple of Artemis. (wikipedia.org)

The Pyramid of Cheops

The Pyramid of Cheops. (wikipedia.org)

Construction of this monument began around 2560 BC and continued for several centuries. The pyramid was supposed to become a tomb for Pharaoh Cheops. The structure and statistical indicators of the building excite the minds of scientists around the world - to build such a structure seems impossible in those distant times.

On July 21, 365, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the wonders of the world, was partially destroyed. In this regard, we decided to recall six wonders of the Ancient World, which, unfortunately, can no longer be seen.

Alexandria Lighthouse, Pharos Island, Egypt

Some historians believe that the lighthouse was visible from a distance of 35 miles.

Scientists have found that the height of the Alexandria lighthouse could be from 116 to 137 meters. He stood on small island Faros, located off the coast of Alexandria. The lighthouse tower was made of light stone, and in its highest point a mirror was installed to reflect sunlight. At night a fire was lit on the tower. Some historians believe that the lighthouse was visible from a distance of 35 miles. Unfortunately, earthquakes destroyed the structure - finally in 1375, and in 1480 its ruins were also destroyed when a fortress was built in its place.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Iraq

The Hanging Gardens are believed to have been built around 600 BC by Nebuchadnezzar II, the ruler of Babylon. Historians often argue about the very fact of the existence of these gardens, because there is no evidence left, and there is no mention of gardens in Babylonian documents (they were first described by Greek scientists).

However, many believe that they were: vaulted terraces supported by columns rose one above the other.

These terraces were filled with earth and had trees and flowers hanging over the edges. The most remarkable thing about these gardens was their irrigation system, which brought water from the Euphrates to the plants. The gardens were destroyed by an earthquake in the first century BC.

Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, Selcuk, Türkiye

The temple was made of marble.

Built around 550 BC during the reign of the Persian Achaemenid dynasty in honor of the Greek goddess of hunting and nature, this temple was burned in 356 BC. The ancient writer and philosopher Pliny described the temple as a structure 115 meters long and 55 meters wide (three times the size of the famous Parthenon) with 127 Ionic columns 18 meters high. The temple was made of marble. It was used both for trade and for religious ceremonies, and its walls were decorated with paintings and sculptures.

Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Olympia, Greece

A huge statue of the god Zeus by the sculptor Phidias was built in the Temple of Olympia in 450 BC. The 12-meter image of Zeus was carved from ivory and decorated with gold. God sat on a throne decorated precious stones, holding in his right hand a statue of Nike (the goddess of victory), and in his left hand a scepter with an eagle. There are many theories to explain the destruction of the statue. Some scientists believe that it was destroyed along with the temple in the 5th century. Others believe that she was transported to Constantinople, where she died in a fire in 462 AD.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Southwestern Türkiye

Numerous earthquakes in the 14th century led to the destruction of the mausoleum.

The mausoleum was built for the burial of the Persian king Mausolus and his wife Artesisia in 353 BC. Greek architects Satyr and Pytheas. The tomb was located on a hill above the ancient city of Halicarnassus. The width of the Mausoleum was 41 meters, and its internal walls were decorated with fabric. The huge and luxurious tomb was decorated with many statues, bas-reliefs and columns. But, alas, numerous earthquakes in the 14th century led to the destruction of the mausoleum.

Colossus of Rhodes, Rhodes, Greece

The Colossus was a huge 30-meter tall statue of the Greek god Helios, built on the island of Rhodes in 280 BC. The statue was erected after the successful defense of the island from invasion in 304 BC.

Nowadays, it is customary to call unique artistic and technical creations a wonder of the world, which, for 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.

Below is a list of 7 wonders of the world ancient world...

1. Pyramids of Cheops (Giza)

Pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu (in the Greek version Cheops), or Great Pyramid- the greatest of the Egyptian pyramids, the oldest of the seven wonders of the world of antiquity and the only one of them that has survived to our time. Over four thousand For years the pyramid was the largest building in the world.

The Pyramid of Cheops is located in the far suburb of Cairo, Giza. Nearby there are two more pyramids of the pharaohs Khafre and Menkaure (Khefre and Mikerin), according to ancient historians, the sons and successors of Khufu. These are the three most great pyramids Egypt.

Following ancient authors, most modern historians consider the pyramids to be funerary structures of ancient Egyptian monarchs. Some scientists believe that these were astronomical observatories. There is no direct evidence that pharaohs were buried in the pyramids, but other versions of their purpose are less convincing.

Based on ancient “royal lists”, it has been established that Cheops reigned around 2585-2566. BC. Construction of the "Sacred Height" lasted 20 years and ended after the death of Khufu, around 2560 BC.

Other versions of the construction dates, based on astronomical methods, give dates from 2720 to 2577. BC. Radiocarbon dating shows a scatter of 170 years, from 2850 to 2680. BC.

There are also exotic opinions expressed by supporters of theories of aliens visiting the Earth, the existence of ancient civilizations, or adherents of occult movements. They determine the age of the Cheops pyramid from 6-7 to tens of thousands of years.

2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Babylon)

The existence of one of the wonders of the world, many scientists question and argue that it is nothing more than a figment of the imagination of an ancient chronicler, whose idea was picked up by his colleagues and began to be carefully copied from chronicle to chronicle. They justify their assertion by the fact that the Gardens of Babylon are most carefully described by those who have never seen them, while historians who have visited ancient Babylon are silent about the miracle erected there.

Archaeological excavations have shown that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon still existed.

Naturally, they did not hang on ropes, but were a four-story building, built in the shape of a pyramid with a huge amount of vegetation, and were part of the palace building. This unique structure received its name due to an incorrect translation Greek word"kremastos", which actually means "hanging" (as in from a terrace).

The unique gardens were erected by order of the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II, who lived in the 7th century. BC. He built them especially for his wife Amytis, daughter of Cyaxares, king of Media (it was with him that the Babylonian ruler entered into an alliance against the common enemy, Assyria, and won the final victory over this state).

Amitis, who grew up among the mountains of green and fertile Media, did not like dusty and noisy Babylon, located on a sandy plain. The Babylonian ruler was faced with a choice - to move the capital closer to his wife’s homeland or to make her stay in Babylon more comfortable. They decided to build hanging gardens that would remind the queen of her homeland. Where exactly they are located, history is silent, and therefore there are several hypotheses:

• The main version says that this wonder of the world is located near modern city Hilla, which is located on the Efrat River in the center of Iraq.
• An alternative version, based on re-decipherment of cuneiform tablets, states that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are located in Nineveh, the capital of Assyria (located in the north of modern Iraq), which after its fall was transferred to the Babylonian state.

The very idea of ​​​​creating hanging gardens in the middle of a dry plain seemed simply fantastic at that time. The local architects and engineers of the ancient world were able to accomplish this task - and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which were later included in the list of the Seven Wonders of the World, were built, became part of the palace and were located on its north-eastern side.

They say that the statue of Zeus at Olympia turned out to be so majestic that when Phidias, having created it, asked his creation: “Are you satisfied, Zeus?” - thunder struck, and the black marble floor at the god’s feet cracked. The Thunderer was pleased.

Despite the fact that only memories of one of the most majestic statues of this scale have reached us, the mere description of the monument, which was in its own way a real masterpiece of jewelry, cannot but shake the imagination. Both before and after the creation of the statue of Olympian Zeus, people have not created a monument of such a scale - and it is not a fact that they ever will: this wonder of the world turned out to be too expensive in cost and huge in scale.

The uniqueness of this monument also lies in the fact that the statue of Olympian Zeus, the only one of all the wonders of the ancient world, was located on the territory of continental Europe, in greek city Olympia, which is located on the Balkan Peninsula.

The statue of Zeus in Olympia took quite a long time to create: Phidias spent about ten years on it. When she appeared before the residents and guests of Olympia in 435 BC, she was a real wonder of the world.

The exact dimensions of the statue have not yet been determined, but apparently its height ranged from 12 to 17 meters. Zeus, naked to the waist, sat on a throne, his feet were on a bench supported by two lions. The pedestal on which the throne was located was quite huge: its dimensions were 9.5 by 6.5 m. For its manufacture they used ebony, gold, ivory and jewelry.

The throne itself was decorated with images of scenes from the life of the Greek celestials, the goddesses of victory danced on its legs, and the battles of the Greeks with the Amazons were depicted on the crossbars and, naturally, the Olympic Games were not absent (Panen did the painting). The Thunderer was made from ebony wood, and his entire body was covered with ivory plates highest quality. The master selected materials for his statue extremely meticulously.

On the head of the supreme god there was a wreath, and in one hand he held the golden Nike, the goddess of Victory, in the other - a scepter decorated with an eagle, symbolizing supreme power. The god's clothes were made of gold sheets (in total, about two hundred kilograms of gold were needed to make the sculpture). The Thunderer's cloak was decorated with images of representatives of the animal and plant world.

Nowadays, a marble copy of one of the wonders of the world can be seen in the Hermitage, where it was brought from Italy in 1861. Apparently, this statue of Zeus was created by a Roman author in the first century BC, and it was found during archaeological excavations in the vicinity of Rome at the end of the 18th century. It is notable for the fact that today it is one of the largest antique sculptures that are in museums in the world - the height of the monument is 3.5 meters and weighs 16 tons.

The sculpture was acquired at the beginning of the 19th century by one of the Italian collectors, Marquis D. Campana.

He did not have it for long, because after some time he went bankrupt, his property was confiscated and sold at auction. Before the auction, the director of the Hermitage managed to persuade the Italian authorities to give him the opportunity to purchase some things before the sale, thus, the best exhibits from the collection of the bankrupt marquis, including the statue of the Thunderer, ended up in the Hermitage.

4. Temple of Artemis of Ephesus (Ephesus)

According to ancient Greek belief, Artemis was the goddess of hunting and fertility, the patroness of all life on earth. She looked after the animals in the forest, herds of domestic animals, and plants. Artemis provided a happy marriage and assistance during childbirth.

In honor of Artemis, a temple was built in Ephesus on the site of the former sanctuary of the Carian goddess, also responsible for fertility. The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus was so large that it was immediately included in the list of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The construction was financed by the Lydian king Croesus, and the construction work was led by the architect from Knossos, Kharsifron. During his time they managed to erect walls and columns. After his death, his son Metagenes took over the post of chief architect. The last stage of construction was led by Peonitus and Demetrius.

The Temple of Artemis of Ephesus was completed in 550 BC. Before local residents A delightful spectacle opened up, the likes of which had never been built here. And although it is currently impossible to recreate the former decoration of the temple, you can be sure that the best craftsmen of their time, working here, could not have made a mistake. The statue of the culprit of the construction itself was made of ivory and gold.

It was possible to recreate the image of the former majestic temple of the goddess Artemis in Ephesus only after archaeological excavations. The temple measured 105 by 51 meters. The roof of the structure was supported by 127 columns, each 18 meters high. According to legend, each column was donated by one of the 127 Greek rulers.

In addition to religious services, the temple was in full swing with financial and business life. It was the center of Ephesus, independent from the authorities, subordinate to the local college of priests.

In 356 BC, when the famous Alexander the Great was born, the temple of Artemis was burned by the Ephesian resident Herostratus. The motive of this feat is to remain in history in memory of posterity. After being caught, the arsonist faced capital punishment. In addition to this, it was also decided to eradicate the name of this person from history. But what is forbidden sits even more firmly in people’s memories, and the name of Herostratus is now a household name.

TO III century BC, the wonder of the world, the Temple of Artemis in Greece was restored on the initiative of the aforementioned Alexander the Great, but with the arrival of the Goths it was again destroyed. Later, with the ban on pagan cults, the Byzantine authorities closed the temple. Then they begin to gradually dismantle it for building materials, as a result of which the temple fades into oblivion. A Christian church was built in its place, but it also faced the fate of destruction.

On October 31, 1869, the English archaeologist Wood manages to find the location of the former Temple of Artemis in Turkey, and excavations begin. Now in its place stands one column restored from the rubble. Despite this, the place still attracts thousands of tourists.

5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Let's move to the ancient city of Halicarnassus. It was the capital of Caria and, as befits the capital of a state, it was famous for its beauty and grandeur. Temples, theaters, palaces, gardens, fountains, and a living harbor guaranteed the city honor and respect. But the tomb of King Mausolus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, occupied special attention here. So, the wonder of the world is the mausoleum in Halicarnassus.

King Mausolus, ruling Caria in the 4th century BC. (377-353), according to the experience of the Egyptian pharaohs, began the construction of his tomb during his lifetime. It was supposed to be a unique structure. Located in the center of the city, among palaces and temples, it symbolizes the power and wealth of the king. And to worship the late king, it must combine both a tomb and a temple. The best architects and sculptors were allocated for the construction - Pythias, Satyr, Leochares, Scopas, Briaxides, Timothy. After the death of the king, his wife, Queen Artemisia, approached construction even more intensively eternal monument great husband.

The construction was completed in 350 BC. Her appearance combined several architectural styles that time. The mausoleum had three levels total height at 46 meters. The first tier was a massive base made of brick, lined with marble. Next on it stood a temple with 36 columns. The columns supported the roof in the form of a pyramid with 24 steps. At the top of the roof there was a sculpture of King Mausolus and Artemisia in a chariot drawn by 4 horses. Around the building there were statues of horsemen and lions. The beauty of the structure was mesmerizing; it is no coincidence that the mausoleum in Halicarnassus quickly became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The tomb of Mausolus and his wife itself was located in the lower tier. An upper room with columns and a statue of Mausolus was built to worship the king. The statue has survived to this day, and fully reflects the image of the despot king. The sculptor subtly conveyed the character of Mavsol in his facial features - evil, cruel, capable of getting everything he needs. It is no coincidence that he was a very rich man. Next to the statue of Mausolus there was a statue of Queen Artemisia. The sculptor embellished it, presented it in a majestic, soft image. The famous sculptor of that time Skopas worked on it. Both of these statues are now considered among the finest in Greek culture from the 4th century BC. Separately, it is worth mentioning the upper part of the base of the mausoleum. The sculptors decorated it with scenes from the Greek epic - the battle with the Amazons, hunting, the battle of the Lapiths with the centaurs.

Mausoleum - a word derived from the name of King Mavsol, is currently a common noun among all peoples.

After 18 centuries, the mausoleum was destroyed by an earthquake. Later, its ruins were used to build St. Peter's Castle by the Knights of St. John. When the Turks arrived, the castle became the Budrun Fortress, currently called Bodrum. Excavations here were carried out in 1857. Relief slabs, statues of Mausolus and Artemisia, and a statue of a chariot were found. They are currently on display in the British Museum.

6. Colossus of Rhodes (Rhodes)

The Colossus of Rhodes is a huge statue that has become one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The grateful inhabitants of the island of Rhodes decided to build it in honor of the sun god Helios, who helped them survive the unequal struggle with the invaders. Siege beautiful island lasted almost a year and the likelihood of victory was negligible, but the patron helped the islanders win. For this, Helios was immortalized in the guise of a huge statue. For the people of Rhodes, the statue represented independence and freedom, just like the Statue of Liberty in New York for the Americans.

The island of Rhodes had a profitable geographical position, its residents traded freely with many countries, which ensured the wealth of the city as a whole and each citizen individually. From its foundation until the 3rd century. BC. Rhodes was ruled in turn by the famous king Mausolus, the Persian rulers and Alexander the Great. None of them oppressed the city or prevented it from developing. However, after the death of Alexander the Great, his heirs began to divide the inherited lands in a bloody struggle.

The island of Rhodes went to Ptolemy, but the other heir (Antigonus) considered this unfair and sent his son to destroy the city. This would help to equalize the power of Ptolemy. Demetrius, the son of Antigonus, assembled a huge army that outnumbered the islanders. Only impregnable walls prevented the soldiers from immediately entering the capital and destroying it. The enemies used siege towers - huge wooden catapults that were installed on ships. The inhabitants of Rhodes managed to delay their enemies until the arrival of Ptolemy's army and defend their homeland.

Having sold the siege engines and the remaining ships of the invaders, the inhabitants of Rhodes decided to erect a huge statue of the god Helios, their patron. Until then, any statues were called colossi, but after the Colossus of Rhodes, only the largest of them began to be called this way.

Construction of the Colossus began in 302 BC. and finished only after 12 years (according to other sources after 20 years). They installed the statue on an artificial embankment that blocked the entrance to the harbor. Behind this hill, for a long time, individual parts of the sculpture were hidden from prying eyes. The mound with the statue turned into a kind of gateway to the city. Some poets described the Colossus as standing on two hills. The ships had to sail between Helios' legs. However, this version is considered doubtful. The stability of such a sculpture would be too low, and big ships would not be able to land at the port.

The statue has not survived to this day, but numerous descriptions from contemporaries indicate that the Colossus stood on one of the banks, and not at all in the form of an arch, as artists depict it. In the giant's hand was a bowl of blazing fire. At the base there were three pillars that served as support. The builders inlaid two of them with bronze parts to disguise Helios at the feet. The third pillar was in the place where the cloak or part of the sheet of the majestic Colossus fell.

Residents wanted the statue to point its hand into the distance, but the sculptor understood that this would reduce the stability of the structure, so the statue seemed to be covering its eyes from the sun with its palm. The torso and main elements were made of sheets of iron and bronze. They were secured to support posts. The space inside was filled with large stones and clay to increase stability. The free space was covered with earth so that workers could move freely along the surface and secure the following parts. In total, the production of the Colossus required 8 tons of iron and 13 tons of bronze. The resulting statue reached a height of 34 m.

The statue of the Colossus of Rhodes was so huge that it could be seen from ships sailing in the distance. According to the descriptions of contemporaries, she was a tall young man with a radiant crown on her head. One hand of the young man covered his eyes, and the other caught his falling robe.

Another poet, Philo, described the Colossus differently. He claimed that the statue was on a marble pedestal and was striking in the size of its feet. Each of them was the size of a small statue itself. There was a working torch at arm's length. It was lit at night to illuminate the way for sailors.

Scientists are still trying to discover where the Colossus of Rhodes is located or where exactly it was installed. At the end of the 20th century, huge boulders were discovered off the coast of the island of Rhodes, which resembled the fragments of a statue in shape. However, the theory that these are elements of an ancient sculpture was not confirmed. But researcher Ursula Vedder suggested that the Colossus did not stand near the shore at all, but on Monte Smith Hill. The ruins of the Temple of Helios remain here, and its foundations have a suitable platform on which the Colossus could have stood.

7. Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos)

Only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world had a practical purpose - the Lighthouse of Alexandria. It performed several functions at once: it allowed ships to approach the harbor without any problems, and the observation post located at the top of the unique structure made it possible to monitor the expanses of water and notice the enemy in time.

Locals claimed that the light of the Alexandria lighthouse burned enemy ships even before they approached the shore, and if they managed to approach the coast, the statue of Poseidon, located on the dome of an amazing design, uttered a piercing warning cry.

The height of the ancient lighthouse was 140 meters - much higher than the surrounding buildings. In ancient times, buildings did not exceed three floors and against their background Faros lighthouse seemed huge. Moreover, at the time of completion of construction it turned out to be the most tall building ancient world and remained so for an extremely long time.

The lighthouse of Alexandria was built on east coast the small island of Pharos, located near Alexandria - the main seaport Egypt, built by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. It is also known in history as the Faros Lighthouse.

The great commander chose the location for the construction of the city extremely carefully: he initially planned to build a port in this region, which would be an important trading center.

It was extremely important that it be located at the intersection of both water and land routes of three parts of the world - Africa, Europe and Asia. For the same reason, it was necessary to build at least two harbors here: one for ships arriving from outside Mediterranean Sea, and the other for those who sailed along the Nile.

Therefore, Alexandria was not built in the Nile Delta, but a little to the side, twenty miles to the south. When choosing a location for the city, Alexander took into account the location of future harbors, paying special attention to their strengthening and protection: it was very important to do everything to ensure that the waters of the Nile did not clog them with sand and silt (a dam was subsequently built specifically for this purpose, connecting the continent with an island).

After the death of Alexander the Great (who, according to legend, was born on the day of the destruction of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus), after some time the city came under the rule of Ptolemy I Soter - and as a result of skillful management it turned into a successful and prosperous port city, and the construction of one of the seven wonders of the world was significant increased his wealth.

The Alexandria lighthouse made it possible for ships to sail into the port without any problems, successfully avoiding underwater rocks, shoals and other obstacles in the bay. Thanks to this, after the construction of one of the seven wonders, the volume of light trade increased sharply.

The lighthouse also served as an additional reference point for sailors: the landscape of the Egyptian coast is quite diverse - mostly just lowlands and plains. Therefore, signal lights before entering the harbor were very useful.

A lower structure could have successfully performed this role, so the engineers assigned another important function to the Lighthouse of Alexandria - the role of an observation post: enemies usually attacked from the sea, since the country was well defended on the land side by the desert.

It was also necessary to install such an observation post at the lighthouse because there were no natural hills near the city where this could be done.

The lighthouse of Alexandria has served since 283 BC. until the 15th century, when a fortress was erected instead. Thus, he experienced more than one dynasty of Egyptian rulers and saw Roman legionnaires. This did not particularly affect its fate: whoever ruled Alexandria, everyone made sure that the unique structure stood for as long as possible - they restored those destroyed due to frequent earthquakes details of the building, updated the facade, which was negatively affected by wind and salty sea water.

Time has done its work: the lighthouse stopped working in 365, when one of the strongest earthquakes in the Mediterranean Sea caused a tsunami that flooded part of the city, and the number of dead Egyptians, according to chroniclers, exceeded 50 thousand inhabitants.

After this event, the lighthouse significantly decreased in size, but stood for quite a long time - until the 14th century, until another strong earthquake wiped it off the face of the earth (a hundred years later, Sultan Qait Bey built a fortress on its foundation, which can be seen Nowadays). After this, the pyramids at Giza remained the only ancient wonder of the world that has survived to this day.

In the mid-90s. the remains of the Alexandria lighthouse were discovered at the bottom of the bay with the help of a satellite, and after some time, scientists, using computer modeling, were able to more or less restore the image of the unique structure.

Seven wonders of the world. From left to right, top to bottom: Pyramid of Cheops Hanging Gardens of Babylon Temple of Artemis at Ephesus Statue of Zeus at Olympia Mausoleum ... Wikipedia

The New Seven Wonders of the World is a project whose goal was to search for the modern seven wonders of the world. Organized by the non-profit organization New Open World Corporation (NOWC) on the initiative of the Swiss Bernard Weber. Election of the new seven “wonders of the world” from ... ... Wikipedia

Seven Wonders of the World- (lat. septem miracula mundi) seven works of ancient architecture and sculpture, which, according to contemporaries, had no equal in grandeur, beauty and originality: Egyptian pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus... Ancient world. Dictionary-reference book.

SEVEN WONDERS OF THE LIGHT Dictionary-reference book for Ancient Greece and Rome, according to mythology

SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD - Egyptian pyramids near Memphis, the Halicarnassian mausoleum, the Babylonian “Hanging Gardens”, the Ephesian Temple of Artemis, the statue of Zeus in Olympia by Phidias, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Alexandrian lighthouse (a huge Pharos fortress with a lighthouse, where, according to... ... List of Ancient Greek names

This article is being prepared as an alternative and more verified version of the Holy Fire article. Unlike the previous article, the emphasis is shifted from the miraculous component to the Holy Light ceremony itself. The previous article Holy Fire, you can... ... Wikipedia

Seven wonders of the world. From left to right, top to bottom: Pyramid of Cheops Hanging Gardens of Babylon Temple of Artemis at Ephesus Statue of Zeus at Olympia Mausoleum at Halicarnassus Colossus of Rhodes Lighthouse of Alexandria Walls of Babylon Seven Wonders of the World (or Seven Wonders of the World... ... Wikipedia

PULL OUT FROM THIS WORLD

PULL OUT FROM THIS WORLD- who brings whom back to life, saves. It is implied that who l. is in a critical condition (between life and death) and has an extremely low chance of survival. This means that one person (Y) prevented another person or group of persons (X) from dying. speech... Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Language

Books

• Wonders of the World, Maria Zamyatina. Chips - Age 7+ - Hypotheses about the past and future of the planet - Unique photos from the most inaccessible cornersBook of Wonders of the World. My first school project is an exciting...
• Wonders of the World, Ash Russell. The Seven Ancient Wonders of the World have attracted people's attention for many centuries. Egyptian pyramids, the hanging gardens of Babylon, the statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Colossus of Rhodes,…