| When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the details and | | | | the mausoleum was an edifice to the leader of a |
| histories of the ancient world. I was interested in not | | | | people, Maussollos of the Persians in Turkey at the |
| only the prospects of the societies that melted into the | | | | time, along with his wife and sisters. The structure |
| sands of history, but the artifices they built that no | | | | stood 135 feet high and was adorned on each side by |
| longer exist today. What wonders of today might no | | | | one of four prominent Greek sculptures, Bryaxis, |
| longer exist 3000 years from now. What monstrous | | | | Leochares, Scopas, and Timotheus. The structure |
| edifices to ourselves will fade away in time to be dug | | | | lasted surprisingly long, through invasions, pillaging, and |
| up and discovered by our descendents in three | | | | plundering alike. However, in the long run age |
| millennia? But since, I'm such a nerd still want to take a | | | | destroyed it, piece by piece dismantled for Knights' |
| look back at those original seven wonders of ancient | | | | fortifications, centerpieces in the halls of royalty and |
| times and what they meant for their societies in the | | | | simple thieves. There still exist bits and pieces of the |
| time they were built. | | | | original statues as well as the design which inspired |
| The original list of seven was crafted out of a very | | | | many tombs, including Grant's Tomb in Washington. |
| small, specific area born of the guide books for Helenic | | | | The word Mausoleum comes from the enshrined's |
| tourists. Thus they only include the works of the classic | | | | name. |
| civilizations of the Mediterranean rim. Works like the | | | | 6. Colossus of Rhodes - 280 BC - Built on the island of |
| Great Wall and Aztec Pyramids aren't included; such is | | | | Rhodes in the early 3rd century BC, the Statue of |
| one of the many casualties of a centric society. Still, I'm | | | | Rhodes was a recreation of the Sun God Helios and |
| a product of classical curiosities though and find the | | | | stood about the same height and size as our Statue |
| wonders of that Helenic Ancient world intriguing for its | | | | of Liberty, a bit of a feat considering the time in which |
| concision as well as its antiquity. | | | | it was built and the technology used. The statue only |
| 1. Great Pyramid of Giza - 2560 BC - The largest of | | | | stood for 56 years though, when an earthquake |
| the many pyramids of Egypt, The Great Pyramidwas | | | | snapped it off at the knees. And the times being as |
| built in what was probably 20 years as a tomb for | | | | they were, some were able to convince many that the |
| Khufu (of course that's always up for debate). | | | | sun god himself was offended and it was never rebuilt. |
| Ironically, as the first of the ancient wonders (by nearly | | | | Some things never really change. |
| 2000 years) it's also the only one still standing. The | | | | 7. Lighthouse of Alexandria - 3rd C. BC - Built on the |
| theories of how it was built are numerous, not | | | | island of Pharos, the lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt |
| excluding the use of massive amounts of slaves | | | | was guessed to be anywhere up to 450 feet high, the |
| housed in a town outside Giza, solely for the workers. | | | | highest structure in the world for many years. |
| The bricks were likely carted up ramps and the | | | | Supposedly built in three sections, on its highest point |
| pyramid built in layers. The technology used to lift the | | | | was mounted a mirror and lanterns for its functionality |
| 7-ton blocks is still under debate, as well as the exact | | | | as a lighthouse. It stood for millennia finally destroyed in |
| completion date, and the entombed king for which it | | | | the 14th century (maybe a little later) by an earthquake. |
| was created. But, the fact that it still stands is a | | | | Built in its place now is a fortification built on the original |
| testament all by itself. | | | | masonry from the lighthouse. |
| 2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon - 600 BC - The | | | | The ancient world notwithstanding, what of the |
| Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the | | | | modern world. Well, just this last year a group of |
| "supposeds" of the list. Supposedly built in 600 BC by | | | | historians compiled a list of 200 modern wonders and |
| Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon, there's absolutely no | | | | held a vote to decide what the 7 wonders of today's |
| proof that they actually existed. Though, there are | | | | world would be. In a slightly less scientific and much |
| some Greek scholars whose work floats around | | | | more commercially viable method, Good Morning |
| saying otherwise. Theories abound about how the | | | | America and USA Today, today's pop journalism (with |
| aqueducts worked, how the gardens were built, where | | | | pretty pictures) extraordinaires offered their own list |
| they even were. It's the red herring of classical | | | | compiled by a small panel of historians. |
| archaeology, but one of the more beautiful (in paintings | | | | 1. Potala Palace - Lhasa, Tibet |
| at least). And since the city of Babylon itself was | | | | 2. Old City of Jeruselam - Israel |
| quietly and thoroughly destroyed overnight, assumedly | | | | 3. Polar Ice Caps - Polar Regions |
| (by scientists that is) by a massive earthquake, the | | | | 4. Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument - |
| gardens went with it. | | | | Hawaii |
| 3. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus - 550 BC - Another | | | | 5. The Internet |
| one of the wonders that no one can guess at the | | | | 6. Mayan Ruins - Yucatan Peninsula, Mesoamerica |
| actual vision of, due to its complete and utter | | | | 7. Great Migration of Serengeti and Masaid Mara - |
| destruction only 200 years after being built. Like many | | | | Kenya and Tanzania |
| of its ancient brethren, the Temple of Artemis in | | | | 8. The Grand Canyon - Arizona |
| Ephesus (50 miles south of Izmir in Turkey) was a long | | | | The list fails in offering seven man made wonders as |
| project, supposedly 120 years in the making, that drew | | | | the original did, but does capture the essence of things |
| the attention of many historians, comparing it to most | | | | everyone should see as the original list did. Though, I |
| of the other wonders o this list. Unfortunately it found | | | | would argue that the internet is too integrated into |
| its death in the fourth century BC after a massive fire. | | | | society to include. That would be like considering the |
| 4. Statue of Zeus at Olympia - 435 BC - Carved by | | | | printing press a wonder of the world in the 1700s after |
| Phidias in an actual exact date, the Statue of Zeus is | | | | its full integration into society. |
| not actually questioned in its existence. The workshop | | | | It will be very interesting to see which modern |
| in which it was created was found in the 1950s and | | | | wonders match up with the as of yet unknown criteria |
| the actual techniques were recreated. About 40 feet | | | | for Wonderment. If it was to be a list of all things still |
| high and carved of ivory, plated in gold, the statue was | | | | standing on earth as created by man, surely the Great |
| believed to have been destroyed with the temple in | | | | Wall would be included, the Maya Ruins retained, the |
| the 5th century AD or in a massive fire after being | | | | Pyramid of Giza retained, places like Stone Henge, |
| carried away to Constantinople. At least they agree | | | | modern marvels of engineering, the space station, the |
| that it existed. | | | | Empire State Building. I would be hardpressed to |
| 5. Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus - 351 BC | | | | narrow any list to only a few places, but surely the |
| - Hey, this one's actually devoted to someone that | | | | natural wonders of the world shouldn't be included, as |
| everyone was sure lived and have proof of. That's a | | | | they deserve their own list, before they no longer exist |
| step forward. Much like the great pyramids of Giza, | | | | (like the polar ice caps). |