7 wonders of the world - dates, places, builders, causes of destruction

Surely each of you has heard about the seven wonders of the world. These are famous buildings that have fascinated people since antiquity. Today, the idea of the 7 Wonders of the World is also alive. Unfortunately, almost all the classic wonders of antiquity have been destroyed by natural disasters. There were many new lists with famous monuments, but perhaps the most famous is the list from 2007. Below I will tell you about the classic and modern wonders of the world.

Where did the idea to call a building the "wonder of the world" come from? The first known list comes from the 3rd century BC, its author is the Greek writer and engineer Philo of Byzantium. Few people today remember that tourism was no stranger to the Greeks, and in the ancient world, they definitely had something to visit. It should not be surprising, however, that among the seven miracles there are as many as four Greek buildings (and one from the Greek-Persian border). Initially, the term "theamata", meaning "things worth seeing" was used for them. Later the word "thaumata" or "miracle" was adopted. (Seven wonders of the world, www.britannica.com)

The choice of seven, not five or ten, is probably due to the fact that the number was of importance in Greek culture. Seven was a magic number for the ancient world, referring to the lunar calendar. It is also worth remembering that the world of ancient Greece, Egypt, and Persia was swarming with famous and stunning buildings. Thus, the selection of specific seven places worth seeing gave them a special rank.

The Classic 7 Wonders of the Ancient World include:

• The Pyramid of Cheops (or the Great Pyramids of Giza in general), the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, the Royal Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Hanging Gardens of Semiramis, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the statue of Zeus on Olympus.
• Of these, only the pyramids have survived to this day. Fortunately, thanks to the ancient Greeks' passion for tourism and modern archaeological research, we can say something about every architectural marvel of that era. Here are places and buildings that fascinated more than 2,000 years ago:
• Cheops Pyramid - it was built on the orders of Pharaoh in the XXVIII century BC She is accompanied by two other pyramids, Khafre, and Mykerinos. History has turned out to be kinder to these monuments compared to the rest of the wonders of the ancient world. We still don't know how it was built. The description given by Herodotus is a repetition of what he heard from Egyptian priests. However, it does not fully confirm what we know today based on archaeological research. Probably up to 8,000 people worked on the construction of the pyramid. workers. Rather, they were not slaves, as tradition would have it. (Gööck R., 1996: pp. 8-9)
• Temple of Artemis in Ephesus - The size and splendor of this temple exceeded the Parthenon in Athens. According to Pliny, the area of ​​the building was 73-14 m, and it was surrounded by 127 columns. This description has been confirmed by archaeological work. In ancient times, it was considered the most beautiful and most important place of worship on earth (at least by the Greeks). Construction began in the 6th-century BCE. on the site of a more modest temple. The works lasted 120 years. This masterpiece of architecture burned down in 356 BC but was rebuilt. The final collapse of the temple came with the Goth's invasion in 136 CE. (Gööck R .: pp. 10-11, Kwiatkowski T., 2016)
• Mausoleum in Halicarnassus - King Mausolos, reigning around 360 BCE in the Persian province of Karien, wanted to build himself a wonderful tomb. The building designers competition was won by two Greeks, Satyros and Pytheos. Direct records of their work have been lost, but the supposed appearance of the mausoleum has been reconstructed on the basis of other sources. The proper mortuary temple, surrounded by arcades, rose on the cubic block. The whole was crowned with a conical roof with a quadriga at the top. The mausoleum was destroyed during subsequent cataclysms. In the 13th century, the Joannites used the remains of the building as material for the construction of defensive walls. (Gööck R: pp. 12-13)
• Colossus of Rhodes - a statue of Helios, founded by the inhabitants of Rhodes after the victory over the then Macedonian king in the 4th century BCE The money was obtained from siege equipment left by Macedonians. It is not known exactly how high it was, supposedly between 30 and 40 meters. He was made of bronze, he leaned with his legs on two plinths rising straight from the water, he held a torch in his hand. The work was destroyed in an earthquake in 241 BCE. The remains were sold and melted down in the 7th-century CE. (Gööck R .: pp. 13-14)
• Faros lighthouse in Alexandria - it is believed that it was the most magnificent building that antiquity created. Built between 300 and 280 BC by Sostratos of Knidos was truly remarkable. It had huge blocks of glass at its base. With its slender shape, tapering towards the top, and surrounded by statues, it must have resembled Indian temples from later centuries. It is possible that it was even 120 m high, and its light was visible even from a distance of 50 km. How much truth is there in that? Hard to say. We know all the information from the broadcasts. The lighthouse was damaged by earthquakes in 956, 1303, and 1323. Today, a fort built in the 15th century stands in its place. (Kwiatkowski T., 2016)
• Statue of Zeus at Olympia - Anyone who has touched the history of antiquity knows that Phidias was one of the greatest Greek sculptors. It was he who was the author of the 15-meter statue of Zeus, which sat in the temple in Olympia. It was carved around 430 BCE. At the end of the 4th century CE, the statue was transported to Constantinople, where it was destroyed in a fire in 462 (Kwiatkowski T., 2016)
• Gardens of Babylon - among the wonders of antiquity, this one is the most controversial. Thanks to the archaeological excavations, we know that they existed. The commissioner of their construction was probably King Nebuchadnezzar (604-562 BCE), who built them for his wife. However, she was not the legendary Semiramis. Besides, there could have been more terraced gardens in Babylon's history. At the time of the creation of the ancient list of the 7 wonders of the world, they were only a legend. (Gööck R .: pp. 20-21)

After nearly all the wonders of the world had been destroyed, seven new structures were sought to replace them. Several lists were made. For the purposes of this article, I will talk about the so-called new seven wonders of the world, which were selected in an online vote among approx. 90 million. Participants. The initiator of the vote was Bernard Weber. The results were announced in 2007.

Due to the globalization and international nature of the competition, the world wonder map has expanded significantly. The places on the list come from almost all continents.

Before I tell you what objects and places are on the new list, it is worth mentioning other lists. Not all of them were limited to buildings. In the last hundred years, there has also been talking of natural wonders. For example, Armchair Explorer writer and podcaster Aaron Millar selects a new set of wonders each year. This is not a bad strategy, considering that there are many famous places. How many possibilities does the list that can be refreshed every year offer? Theoretically, infinitely many. The 2021 set includes Geoglyphs from Nazca, Great Hadron Collider in Switzerland, and a Neolithic stone circle from Callanish in Scotland. The downside is that the author did not indicate whether it is a wonder of nature or culture, and in the same list we can find rocky arches of the national park in Utah or even migration routes of wild animals in Kenya and Tanzania. (see Aaron Miller, & Seven Wonders of the World for 2021, https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/seven-wonders-of-the-world, accessed on 15/01/2021)

The idea of ​​the new seven wonders of the world, initiated by Bernard Weber, is more traditional. The author limited himself to choosing from among the monuments whose beauty we should appreciate and protect. That is why he combined the campaign and voting with an ecological message.

7 wonders of the world in the 21st century

Here are the results of the online voting, the results of which the world got to know in 2007

1. Great Wall of China - in the history of Chinese architecture, brick fortifications were not used for a long time, but ramparts were built in antiquity. This is how the Great Wall of China was created. The construction of the border fortifications was started by Emperor Shi-Huang Ti in the 3rd century BC, but most of this structure was built in the 15th century. Many workers died while laying the next layers of the embankment. Today the wall is 2,450 km long, most of it is 8 m wide at the base and 16 m high. It is the only wonder of the world visible from space. (Gööck R: pp. 71-73)
2. Petra - You surely know the photos of the famous city of Nabataeans carved in the rock, especially the so-called Treasury of the Pharaohs. Located in today's Jordan, the complex, hidden among rocks and sand, was built in the 4th century BCE, and its fall falls on the 4th century CE. It is one of the most visually amazing places that has ignited the imagination of many travelers and adventurers. Contrary to many abandoned ancient objects, it was not damaged by natural disasters. (Harpur J., Westwood J., 1997: pp. 114-119)
3. Colosseum - the most impressive and best-known remnant of the Eternal City from its heyday. Built under Emperor Vespasian and his son Titus. The Colosseum has four stories, each of which is built in a different architectural order. The huge building, 50 m high and 527 m in circumference, in its heyday housed 45 thousand. people. The Colosseum is also a symbol of imperial Rome's cruelty. 5,000 animals and many thousands of gladiators died during the 100 days of the inauguration of the facility. In later times, also cruel and perverse executions of Christians took place here. (Little Encyclopedia of Ancient Culture, 1990: p. 542)
4. Chichén Itzá - The ruins of the ancient Mayan city in the Yucatan Peninsula. Probably built in the 6th century AD. Probably attacked in the 10th century by Itza, a Mayan people speaking a different dialect. They are the source of the city's name. The ruins extend over an area of ​​10 square kilometers and in its heyday, up to 35 thousand people could live here. people. The landmarks include terraced pyramids and the largest ancient soccer field. (Chichén Itzá, www.britannica.com)
5. Machu Picchu - The Inca city ruins lie between the Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu mountains. The city was built probably in the 15th century as a fortress inhabited by about 1000 inhabitants. All indications are that it was abandoned before the fall of the Inca empire. It was rediscovered by the American historian and archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911. (Harpur J., Westwood J .: pp. 130-133)
6. Taj Mahal - A monument built in the 17th century, it is today one of the main trademarks of Indian tourism. Ironically, this most recognizable Indian structure was built during the Mughal Muslim dynasty. The Taj Mahal is the tomb of Shah Jahan's beloved wife, Muntaz Mahal. (Kwiatkowski T., 2016)
7. Statue of Christ the Redeemer - The 30-meter-tall statue of Christ towers over the skyline of Rio de Janeiro. It was completed in 1931. Since then, it has been the most recognizable object associated with Brazil. It is also the largest Art-Deco sculpture. The work has several authors: the engineer Haitor da Silva Costa, the artist Carlos Oswald and the sculptor Paul Landowski. (Murray L., Christ the Redeemer, www.britannica.com,)

A place on the list was also awarded ex aequo to the Cheops pyramid. That is why in some of the present comparisons you will see not seven, but eight wonders of the world.

It is worth saying a few more words not only about the official wonders of the world but also about where they were or are. Looking at the map of objects, we can trace how the European world has expanded.

The classic list, as I have already mentioned, concerns mainly buildings from the Greek world. The new wonders of the world come from all continents and have very different cultural backgrounds. On each internet map, we will see the density of old buildings in the Mediterranean basin. The new list includes as many as three sites from South and Central America and only one from Europe.

The 7 Wonders of the World is the oldest list of tourist sites in the world. Although it is over 2,000 years old, it still amazes and inspires. Wonders of the world are mentioned in modern travel guides, they also appear in computer games, literature, and movies. That is why it is sometimes worth taking a closer look at them.

Bibliography:

• Encyclopedia Britannica, online version (www.britannica.com, articles listed in footnotes, accessed 01/16/2021)
• Roland Gööck, Wonders of the world, Muza SA 1996
• James Harpur, Jennifer Westwood, Legendary Places, Penta 1997
• Ted Kwiatkowski, Old civilizations, famous buildings, APR 2016
• Little Encyclopedia of Ancient Culture, collective work, PWN 1990
• Aaron Miller, Seven Wonders of the World for 2021 (https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/seven-wonders-of-the-world, accessed on 15/01/2021)