History

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were: • the Great Pyramid at Giza, Egypt • the Hanging Gardens of Babylon • the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece • the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus • the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus • the Colossus of Rhodes • the Lighthouse at Alexandria, Egypt GREAT PYRAMID AT GIZA The Great Pyramid at Giza was constructed between 2584 and 2561 BCE for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (known in Greek as `Cheops') and was the tallest man-made structure in the world for almost 4,000 years. Excavations of the interior of the pyramid were only initiated in earnest in the late 18th and early 19th centuries CE and so the intricacies of the interior which so intrigue modern people were unknown to the ancient writers. It was the structure itself with its perfect symmetry and imposing height which impressed ancient visitors. HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, if they existed as described, were built by Nebu...