The Seven Wonders of the ancient world

Ancient and medieval lists of marvelous sights in the known world have come down to us, though most of the architecture have not.

This is a look at the wonders best known today.

The seven proposals have varied slightly with different authors; the Lighthouse appeared on lists first in the 6th century AD and replaced other sights, as the walls of Babylon listed by Antipater of Sidon or a black obelisk in Babylon listed by Diodorus Siculus, in the public consensus.

Colossus of Rhodes

The statue was constructed by Chares of Lindos in 280 BC. It had a framework of iron tie bars with a brass plates exterior giving the sun-god Helios shape.

With an estimated height of 33 metres (108 feet) it was alike the Statue of Liberty in USA today. The Colossus' position is unclear, though the popular tradition that it stood over the harbour entry is unfounded in the sources and in practice implausible.

In 226 BC, after only 54 years, an earthquake hit Rhodes. The Colossus fell and the oracle of Delphi discouraged the Rhodians from rebuilding it. The fallen giant was still a popular sight in latter centuries, until an Arab force sold it off as metal scrap in AD 653.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The gardens is the sole wonder yet in question. Known contemporary Babylonian texts do not mention it, and archaeology have yet found no evidence of it. Speculations are thus abound.

From foreign, written sources it is estimated that it existed from ca 600 BC to after 1st century AD, and to been built in tiered terraces; Diodorus measured it to about 400 feet wide by 400 feet long and more than 80 feet high.

Lighthouse of Alexandria

Also known as the Pharos of Alexandria the Lighthouse was constructed during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (280–247 BC). It has been estimated to been at least 100 metres (330 feet) in overall height.

Three earthquakes struck it between AD 956 and 1323. It was abandoned but it partly remained until 1480 when its stone was used to construct a citadel.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

The Mausoleum was a tomb for a native Anatolian named Mausolus, a satrap in the first Persian Empire, and his sister-wife Artemisia II of Caria. It was built between 353 - 350 BC by the Greek architects Satyros and Pythius of Priene.

The Mausoleum was about 45 meters (148 feet) high and richly decorated. It was destroyed by earthquakes from the 12th to the 15th century AD. In the 15th and 16th century the Knights of St John of Rhodes used the remains to build fortifications.

Pyramid of Khufu / Great Pyramid of Giza

The still remaining wonder was constructed over one to two decades, by Egyptian workers, and was finished about 2560 BC (making it 4 580 years old). It was constructed for pharaoh Khufu ("Cheops").

Before erosion it was 146.5 metres (481 feet) high; today it is 138.8 metres (455 feet) . The length is 230.34 metres (756 feet). All done without aliens. Is such a thing even possible? Yes it is.

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

The ca 12.4 meters (41 feet) tall statue was built about 435 BC by the Greek sculptor Phidias. Placed in a temple of Zeus it was a wooden framework clad with ivory plates and gold panels. The throne had ebony, gold and precious stones.

Its fate is unclear: it may have been destroyed already in the 2nd century AD, or in a fire that took the temple in 425, or it was moved to Constantinople and destroyed in a great fire there in 475.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

A temple had stood at the site since the Bronze Age but was destroyed by a flood in the 7th century BC. About 540 BC a magnificent second temple was completed, funded by Croesus of Lydia.

It was destroyed in 356 BC by an arsonist seeking eternal fame [so won't name him], but was reconstructed by the Ephesians. This third temple was the renowned wonder: 137 meters (450 feet) long by 69 meters (225 feet) wide and 18 meters (60 feet) high, colorful and having more than 127 columns.

Christians closed the Temple of the goddess Artemis presumably in the early to mid 5th century. It was later used for other constructions, including some columns in Hagia Sophia. Today only the foundation and spread out pieces remains.