Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Egyptian pyramids Pyramids 1 of the 7 wonders of the world

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is a list of famous ancient monuments compiled by ancient historians and travelers, including the “father of history” Herodotus.

The list was edited several times, and its classic version was formed 2.2 thousand years ago thanks to the efforts of Philo of Byzantium. The list of “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” includes: the pyramid of Cheops, the “hanging gardens” of Babylon, the statue of Olympian Zeus, the temple of Artemis in Ephesus, the mausoleum in Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the lighthouse on the island. Pharos in Alexandria.

Pyramid of Cheops, Egypt

The Pyramid of Cheops, or the Great Pyramid, is the only one of the 7 wonders of the world that has survived to this day. The age of the structure is 4500 years. Over the course of 20 years, 120 thousand Egyptians, by the sweat of their brow, erected a grandiose pharaoh’s tomb. The Cheops pyramid is made up of 2.5 million blocks weighing 2.5 tons each. Without the use of cement or other fastening agents, the blocks are fitted so tightly to each other that the gap between them does not exceed 0.5 mm.

Initially, the pyramid had a height of 147 meters, but today, when its top is destroyed and the highest point is at 138 meters, the tomb of Cheops still makes a majestic impression. For almost 4000 years, until the 14th century AD, the Pyramid of Cheops bore the title of the tallest structure in the world.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Asia

Around 600 BC Ancient Babylon roared on the territory of modern Iraq. The city reached its greatest prosperity under King Nebuchadnezzar II, who entered into a military alliance with his main enemy, Assyria, and became related to the Median king Cyaxares, marrying his daughter Amytis (Semiramis). The king ordered the famous “hanging gardens” to be laid out for his wife. The gardens were located on a four-tiered platform, reminiscent of an ever-blooming green hill. The base of the terraces was made of stone blocks covered with a layer of reeds and filled with asphalt. Then there was a double layer of brick, and even higher - lead plates that prevented the seepage of irrigation water. A fertile layer of soil was laid on top of this structure, on which trees, palm trees, and flowers were grown. The magnificent gardens, elevated to great heights, seemed like a real wonder of the world in sultry, dusty Babylonia.

Zeus statue, Olympia, Greece

In 435 BC. e. in Olympia - one of the sanctuaries of Ancient Greece - a majestic temple was built in honor of the ruler of the gods - Zeus. Inside the temple there was a huge 20-meter statue of the Olympian god seated on a throne. The sculpture was made of wood, on top of which ivory plates were glued, imitating the upper naked part of the body of Zeus. The god's clothes and shoes are covered with gold. In his left hand Zeus held a scepter with an eagle, and in his right hand a statue of the goddess of victory.

Temple of Artemis, Ephesus, Türkiye

The Temple of Artemis was built in 560 BC. King Croesus of Lydia in the city of Ephesus on the coast of Asia Minor. The huge white marble temple was framed by 127 columns 18 meters high. Inside was a statue of Artemis, the goddess of fertility, made of gold and ivory. In 356 BC. one vain resident of Ephesus, Herostratus, set fire to the temple, thus deciding to become famous and perpetuate his name. The sanctuary of Artemis was rebuilt, but in 263 it was destroyed and plundered by the Goths.

Mausoleum in Halicarnassus, Türkiye

The ruler of Caria, Mausolus, was still alive in 353 BC. began construction of his own tomb in Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum, Türkiye). The grandiose funeral structure, 46 meters high, surrounded by 36 columns and crowned with a sculpture of a chariot, made such a strong impression on contemporaries that since then all monumental tombs began to be called mausoleums after King Mausolus.

Colossus of Rhodes, Greece

A giant statue of the ancient Greek sun god Helios was installed at the entrance to the port of Rhodes in 292 - 280. BC e.. A slender young god, sculptured to full height, held a torch in his hand. Ships sailed between the legs of the statue. The Colossus of Rhodes stood in its place for only 65 years: in 222 BC. it was destroyed by an earthquake. The fragments of the sculpture were transported on 900 camels.

Alexandria Lighthouse, Egypt

Egyptian pyramids are the most famous structures on Earth. And the most ancient, because they are already five thousand years old! It is probably impossible to find a person who has not heard of them. Unless somewhere in the jungles of Polynesia you can meet people so completely separated from civilization. However, very few can tell anything about them.

These giant tombs of the fourth dynasty of pharaohs stand on the outskirts of Cairo as if specifically to make it convenient for tourists to travel to them by taxi. But this, of course, is not true. Over five thousand years, the capital of Egypt moved from city to city many, many times, while the pyramids always remained in one place - in the lower reaches of the Nile, where the roads leading to Asia and Europe intersect. So it would be more correct to say that the capital returned to them.

For a very, very long time, the Egyptian pyramids were the tallest buildings on Earth. Only at the end of the nineteenth century, when the Eiffel Tower was built in Paris, did it overtake the Cheops pyramid in height. And yet it remains a formal game of numbers - they are too different from each other.

And if you try to imagine the weight of the pyramid - and it weighs more than six million tons, then this is quite commensurate with the weight of all the buildings in Moscow within the Garden Ring. It turns out that an entire city is hidden in one pyramid.

But what is most striking is that all this was built by hand, without mechanisms. Only wooden wedges and sledgehammers helped people cut out huge blocks of limestone, and they dragged them into place using papyrus ropes. The pyramid took twenty years to build, and every three months a hundred thousand workers came to the construction site. History is silent about how many of them survived to the end of this period. Most likely there weren't that many of them.

Why did people build such grandiose structures that required such enormous efforts and sacrifices? It is very difficult for modern people to understand this, although this riddle is not so complicated.

In ancient times, kings were considered direct descendants of the gods, which means their word was law for everyone. Therefore, the ruler, as in the famous fairy tale, could well order his subject: “Go there, I don’t know where, bring that, I don’t know what.”

He had enough money, because both the conquered peoples and his own people paid tribute to him. Perhaps it would be even more correct to say that he had a lot of extra money, because he could no longer eat or drink the excess, and the idea of ​​​​distributing it to those in need simply did not occur to him. There have been no such cases in history.

And in order to show everyone his greatness, the ruler ordered the architect: “Build something that has never been done anywhere in the world, so grandiose that the gods will rejoice. And may this building reach the sky!” This task was difficult, but it did not seem impossible. Indeed, in ancient times, people were sure that the sky was solid and not very high.

Moreover, the gods sit on it, like on a platform, and look down at them, so if you get closer to them, they will definitely see and hear the person.

The great architect of the ancient world, Imhotep, was the one who could figure out how to complete such a task for the pharaoh. He proposed to build a multi-story pyramid out of stone, where each subsequent floor would be smaller than the previous one.

Before this, stone was not used for construction in Egypt; houses were built from wood and reeds, coated with clay, and unbaked brick was used for palaces and tombs. And all the buildings had a rectangular shape, like a matchbox. Imhotep proposed placing such “matchboxes” on top of each other, gradually reducing them towards the top.

But here’s what’s interesting: this form turned out to be not at all unique to the ancient world. Around the same time, huge ziggurats were built in a neighboring state - in Mesopotamia. This was the name given to multi-story pyramids made of clay bricks, on top of which a temple was placed. They probably hoped that this way God would better hear the requests addressed to him.

What’s even more remarkable is that very similar stone pyramids with temples on top were also built on the other side of the Earth, in America. And if Egypt and Mesopotamia can still argue about who first invented the pyramid, then the Americans almost certainly came up with it themselves.

Well, in Egypt, where the living God ruled the people, there was no need to build a temple on the top. The pyramids themselves inspired awe in the eyes of the pharaoh, especially since in the time of Herodotus they were dazzling white and absolutely smooth.

Only much later, at the beginning of the fourteenth century, a strong earthquake occurred in those places, and the white cladding crumbled. Ledges appeared on the walls of the pyramids, which today are quite successfully climbed by tourists who do not at all have exalted feelings for the long-vanished pharaohs.

The only one of the “Seven Wonders of the World” that has survived to this day are the Egyptian pyramids. Ancient Egyptian architecture, even today, amazes with the power of its huge stone structures. Among the huge columns of ancient temples, rising to the sky and often standing like trees in a forest, you can get lost. At the entrance to these temples, like a formidable guard, stand huge statues of pharaohs and stone sphinxes. Sphinx - in Ancient Egypt - the embodiment of royal power, a statue depicting a fantastic creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human or sacred animal.

About 5 thousand years ago, the first small slave states appeared in the valley along the lower Nile. At the end of the 4th millennium BC. e. the rulers of one of them subjugated the entire country, creating a single kingdom with its center in the city of Memphis, located on the left bank of the Nile, south of where the city of Cairo is now located. Around 2800 BC e. Pharaoh Khufu became the ruler of this state. Subsequently, Greek historians changed his name to Cheops. This is what they call it in our time. Huge wealth and unlimited power were concentrated in the hands of the pharaohs.

Cheops' grandfather and father spent their wealth not only on court luxury and majestic tombs - pyramids, which were supposed to perpetuate the names of formidable rulers. Their slaves built dams, dug canals, and installed sluices to evenly distribute the waters of the Nile to irrigate the fields. Thanks to this, high harvests were harvested from the fields of Egypt, which brought more and more income to the pharaohs.

Cheops thought only about glorifying himself. The flattering and cunning priests told him: “Earthly life is short. The houses we live in are hotels. Man's true home is the tomb, the house of eternity, where he will dwell for millions of years. If you want to be immortal, take care of your tomb." And Cheops decided to reduce government spending as much as possible, and spend most of his income on creating a tomb that would be taller and more majestic than all the previous royal tombs.

There were not enough foreign slaves, and Egyptian farmers began to be involved in the work. Pharaoh ordered to choose the strongest and most resilient for the work. Each farmer had to work for a third of the year on the construction of the pyramid. To the capital Memphis, according to the Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century. BC e., up to 100 thousand people were rounded up. They were fed stale cakes, dried fish, garlic and radishes. Many died, but more and more were brought in to replace them...

The first ten years were spent on preparatory work. They laid out a convenient path to the construction site chosen on the western bank of the Nile (near the outskirts of the modern city of Cairo - Giza), dug underground hiding places and laid the foundation. And in quarries, about 600 miles east of the Nile, blocks of limestone were chopped off and transported to the west bank. After this, a giant stone pyramid was built for 20 years. Its construction was completed in the 31st year of the king's reign.

2 million 300 thousand stone blocks weighing 2.5 tons each were smoothly hewn with copper tools (there were no iron tools at that time) and tightly fitted to each other. The height of the pyramid was 280 cubits (about 147 m), i.e., approximately the height of a modern forty-story building. The base side of the pyramid reaches 230 meters. It occupies more area than 9 football fields. The hewn slabs were laid with such perfection that even a needle could not be inserted into the seam between them. The entrance to the pyramid was on the north side. A narrow corridor led through a large gallery into the burial chamber (10x5x5 m), in which the royal coffin - sarcophagus - was installed. Unfortunately, it has not survived to this day, but it is believed that it was carved from stone. A side corridor led to the queen's crypt.

Cheops achieved his goal, although the working people grumbled and even the slave-owning nobility were dissatisfied with the excessive costs that were depleting the country.

After the death of the king, the faithful servants fulfilled everything that was prescribed by ancient customs. They opened the king's corpse, removed the brain and entrails, kept the body for 70 days in salt water, filled it with fragrant resin and wrapped the finished mummy in burial shrouds. The Egyptians believed that the resurrection of the dead was possible. They believed that the soul of the deceased, as long as his body was preserved, could return to it. At first, only the bodies of kings were turned into mummies, and later of all noble slave owners. Around the Pharaoh's pyramid were the tombs of nobles and officials. The owners of rich estates and luxurious houses wanted to be different from ordinary people even after death. The poor were simply wrapped in a mat and buried.

The sarcophagus with the king's mummy was placed on a huge sled, the oxen were harnessed and they were driven to the west, where, according to the teachings of the priests, there was an entrance to the afterlife. The mourners and mourners filled the air with wild cries. The priests slaughtered bulls and geese as sacrifices to the soul of the deceased. The royal mummy was placed inside the pyramid and the entrance to the tomb was walled up.

During one of the uprisings, the details of which are unknown to us, the mummy was thrown out of the crypt and disappeared without a trace.

There is no trace left of the ruler who built himself the greatest pyramid, which in ancient times was considered one of the “seven wonders of the world,” but the grandiose building, created by the Egyptian people with such difficulty and suffering, has stood for the fifth millennium and has changed little over time. Only the cracked outer cladding was broken off and stolen for new buildings, so that the pyramid dropped by 9 m.

In 1953, two Egyptian archaeologists dug out a cache at a depth of 17 m, covered with stone blocks, among the sands not far from the pyramid. Inside was a huge wooden boat of the pharaoh, 35 m long, with two rows of oars. Egyptian priests made this boat so that the royal deceased could sail in it after death along the heavenly waves to the distant kingdom of the dead.

The next year, another Egyptian archaeologist found a new pyramid in the sands - Pharaoh Hesemhet, who lived a hundred years before Cheops. The pyramid, fortunately, was untouched! Not a single robber penetrated it. In the inner chamber there was an alabaster coffin, very well preserved, but, to the scientist’s disappointment, it turned out to be empty. The ancient Egyptians had a custom of building false tombs (cenotaphs). It is believed that the empty coffin was a spare one, in case the soul of the deceased wanted to leave the permanent tomb and move to another.

The ancient Egyptians believed in an afterlife. The priests inspired the people that even after death the pharaoh would remain the ruler and crowds of servants would work for him. Egyptian religion taught that the poor and slaves had no hope of a happy life even in the afterlife. Only pharaohs and nobles will be blissful after death as well as during life. In the afterlife, according to the Egyptians, there is the same inequality as on earth: some work, while others enjoy power and wealth.

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are an example of the exceptional popularity of inventions and structures. This is the best monument in history, dedicated to the creative thought of rulers, the unbridled imagination of architects and the craft of builders. The imagination of people over thousands of years has helped to recreate the missing elements of cultural heritage, which have received the general title “Seven Wonders of the World”. Legends about the creations of human hands that have disappeared from the face of the earth continue to excite the minds of new adventurers.

Seven Ancient Wonders of the World

It is easier to understand the significance of the list of outstanding monuments for the ancient world if we draw analogies with modern ratings of the most popular attractions and phenomena. The list of the Seven Wonders of the World can be considered the first and most famous travel booklet in history. But the meaning of this small list of the greatest monuments is much deeper. Unfortunately, the grandiose structures have not survived. Time, disasters, natural disasters and wars have not spared the seven wonders of the world, or rather, 6 out of 7.

The history of one of the most famous lists of attractions begins in the distant past of world civilization. Perhaps the idea of ​​traveling and visiting monuments on the land of North Africa, Persia, Babylon and Ancient Greece arose from the great Alexander the Great, who conquered in the 4th century BC. e. a significant part of the known world at that time. The grandeur of the plan followed by the Cheops pyramid in Egypt did not escape the attention of the wise commander. Through the common efforts of travelers, conquerors, scientists, writers of antiquity and the Middle Ages, descriptions of the greatest monuments of antiquity were compiled. It is generally accepted that the ancient historian Herodotus worked on one of the first lists of world wonders 450 years before the advent of the new era. The author of the outstanding scientist and poet of ancient Greece, Philo of Byzantium, owns the manuscript “On the Seven Wonders of the World,” which appeared around 300 BC. e.

In Ancient Greece it was considered magical, so the number of attractions on the list remained unchanged for many centuries. The canonical seven wonders of the world are a list that came down to modern times in a poem by the ancient Greek writer Antipater of Sidon. He wrote about the luxury of tombs, beautiful temple complexes, colossal monuments and hanging gardens.

Great Pyramids

By the Middle Ages, when the now-famous classic list of “Seven Wonders of the World” was formed, the Egyptian pyramids built on the western bank of the Nile were preserved on the planet and were accessible for inspection. The oldest monuments date back to the period from 2700 to 2550 BC. e. Of the ten, three are especially striking in their size and the grandeur of the construction work carried out.

The good preservation of the structures, which have endured the drying heat of the day and the ringing cold of the night for several millennia, when in the desert, as local residents say, “the stones cry,” is worthy of admiration. Remarkable in engineering design and simple in form, the structures appeared thanks to the most precise measurements, which were unheard of difficult for their time. In addition to complex calculations, construction required extremely heavy stone blocks to be delivered from afar and raised to great heights.

Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt is considered the most famous wonder of the world. Pharaoh Khufu, who reigned from 2584-2561 BC. e., brought to life a grandiose plan for the construction of his necropolis on the Giza plateau. To create a pyramid and a fence around the structure, 13 hectares of land were allocated. is one of the earliest and most striking examples of the combination of human enthusiasm, imagination and engineering calculations. The construction of a necropolis can also be called the most labor-intensive historical project, given the lack of all the necessary tools and construction equipment in Ancient Egypt.

The Pyramid of Cheops is distinguished by its massiveness, abundance of internal halls, galleries, and chambers. In addition to this, for 3,800 years it topped the list of the tallest man-made structures in the world (146.7 m per year of construction). There are many interpretations and explanations related to the shape and purpose of the great pyramid. When the rays of the all-consuming tropical sun glide along the edges of the structure, the thought of the ancient ruler of Egypt, who, like these rays, wanted to go to the divine luminary after his death, becomes clear.

Babylon in Iraq

The beautiful gardens in the ancient city-state of Babylon were built by a great king around 605 BC. e. Researchers of ancient manuscripts claim that the ancient ruler approved the magnificent landscape project at the request of one of his beloved wives, who yearned for the trees and grasses of her native country. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are the most mysterious of the wonders on the list. They are surrounded by myths and legends, the exact location of the structure has not been established, and the remains of the buildings have never been found.

Some scholars of the ancient world doubt the existence of such a luxurious ancient park on a hill located south of modern Baghdad. Maybe the gardens were generated by the imagination of storytellers? Historians find very little accurate information, facts, or documentary evidence in the chronicles of Babylon. But the ancient Greek poets claimed that the priests prepared the project for the hanging gardens and supervised their creation. described multi-level gardens 22 m high, equipped with machines for raising water from the nearby Euphrates River.

The Greek historian Strabo mentioned beautiful quadrangular gardens with arched vaults and stairs to lift people and water to the very top. Slaves planted trees and flowers on brick-fortified slopes of 400 m2, and a wonderful garden was protected by a roof on top. One can understand why contemporaries were fascinated by the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. In Iraq, in the arid land of ancient Mesopotamia, it is very difficult to create large areas of well-maintained green spaces. In historical chronicles, the gardens are depicted as beautiful and luxurious. It was not easy to achieve such perfection; this territory has received little rainfall since ancient times. The gardens were destroyed by several earthquakes that occurred two centuries after the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.

Zeus statue in Olympia

Built around 430 BC, it did not last long. e. a temple for which the sculptor Phidias created a statue of Zeus. In Olympia, Greece, a religious building dedicated to the supreme god took 10 years to build using donations from the population. The sanctuary was built from marble and reinforced with a massive colonnade made from local shell rock. The outer surfaces of the walls were decorated with bas-reliefs on which the sculptors recreated the myths about the 12 labors of Hercules - the mythical hero, the son of the supreme deity. The temple could be entered by passing through huge bronze doors.

A significant part of the cult room was occupied by a statue of Zeus. In Olympia, Greece, the ancient Olympic Games were dedicated to this deity. The sculpture was not created simultaneously with the construction of the temple, but over time it became the most grandiose and most magnificent part of the temple complex. The statue of Zeus by Phidias rested on a wide pedestal, its height together with the base was approximately 15 m. The Supreme God of Olympus sat on a throne, his cape was gilded, and ivory was used for decoration.

Fear for the safety of the statue forced the Greeks to transport it to Constantinople, but a fire destroyed the wonderful creation. Although the monument has not survived, it remains on the list of the Seven Wonders of the World. The statue of Zeus is depicted in paintings; there are models of it that accurately convey the depth of the sculptor’s intention, glorifying the ancient deity. In our time, one can only imagine the true greatness of this monument, the attitude of the Greeks towards God, whom they tirelessly praised in their temples and dwellings.

Wonder of the World at Ephesus

The temple, dedicated to the Greek goddess of hunting and wildlife, was completed by 550 BC. e. The Ephesian miracle is often considered one of the most famous “long-term construction projects”: its construction took approximately 120 years. Contemporaries might not have known that the religious building would be included in the list of “Seven Wonders of the World.” The Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus was a beautiful marble building. The builders decorated it with slender columns and covered it with a wooden roof, on which they laid tiles. In this amazing building, contemporaries were amazed by the harmonious combination of interior decoration with the exterior design of the entire building.

The temple, built of magnificent marble, was a favorite structure among the list of wonders of Antipater of Sidon, the compiler of this famous list. Herostratus, a young Greek, burned the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus (in Turkey). This event took place in the summer of 356 BC. e. The barbaric act was caused by a great desire to become famous throughout the centuries, to achieve fame. Outraged townspeople sentenced Herostratus to death and banned the mention of his name. The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus began to be gradually restored under the Turkish rulers, but the ancient shrine was again destroyed, this time by the Goths. The newly restored structure was finally demolished in 401 by an angry crowd of religious fanatics led by the Archbishop of Constantinople.

Colossus of Rhodes

One of the most recognizable ancient wonders is the Colossus of Rhodes in Greece. This grandiose monument owes its appearance to the ancient city-states that existed 2 centuries before the beginning of the new era. The population and rulers of Rhodes decided to perpetuate the memory of the victorious fight against One-Eyed Antigone and celebrate the lifting of the siege. The war machines were melted down into a giant statue of the patron saint of Rhodes - the god Helios - 30 m high.

It is not known exactly when construction began; ancient authors give different dates in the sources. The ancient historian Pliny wrote several centuries later that the Colossus took 12 years to build. Greek sculptors received the task of casting a bronze statue of Helios, the god of the Sun. The gigantic monument was erected on the cape, reinforced with a system of stone blocks and iron rods.

The list of “Seven Wonders of the World” lost one attraction after a strong Colossus could not resist the power of tremors and was destroyed just 56 years after its triumphant appearance in the Bay of Rhodes. The Delphic Oracle immediately commented on the fall of the statue. An ancient psychic said that the inhabitants of Rhodes angered the god Helios. The ruler of Egypt offered his help in restoring the monument, but he was refused.

Magnificent tomb at Halicarnassus

The giant white tomb was erected for the repose of the governor of one of the provinces of Persia - Mausolus - on the orders of his wife, who lived in Halicarnassus. This is the territory of the modern resort of Bodrum on the Aegean coast. The mausoleum at Halicarnassus in Turkey was erected by Greek sculptors. The structure was tall and ornate inside and out. The tomb was crowned by a pyramid of 36 columns. Mavsol's wife spared no expense on the construction of an above-ground grave; her ashes were also supposed to be in a magnificent mausoleum.

The ancient world appreciated the luxury of the tomb at Halicarnassus. The architectural grandeur of the structure and its aesthetic merits amazed not only Greek scientists and poets, but also the commander Antipater. There is a mention in historical chronicles that it was he who proposed to consider the structure one of the wonders of the world. In the 15th century, the tomb in Halicarnassus collapsed after another earthquake, and the stones were used for buildings in Bodrum. Now, when we talk about colossal funeral expenses, we remember King Mausolus, who became an example of ostentatious wealth and luxury.

Lighthouse on Faros

The lighthouse of Alexandria on the island of Pharos was one of the tallest among the ancient structures, and its base reached almost 400 m in length. It was the first lighthouse in history, during the construction of which many innovative technologies known at that time were used. The Greek architect Sostratus created the project by order of the ruler Ptolemy II in 304 BC. e. A warning system about the danger of entering Alexandria Bay past the island of Pharos in the Mediterranean Sea was created in stages over more than 20 years. The lighthouse was supposed to warn about the underwater reefs of Pharos, on which it was built.

The design consisted of three oblong marble towers, their total height could be from 120 to 140 m. The last part was a cylinder, with a fire burning at its top. Inventors came up with a way to obtain directional solar reflection using mirrors that gave a signal during the day. At night, the lighthouse attendants traditionally lit a fire. If there was no sun during the day, the sailors were warned by a column of smoke. For several centuries, the structure was considered the tallest artificial building.

Several earthquakes severely damaged the wonderful lighthouse of Alexandria on Pharos. Sailors, soldiers, traders and travelers needed it to be restored. The Arabs, having invaded Egypt, began repairs and increased the height of the structure to 30 m. At this point, the construction work was completed, and in 1480, a fort was erected in the same place, from the same building materials. The lighthouse on Pharos stood in the sea for almost 1000 years.

List of miracles - heritage of world history and culture

Scientists believe that more complete and accurate lists of the wonders of the world could be kept in the Library of Alexandria, the world's most important collection of ancient manuscripts. The vault was heavily damaged during a fire caused by Julius Caesar's invasion of Alexandria. Almost 500 thousand books and scrolls were destroyed by flames. A huge layer of cultural heritage has disappeared, on which the paths taken by world history largely depended.

The Seven Wonders of the World are valuable monuments of ancient art and architecture. These are not only beautiful sights, but also complex construction and technical solutions. Each of the creations was unique, outstanding for its time. Ancient buildings and monuments were elevated to the rank of miracles by the most outstanding scientists, creators, and rulers of the ancient world. It is little mentioned in various sources that some changes were made to the list, but its essence and name remained unchanged. The list necessarily included seven miracles, as has been the custom since the times of Herodotus and Philo of Byzantium.

Of the amazing structures of the ancient world, only the Cheops pyramid has survived to this day; the rest fell under the onslaught of barbarians or became victims of natural disasters. No one knows exactly what the six wonders of the world looked like. All images are the fruit of historical research, reconstructions, and the imagination of historians and artists. Each generation brings something of its own to the understanding of the cultural phenomenon called the “seven wonders of the world.” Each of these artifacts has its own website on the Internet. Solid scientific works are devoted to the study of man-made miracles.

The role of mythology in maintaining interest in the seven wonders of the world

For 2.5 thousand years, the ancient list of the main attractions of the Old World has excited the minds of researchers, travelers, and ordinary people. Throughout the past centuries, the attitude towards the seven wonders of the world was almost mystical. It is surprising that the ancient authors did not show any particular desire to expand the “top 7” or replace the retired attractions on the list with new monuments.

Researchers of the ancient world claim that the attitude towards miracles from the famous list was always respectful. It was believed that seven ancient architectural structures and monuments were deservedly included in the short but capacious list. Each participant in this historical “hit parade” turned into a national shrine, an object of worship and veneration.

The magic of the number 7 in ancient times was considered divine, irrational. The mythology and life of many peoples of the planet are associated with this number of elements in different spheres of life. For example, a week has 7 days. The explanation may be the structure of the solar system, or rather, the way the celestial sphere was represented in Ancient Greece. The Sun, Moon and five planets were visible to the naked eye. The ancient gods had the same names (Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, Mercury).

Wonders of the World: new version

What seven wonders of the world could compete with the wonderful structures that have disappeared from the face of the planet? Based on online voting, a list was created of other wonders of the world that have been preserved and can be admired with your own eyes. The action was organized and carried out on the threshold of the third millennium by a non-profit organization. The initiators of this grandiose action put forward several compelling reasons that prompted them to start compiling various lists and compilations of world attractions of the highest level:

• traditional ancient wonders were located only in that part of the Old World that was familiar and conquered by Hellenic culture;
• The list did not include grandiose structures in a significant part of Asia, in the New World and in other regions;
• selection for the list was made according to criteria depending on the ideas of the ancient Greeks about wonderful monuments;
• “overboard” there are natural phenomena that sometimes surpass in their grandeur man-made miracles.

It was decided to determine the winners of the entire project separately among architectural and natural monuments. The results were also summed up twice: in 2007 and 2011. Residents of two hundred countries took part in the online survey. Based on its results, “favorites” were selected - attractions that are known to most of the planet’s inhabitants. We are talking about the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal in India, the construction of Machu Picchu in Peru in South America and other phenomena. But the UNESCO Committee responded to this action with a statement that popular vote is not the method that should be used to search for miracles that can replace artifacts of world history and culture that disappeared in ancient times.

One of the most ancient and yet striking Wonders of the World are the Great Pyramids located in Giza (Egypt). The complex of Gisean buildings represents the greatest architectural monument ever created by man. In total, more than a hundred pyramidal structures were found in Egypt, but most of them did not stand the test of time.

Pyramids of Giza

The Pyramid of Cheops

The largest of the Gisean complex, the Pyramid of Cheops is the largest building structure in the world. Its base is a square with a side of as much as 227.5 meters. The original height of the structure is believed to have been 146 meters, but several of the top stones were destroyed, and today the pyramid is 9 meters lower.

Engineering studies have shown that the largest Gisea architectural monument consists of 2.3 million stone blocks, each of which weighs at least 2.5 tons. The total volume of the structure is 2.34 million cubic meters. The sides of the pyramid are turned to the cardinal directions, with the entrance to the inside being from the north.

A distinctive feature of the structure is that every single building block fits together so well that even now, after several thousand years, it is impossible to insert even the thinnest blade between them. In addition, the researchers discovered that the mortar used to hold the structural elements together was stronger than any modern material.

Purpose of the pyramids

There are no inscriptions, drawings or decorations in the Cheops pyramid. Inside the building there are three chambers, in the center of one of which there is a granite sarcophagus. At first it was assumed that the structure was a tomb. Many years of research have either confirmed or refuted this assumption.

But neither the remains of the pharaoh, nor any utensils or things that, according to the tradition of that time, were buried with the deceased, were found. True, there is a high probability that the pyramid was simply plundered. However, some details in the hypothesis about the purpose of the structure do not agree with the version about the tomb.

However, we will leave to historians and archaeologists questions about the origin and purpose of the construction of such an amazing complex of buildings, the entrance to which is protected by the Great Sphinx - the largest monolithic sculpture on the planet. For you and me, the Pyramids of Giza, with which many legends are associated, remain one of the most striking and unusual examples of the heights of engineering.