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Young World
Monuments of beauty
MALA MAHESH
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Have you heard of the seven wonders of the ancient world?
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We all know about the Seven Wonders of the World but have you heard of the seven wonders of the Ancient World? Unfortunately, we may never get to see these artistic and architectural marvels. All of them, except one, have been destroyed. What we know of these wonders comes from detailed descriptions of early historians.
The Zeus Statue at Olympia — Phedias made this statue around 440 B.C., in the town of Olympia (Greece). Zeus was the Greek God in whose honour the Olympic Games were held long ago. This magnificent sitting statue was 40 feet tall and was covered with gold and ivory sheets, with the figure of Nike in one hand (Goddess of Victory) and a sceptre in the other. Zeus's throne was decorated with gold, ebony and precious stones. It was destroyed by fire in 462 B.C.
The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus — the word Mausoleum comes from the tomb made for the King Musolos of Halicarnassus (Turkey). This tomb was built by his wife Aretmisia. Scopas of Paros constructed it. It was a 140 feet tall structure with sculptures done in the classical Greek style. It had 36 columns that supported a pyramid-like roof. A huge sculpture of the King Musolos and Artimisiain, a four-horse drawn chariot was on the roof. The Mausoleum was completed in 350 B.C. and was destroyed in an earthquake 16 centuries later.
Lighthouse of Alexandria —
It was constructed on the island of Pharos, Egypt by Sostrates of Knids. Apart from being an architectural marvel, it was also functional. The lighthouse was made of marble. Fires were lit at night and a huge mirror would reflect the rays of the sun during the day. It took 20 years to complete. An earthquake destroyed it around 1326 A.D.
The Colossus of Rhodes — Rhodes was a Mediterranean island. The Colossus was 110 feet statue of their patron God Helios, made by Chares of Lindos and completed in 282 B.C. The material used was bronze, on an iron framework. The god wore a spiked crown and shielded his eye from the sun with one hand and held his cloak in another. It stood by the side of the harbour. An earthquake destroyed it in 226 B.C.
The Temple of Artemis — This temple was constructed for the Greek Goddess of hunting and fertility at Ephesus (Turkey). It was a huge marble temple with 127 columns and was built by Scopas. It had sculptures carved in its columns and inside the temple. This temple was built in 550 B.C. and was destroyed by the raiding Goths around 262 A.D. Some of its excavated sculptures are now at the British Museum.
An artist's impression of the Hanging Gardens.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon — This famous garden was said to have been built by King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife in Babylon (Iraq). It was an artificial mountain with roof top gardens. However, it is interesting to note that this garden may have never existed.
The pyramids of Giza
The Pyramid of Giza — It was made for the Pharaoh Khufu in the Giza plateau (Egypt). It is 481 feet tall. Two million stones, each weighing from 1 ½ tons to 20 tons were used to make this pyramid. It had a limestone exterior, which is almost gone. The Pyramid of Giza is the only ancient wonder, which after 4500 years, still stands strong. It is one of the seven wonders of the modern world too.
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