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The earliest mention of a list of wonders of the world was in "History of Herodotus," around 500-400 BC. Next, a book called "A Collection of Wonders around the World" appeared in Alexandria Library around the 200s BC. It was destroyed along with the library, so only the title is known. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World reflect and inspire religion, mythology, art, power, and science. They show what people can do when united, as one.

The first wonder on the list is The Great Pyramid at Giza, and it is the only surviving wonder to this day. It may surprise you to know that it is only the Pyramid of Khufu that is on the list, instead of all three in the chain. The pyramid is located at the city of Giza, now a part of Greater Cairo, Egypt. The pyramid is almost a perfect polyhedron! The total height was about 146 meters, but it lost nearly 10 meters to aging. Each side of the base is 229 meters, with less than 0.1% of difference between any two sides! The pyramid took over 20 years to build, with 2 million stone blocks, each over 2 tons, fitting so well that even the thinnest knife cannot pass between them.

The second wonder, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, might never have existed, except in the imagination. Its supposed location is on the east bank of the Euphrates River, about 50 kilometers south of Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. It was built by Nebuchadnezzar the second, king of Babylon. The gardens were for his wife, who disliked the dry plains and wanted something more colorful. The plants were cultivated above ground level, on terraces, and the garden was always alive, because the irrigation system carried a continuous supply of water. Archaeologists have found these irrigation wells, and are still pondering the mystery of the second wonder.

The third wonder of the ancient world is the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. It was located at the ancient town of Olympia, which is about 150 kilometers west of Athens, the capital, on the coast of Greece. The temple was built about 450 BC, and the statue inside was started around 440 BC. The sculptor was the famous Athenian, Pheidias. His workshop, which still exists, has the same dimensions as the temple, and it was there that he made the parts for the statue of Zeus. He used a wooden frame and covered it with metal, ivory, and gold, to shape the pieces. The statue was assembled in the temple. The total height of the statue is 13 meters, and it seemed as though if Zeus stood up, he would unroof the temple. The Roman emperor Caligula once tried to transport it to Rome, and failed. Following this, The Olympic games were banned in 391 AD, Thus causing the temple to be closed. The temple and statue were destroyed by a slew of natural disasters. The ruins still remain.

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus is the fourth on the list. Though it seemed to be just a temple, it was more than that. Many believed it to be the most beautiful structure on Earth. It was built in honor of Artemis, Greek goddess of hunting, nature, and fertility. It was in the ancient city of Ephesus, located near present-day Selcuk, Turkey. The temple was built at about 550 BC. The project was sponsored by Lydian King Croesus and designed by Chersiphron, architect of Greece. The temple was made of marble and housed many works of art. There were bronze statues by many famous sculptors, and a statue of Artemis may even have been in the center. The temple served as a market and a religious center. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt many times, and currently is in ruins.

Like the Great Pyramid, it was the tomb of an ancient king. It was very different from the pyramids, however, because it gave its name to all large tombs today. It was located in the city of Bodrum, also known as Halicarnassus, on the Aegean Sea, in Southwest Turkey. The Mausoleum was completed around 350 BC, for Carian King Maussollos and Queen Artemisia, who had died only a few years before. The base measured 30 by 40 meters, and the mausoleum was 45 meters high. The pyramid-shaped roof was crowned by a statue of a four-horse chariot. The mausoleum was damaged by an earthquake, and then destroyed by the Knights of St. John of Malta, who invaded and used the stones blocks to build a castle.

The Colossus at Rhodes was an enormous statue of Helios. The statue symbolized unity and power, and took twelve years to construct. It was commissioned by Chares of Lindos, a Rhodian sculptor. The colossus was finished at 282 BC, and was felled by an earthquake in 226 BC. It was not fixed because of the advice of an oracle. Also, contrary to popular and common belief, the colossus probably did not straddle the harbor entrance of Greek island Rhodes. The harbor entrance was too wide, so it is more likely that it lay further inland. The colossus inspired the French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi to build the Statue of Liberty!

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was the wonder of the ancient world that had the greatest practical use. It was located on the island of Pharos, Egypt. The total height was about 117 meters, and the summit was adorned with a statue of Poseidon. The top of the lighthouse had a huge mirror, which reflected light. The light came from the sun by day, and from fire by night. The core of the lighthouse column was probably used as a shaft to lift fuel for the fire at night. The mirror's power was amazing and could beam light away to a great distance. It guided many ships past the hazards of the nearby waters.