Seven Wonders Michael D. Hall

Welcome to The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World About our trip….. Throughout history man has built many wonders that baffle archeologists and architects alike. The ancient Greek empire that spread around the world during the 3 rd century B.C.E. under Alexander the Great discovered and wrote about many ancient wonders and today they are known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Great Pyramid of Giza, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus, the Lighthouse at Alexandria, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. Only the Great Pyramid of Giza still stands today but at one time these ancient wonders overshadowed everything built before them. On this trip you will learn many interesting facts about these wonders. Let’s find out what we will learn on out trip…

Trip Objectives Explain why each wonder was built Describe building techniques unique to each wonder Describe architecture unique to each wonder Explain how long it took to build each wonder Explain why each wonder besides the Great Pyramid collapsed Describe how long each wonder stood Describe some myths associated with each

Glossary of Trip Terms B.C.E- Before Current Era C.E.- Current Era A.D.- Anno Domini (equivalent to C.E.) Sculpture- the art of carving, modeling, welding, or otherwise producing figurative or abstract works of art in three dimensions, as in relief, intaglio, or in the round. Column- a decorative pillar, most often composed of stone and typically having a cylindrical or polygonal shaft with a capital and usually a base. Statue- a three-dimensional work of art, as a representational or abstract form, carved in stone or wood, molded in a plastic material, cast in bronze, or the like. Smelt- to fuse or melt (ore) in order to separate the metal contained.

The Wonders

Great Pyramid of Giza The great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest of the seven wonders of the world. It is also the only wonder of the world still standing today. Built by the Pharaoh named Khufu in about 2549 B.C.E. it took nearly 20 years to build. It originally stood at 488 feet tall and for 4000 years it was the tallest man made structure. Pyramid Web Links National Geographic National Geographic Kids Past Unmuseum VFT MENU

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are wondered to have been a myth. Very little physical evidence has ever been found of them other that records and accords of several historians of the time. They were reportedly built around 600 B.C.E. in what is now modern day Iraq. King Nebuchadnezzar II built them for his homesick wife and were intended to mimic the mountains of her homeland, Persia. Gardens Web Links Fire Place Spot Fire Place Spot Kids Past Unmuseum VFT MENU

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus Artemis was originally known as the goddess of virginity, but over time her name along with her dominion evolved. During the building of her temple she was also known as Diana and was primarily the goddess of fertility. Artemis’ Temple was the largest temple of the time. It was built of marble and stood 62 ft with 127 columns and a wooden roof. The temple took 120 years to build and in 356 B.C.E. was burnt down. The temple then was quickly rebuilt bigger and better than before. Temple Web Links Mrdonn Mrdonn Kids Past Unmuseum VFT MENU

Statue of Zeus at Olympia Zeus was the king of the ancient Greek Gods. The Olympics held at Olympia were held every 4 years in honor of him. To honor Zeus further the architect Phidias built a statue of Zeus to watch over the game. Built around 432 B.C.E. the statue took about 12 years to build. Zeus sat almost 40 ft high and nearly brushed his head off of the ceiling. Statue Web Links Unmuseum Unmuseum Kids Past VFT MENU

Mausoleum of Halicarnassus The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was built as fancy tomb for the King Mausolus of Halicarnassus. Mausolus’ tomb was so fancy that his name has become the word mausoleum which means “fancy tomb”. The tomb was built around 350 B.C.E. and was made entirely of marble. In total it stood roughly 150 ft tall. The tomb was covered with statues and art on all four sides and the top of the roof. Mausoleum Web Links Kids Past Unmuseum VFT MENU

Colossus of Rhodes The Colossus of Rhodes was a massive statue of the Ancient Greek god Helios, the sun god. Helios was the patron god of Rhodes. Rhodes was able to defend itself from the invasion of the army of Demetrius, to celebrate this achievement they built this colossus. The statue stood over 100 ft tall and was built entirely of bronze. This massive statue baffles historians and architects to this day. Only several years after completion of the statue it fell during a large earthquake in the area. Colossus Web Links Unmuseum Unmuseum Kids Past VFT MENU

Lighthouse at Alexandria This 40 story sky scrapper was built somewhere around 290 B.C.E.. On the tiny island of Pharos off the coast of Alexandria this light house was built to warn people of the dangerous rocks and coast ahead. This magnificent piece of architecture attracted sight seers for years until an earthquake brought it tumbling down. Still to this day historians and architects are baffled by its size and what was used to burn and create the light that guided sailors home. Lighthouse Web Links Unmuseum Unmuseum Kids Past VFT MENU