Ancient Wonders

Great Pyramid of Giza

The oldest of the seven ancient wonders and the only one still standing today. Built around 2560 BC as a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu.

💡 Did you know? For over 3,800 years it was the tallest structure in the world.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Terraced, lushly planted gardens said to have been built by King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife. Whether they truly existed is disputed.

💡 Did you know? It is the only one of the seven wonders whose very existence is not firmly proven.

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

A roughly 12-metre seated statue of the god Zeus made of gold and ivory, created by the sculptor Phidias around 435 BC.

💡 Did you know? The statue was so tall that, had Zeus stood up, he would have burst through the temple roof.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

A vast marble temple for the goddess Artemis with over 120 columns. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times.

💡 Did you know? In 356 BC a man named Herostratus set the temple on fire purely to make himself famous.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

The magnificent tomb of the ruler Mausolus, adorned with statues and reliefs. The word ‘mausoleum’ derives from his name.

💡 Did you know? Earthquakes destroyed it in the Middle Ages; remains of its sculptures are now in the British Museum.

Colossus of Rhodes

A roughly 30-metre bronze statue of the sun god Helios at the harbour of Rhodes.

💡 Did you know? An earthquake toppled it after only about 60 years: the shortest-lived of the seven wonders.

Lighthouse of Alexandria

A lighthouse over 100 metres tall on the island of Pharos that guided ships into the harbour.

💡 Did you know? The Greek word ‘Pharos’ survives today in the French ‘phare’ and Spanish ‘faro’.

Egypt

The oldest of the seven ancient wonders and the only one still standing today. Built around 2560 BC as a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu.

💡 Did you know? For over 3,800 years it was the tallest structure in the world.

Iraq

Terraced, lushly planted gardens said to have been built by King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife. Whether they truly existed is disputed.

💡 Did you know? It is the only one of the seven wonders whose very existence is not firmly proven.

Greece

A roughly 12-metre seated statue of the god Zeus made of gold and ivory, created by the sculptor Phidias around 435 BC.

💡 Did you know? The statue was so tall that, had Zeus stood up, he would have burst through the temple roof.

Turkey

A vast marble temple for the goddess Artemis with over 120 columns. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times.

💡 Did you know? In 356 BC a man named Herostratus set the temple on fire purely to make himself famous.

Turkey

The magnificent tomb of the ruler Mausolus, adorned with statues and reliefs. The word ‘mausoleum’ derives from his name.

💡 Did you know? Earthquakes destroyed it in the Middle Ages; remains of its sculptures are now in the British Museum.

Greece

A roughly 30-metre bronze statue of the sun god Helios at the harbour of Rhodes.

💡 Did you know? An earthquake toppled it after only about 60 years: the shortest-lived of the seven wonders.

Egypt

A lighthouse over 100 metres tall on the island of Pharos that guided ships into the harbour.

💡 Did you know? The Greek word ‘Pharos’ survives today in the French ‘phare’ and Spanish ‘faro’.

Great Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes, Lighthouse of Alexandria

The classic list of the seven wonders: all at once.