Ancient states and the seven wonders

The ancient Greeks wrote down the most amazing structures around the Mediterranean as the “seven wonders”. The first is the pyramids of Egypt: pyramid-shaped tombs built for pharaohs; the largest is the pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), built about 4,500 years ago from more than two million blocks of stone. The second is the Hanging Gardens of Semiramis: ancient writers link them to Babylon, but archaeologists have not yet found their exact place, so it is hard to speak about them with certainty. The third is the statue of Zeus at Olympia (12 metres high, by the sculptor Phidias); in Zeus’s honour the Greeks held the Olympic Games every four years. The fourth is the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (in today’s Turkey). The fifth is the statue of the sun god Helios on Rhodes, made of bronze in the 3rd century BCE in about 12 years and more than 30 metres tall. The sixth is the Lighthouse of Alexandria, built in the early 3rd century BCE to guide ships. The seventh is the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, built after the ruler Mausolus died in 353 BCE; the word “mausoleum” comes from his name. Of all seven, only the pyramids of Egypt still stand.