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Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are a compilation of
ancient architectural and sculptural accomplishments. They are
thought to have been originally selected by a Greek writer named
Antipater of Sidon. All of these wonders are in the eastern
Mediterranean part of the world with which this man was familiar.
Complete the following internet activity to learn more about these spectacular edifaces of the ancient world.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are/were:
The Statue of Zeus at
Olympia
This statue is no longer standing. It was built around 433 BC by the
Greek sculptor, Phidias. The statue was part of a great temple that
was designed specifically for the statue. It was a place of
pilgrimage for Greeks.
The Temple of Artemis
When he conquered the Greek city of Ephesus around 550 BC, King
Croesus of Lydia built this enormous temple which contained a
beautiful statue of the goddess, Artemis. The temple burned in 356 BC
but was later rebuilt by Alexander the Great after he conquered
Ephesus. Over time, the temple deteriorated and disappeared. The
ruins of the temple were not discovered until 1869 by an English
engineer named J.T. Wood.
The Hanging Gardens of
Babylon
These gardens were probably a series of vaulted terraces built in the
shape of a pyramid. The terraces contained trees, exotic plants, and
flowers. The garden was built by Semiramis in the 9th century BC
under the direction of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylonia. King
Nebuchadrezzar supposedly had the gardens built for his wife because
she missed the garden-like landscape of her homeland of Persia.
The Mausoleum at
Halicarnassus
King Mausolus was the ruler of Caria which is now part of modern-day
Turkey. He lived and ruled in the 4th century BC. Towards the end of
his life, he had his own tomb built as a monument to his power and
conquests. This enormous tomb of King Mausolus became known as a
mausoleum.
The Colossus of Rhodes
The island of Rhodes is of the coast of Turkey. In ancient times,
this island was dedicated to Helios, the sun god. The people of
Rhodes built an enormous statue of Helios near their main harbor.
The Pharos of Alexandria
This structure was actually a huge lighthouse built on the island of
Pharos near the harbor of Alexandria. A fire was kept burning in it
and could be seen from as far away as 35 miles.
The Pyramids of Egypt
The ancient pyramids of Egypt are the only one of the seven wonders
of the ancient world that are still standing. They were built as
tombs for the pharaohs of Egypt. The largest of the pyramids is the
Great Pyramid of Giza which was built for King Kafu and completed in
2580 BC.
Choose one of the seven architectural wonders. Using the internet resources listed below, write a one page summary of the wonder.
- CNN
Destinations : Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World
http://cnn.com/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/9705/seven.wonders/ - Seven
Wonders of the World
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001327.html - Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World
http://unmuseum.mus.pa.us/wonders.htm - Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World
http://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/wonders/ - Seven
Wonders - Get Clued In
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sunken/wonders/ - The
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
http://www.crystalinks.com/seven.html
Now, write a one page summary of a parallel structure to the wonder that you selected. Compare the parallel structure to the original wonder that you chose.
- For the Statue of Zeus at
Olympia
Choose from:
The Great Buddha statue called the Shwethalyaung which is located in Pegu, Myanmar (formerly Burma)
The Buddha of Kamakura in Kamakura, Japan - For the Temple of
Artemis
Choose from:
St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow
St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome
Chartres Cathedral outside of Paris - For the Hanging Gardens of
Babylon
Choose from:
Angkor Wat in Angkor, Cambodia
Ananda Temple in Pagan, Myanmar (formerly Burma) - For the Mausoleum at
Halicarnassus
Choose from:
The Taj Mahal in India
The Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC - For the Colossus of
Rhodes
Choose from:
The Statue of Liberty
The volcanic rock statues on Easter Island
Mount Rushmore - For the Pharos of
Alexandria
Choose from:
The Eiffel Tower in Paris
The Sears Tower in Chicago
The Empire State Building in New York City - For The Pyramids of
Egypt
Choose from:
The Temple of the Giant Jaguar at the top of the pyramid in Guatemala built by the ancient Mayans
The Borobodur, a pyramid-like Buddhist temple located in Java
The Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico built by the people of the Olmec civilization
To write the summary, use the following resources:
- World Book Encyclopedia Online
- A search engine of your choice
Bibliography
Caselli, Giovanni. Wonders of the World. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1992.
Image is copyrighted by ArtToday. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Author: LINDA MOSBACKER - Email linda.mosbacker@slc.k12.ut.us