Recent Articles
- Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Porcelain Tower of Nanjing
- Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
- Lighthouse of Alexandria
- Colossus of Rhodes
- Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
- Hanging Gardens of Babylon
- New 7 Wonders of Nature
- Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus
- Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
December 10th, 2007 by Shenron
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was a temple made for the god Artemis which took one hundred and twenty years to complete. Previous temples and sites had inhabited the same grounds with excavations revealing previous structures and settlements; however the most famous is the actual Temple of Artemis at Ephesus which reached its best phase at around the middle of the fifth century BC.
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was destroyed by arson two hundred years later on July 21, 356 BC by a man seeking fame named Herostratus - who was then executed and mention of his name stricken under penalty of death. The temple was the restored in 323 BC, and then was destroyed again by the Goths in 262, and it was then rebuilt again - which did not last very long and it too was demolished. Parts of it were later used for some of the columns in the Hagia Sophia.
Posted in 7 Wonders of the Ancient World | | 0 Comments
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
November 16th, 2007 by Shenron
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the walls of Babylon are considered to be one of the most ancient and original Seven Wonders of the World having been built around 600 BC and lasting for six hundred years. They were commissioned by Nebuchadnezzar II who wished to please his wife.
Greek historians were the first to write down what it is they knew of it and detailed them extensively including how water was given to the lush hanging gardens. Some evidence recently unearthed has shown that there were indeed large walls, wells, and many other circumstantial evidence that they did exist; however there are still those who maintain it was created as a kind of fairy tale. Having been obliterated and lost to time itself there is no conclusive evidence that suggest they did or did not exist, however with more excavation it is likely to be determined.
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Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus
September 10th, 2007 by Shenron
The Tomb for the king Mausolus was constructed to be a large grand structure for himself after his death, and subsequently he commissioned it to be built in his new capital city which was thought to be safe from capture as he had moved it to a prime location that was easy to defend in the case of attack or otherwise carnage. Unfortunately for his wife Artemisia, he passed away in 353, and upon hearing of this Rhodes rebelled and attack, however she hid her ships, and then surprised them, stealing their ships, and using their own ships against them, re-taking Rhodes.
Under her the construction of the Tomb was increased and it was half completed, when in just two years she passed away as well, however the builders decided to stay and finish the monument which was massive, with the base being 45 meters tall and atop this a thirty six column, nine on each side, brought up the next third of the total high and supported the pyramid roof, which was the final third of the height. The structure lasted for one thousand and six hundred years until earthquakes shattered it, and it was then used as building material. So great was this structure that Artemisia assured would be constructed that all tombs afterwards became known as mausoleums.
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Statue of Zeus at Olympia
August 10th, 2007 by Shenron
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia is one of the original classical Seven Wonders and was carved around the middle of the fifth century in Olympia. The actual statue was twelve meters tall made out of ivory and gold plating, with the base, which was the throne chair, consisting of ivory, ebony, and gold as well.
The exact date of its ultimate destruction is not known, however one theory has it destroyed almost a thousand years later when the temple was demolished, and others have it being taken to Constantinople and then destroyed by the fire of Lauseion. The workshop that the sculptor, Phidias, used was discovered in 1958 which has given to us the knowledge of the exact methods used in the creation of this once wonder of the world. The framework of the statue was made of wood, having ivory put on representing skin and flesh, gold leaf being representational of armor and finally ebony for all the outer wooden needs.
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The Pyramids of Giza
July 8th, 2007 by Shenron
The Pyramids of Giza are located near
The necropolis consists of six recognizable pyramids, the Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure are the three largest. The Pyramids are thought to have been constructed most actively around 2500 BC, with construction lasting for many years between each massive pyramid, and for a while it was thought to have occurred through the use of slave labor - however that has come into controversy with new evidence. Currently they are the biggest attraction in
Posted in 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, Man Made Travel Wonders, The 21 Finalists | | 0 Comments
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