Current State, Izmir, TURKEY
Ancient Greeks, 3rd century Goths, and early Christians alike seem to have been provoked by this enormous temple to the Greek goddess of chastity, hunting, wild animals, forests, and fertility: the building was built and destroyed three times. The first to demolish it was Herostratus, who burned it down just to get famous. Next came the Goths, who wrecked the city while passing through on the run from the Romans.
Current State, Bodrum, TURKEY
The tomb built for Mausolus, ruler of Caria, an ancient region of Asia Minor, was so impressive that the late king’s name became the generic word for large funeral monuments. Mausolus commissioned many great temples and civic buildings in his life, and planned the Mausoleum himself. The structure was a mixture of Greek, Near Eastern, and Egyptian design principles set in Anatolian and Pentelic marble.
Current State, Rhodes, GREECE
The 108ft Colossus stood astride Mandraki Harbor, its feet firmly planted on 49ft pedestals so that boats could pass between its legs. It was certainly one way to let outsiders know who was boss: in fact, this giant statue of the sun god Helios was sculpted from the melted-down weapons and shields of the Cypriot army, whom Rhodes had recently vanquished.
Current State, Cairo, EGYPT
Built over 4,500 years ago from stones weighing 2.5 to 15 tons each, the Great Pyramid remained the world’s tallest man made structure for nearly four thousand years. Nearby excavations have revealed it’s likely that up to 100,000 skilled and well-fed workers came from all over the country to live in a temporary city as they built the otherworldly pyramids of this region.
Current State, Alexandria, EGYPT
The lighthouse by which all subsequent lighthouses would be judged, this structure by Sostratus of Cnidus featured a burning fire atop a cylindrical tower, atop an octagonal middle, atop a square base. A spiral staircase led to the business-end, where there may also have been a statue of Helios.
Current State, Babylon, IRAQ
Did the Hanging Gardens ever actually exist? They’re the only wonder on the list that may have been a figment of an ancient travel writer’s imagination. The native writers of Babylon – which was 50 miles south of what is now Baghdad in Iraq – made no mention of the garden. But if it did exist, it seems to have been a remarkable engineering feat, with complex machinery drawing water to built terraces up to 65ft high.
This 40ft gold and ivory-plated statue was erected at the Temple of Zeus by the Eleans in an attempt to outshine the Athenians. Unfortunately, the framework and throne were made of wood. Although it seems to have lasted a few hundred years, the statue likely perished either when the temple was destroyed in 426CE or a few years later in a fire at Constantinople.
