There are Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. However, the list we have today was not established until the end of The Middle Ages. This list includes: the Great Pyramid, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Diana at Ephesus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Pharos of Alexandria. There have been several different lists over the years that have included different wonders. The Great Pyramid is the only wonder that has been included on all of these lists. Most of the seven wonders were located in three of the greatest empires of the ancient times; Egypt, Greece, and Rome. These monuments are some of the largest and greatest monuments every constructed in history. The Great Pyramid at Giza in Egypt is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that is still remaining today. It is the largest stone structure that has ever been constructed. “For almost 4,000 years it was the world’s tallest building – on completion it was a staggering 481 ft in height” (Ash p6) It covers a square area of 755 feet on each side. The pyramid was built with over two million blocks of stone. Some of these blocks weighed up to fifteen tons. (Tagliapieta p7-8) The pyramid is considered one of the most complex structures in the world. “The accuracy of the right angles at the corner still surprises modern engineers.” (Tagliapietra p7) According to Egyptian history, the pyramid was built around 2600 BC. This makes it the oldest man made structure in the world. The process of constructing the Great Pyramid took much time and effort. The Great Pyramid was constructed as a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu. “During the thirty to forty years that preceded Khufu’s reign, the stage was set for the construction of the Great Pyramid.” (Smith p51) The project of building the pyramid was overseen by Khufu’s cousin Hemiunu. The people who designed the Great Pyramid
References: Ash, Russell. Great Wonders of the World. New York: DK Publishing, 2000. Print. Clayton, Peter and Price, Martin. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. New York: Dorset Press, 1988. Print. Hawass, Zahi. Pyramids: Treasures Mysteries and New Discoveries in Egypt. New York: White Star Publishers, 2011. Print. Jordan, Paul. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. London: Person Education Limited, 2002. Print. Smith, Craig, B. How the Great Pyramid Was Built. Washington: Smithsonian Books, 2004. Print. Tagliapietra, Ron. The Seven Wonders of the World. Greenville: BJU Press, 1999. Print. Thomas, Lowell. Seven Wonders of the World. b Garden City: Hanover House, 1956. Print.