The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Just recently the new Seven Wonders of the World were named, replacing the old Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The new Wonders are:

• The Great Wall of China

• Petra in Jordan

• Brazil's statue of Christ the Redeemer

• Peru's Machu Picchu

• Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid

• The Colosseum in Rome

• India's Taj Mahal

These great monuments and historical masterpieces were decided by using an online vote, with almost 90 million votes coming through. The official vote ended July 7, 2007.

With all the hype going on about the new Wonders of the World, does anyone even remember the old Seven Wonders?

1. The Great Pyramid at Giza
This colossal tomb was constructed around 2650-2500 BC. It was built by the Egyptians as a sepulcher for the Fourth Dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu, and located near the city of Cairo. The pyramid stands with two other reasonably sized pyramids, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure. The necropolis area also incorporates much smaller "Queen" pyramids, and also the iconic Sphinx statue. However, of all the pyramids in the necropolis area, The Great Pyramid at Giza (The Pyramid of Khufu) is the largest and oldest. People have visited Khufu's tomb since the times of antiquity, and happens to be the only still standing Wonder, from the Ancient List.

2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was built around 600 BC by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife. Many Greek historians of the Ancient World mentioned these gardens in their works. Around the turn of the First Century the magnificent walls and complex of the gardens were destroyed by an earthquake.

3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia
This large statue was carved by renowned Greek sculptor Phidias around 432 BC. It was carved in Olympia, Greece, where it stood. The statue was carved of ivory and had touches of gold gilt. Zeus is carved seated, sitting in a temple, with a large throne chair. Zeus holds a statue of the goddess Nike in one hand, and in the other sits an eagle. Most scholars agree that the statue was destroyed, along with the temple in which it dwelled in the 5th Century AD.