When Were They Built?
Still standing today, this is the oldest of the Ancient Wonders, having been built in 2584 BCE.
The Great Pyramids
Considered the oldest culture in human history, these people are also responsible for building the oldest and largest of the 7 Ancient Wonders.
The Great Pyramids are examples of these early structures that housed the remains and wealth of kings for their journey to the afterlife.
Tombs
This group of structures - including the Pyramids and Colossus - was originally named as a list of sights to see when traveling throughout the ancient Mediterranean world.
The 7 Ancient Wonders
The youngest of the Ancient Wonders, this structure was built in 280 BCE and utilized for the next 1500 years by Egyptian, Roman, and Muslim empires.
The Great Lighthouse
This culture constructed numerous temples to the gods of their pantheon, including the Statue of Zeus to the king of the gods.
Greeks
This Ancient Wonder in Alexandria was purpose-built as an example of this structure that aids ships traveling along the coast and keeps them from crashing.
Lighthouse
These materials were widely used and traded throughout the Mediterranean to construct and decorate structures like the Ancient Wonders in elaborate colors, statues, pictures, carvings, and facades.
Marble, Gold, Ebony, Ivory, Glass, Iron, Bronze
Built to commemorate a military victory in 292 BCE, this structure only stood for for 56 years once completed due to a destructive earthquake.
The Colossus of Rhodes
This culture inhabited islands all over the western Mediterranean, including the island of Rhodes where the massive Colossus statue was built.
Greeks
The Wonder built to honor the Greek goddess Artemis was one of many of these types of buildings throughout the ancient world where people prayed and payed respect to their gods.
Temples
This global competition - a tradition started in ancient Greece and honored with the Statue of Zeus - still continues today every few years with a series of games in the summer and a series in the winter.
The Olympics
Considered the second-oldest Ancient Wonder, this structure was built around 600 BCE to replicate nearby mountains and their lush greenery.
The Hanging Gardens
This kingdom constructed the Great Lighthouse while it was ruled by Greek pharaohs after the death of Alexander the Great.
Ptolemaic Egypt
The Colossus of Rhodes was a massive example of this kind of construction made to both honor the god Apollo and commemorate a military victory.
Statue
This wonder was commissioned either by King Nebuchadnezzar or King Sennacherib, but most definitely as a present for their wife.
The Hanging Gardens
Constructed in 435 BCE near Mount Olympos, this structure honored the king of the Greek Pantheon of gods.
Statue of Zeus
Ruled by King Mausolus at the time, this kingdom covered part of modern-day Turkey and had its capital at Halicarnassus.
Named after the king it was built for, this structure is similar to a tomb and still in use today and can be seen in many local cemetaries.
Mausoleum
This kingdom was home to not only the Mausoleum, but also the invention of gold coins that could be used to buy things.