The world is characteristic of seven major ancient wonders of the world. They are; the Pyramid of Giza, Statue of Zeus, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis, Colossus of Rhodes, Light House of Alexandria and Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (Braley 79). All these spectacular structures have not only been useful in the historical context.
Rather, some like the Pyramid of Giza are still important in the tourism industry. In Egypt for instance, the booming tourism industry is primarily due to the presence of the Khufu’s Great Pyramid. This paper gives an outline of four of the Seven Wonders of the World.
The Khufu’s Great Pyramid is located in Giza, Egypt. The construction period dates back to around 2560 BC. It is one of the greatest pyramids in the world. It is one of the most significant pyramids among three pyramids located in Giza. It is characterized by a height of 146 meters, 2,300,000 blocks of stones, and length of 756 feet. The structure is symmetrical and has a perfect compass orientation (Carrington 47).
The fact that it is the most massive building on Earth made it one o the greatest wonders o the world. Herodotus of Halicarnassus regarded the pyramid as one of the greatest wonders of the world. He considered the structure to be the tomb for Pharaoh Khufu, hence the name.
The realization that the structure was constructed by 100,000 oppressed slaves was also noted. According to the Egyptian subjects, pharaoh was considered a living God, rather than a mere king. The structure was primarily composed of limestone. It was the tallest building in the world or the periods 1311 AD, and 1647-1874 (Braley 82). The fact that it stands undestroyed to date makes it one of the most important tourist attractions. Gaza city remains one of the preferred places for tourists.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are characterized by a stair-like structure. Strabo, a Greek philosopher described the gardens as having vaulted terraces (Carrington 50). Baked brick and asphalt are used to construct the pillars, the vaults and terraces. The gardens were characterised by a length of 56 miles, thickness of 80 feet, and a height of 320 feet. The gardens are located in City State of Babylon, modern Iraq.
The gardens were constructed in 600 BC. It was regarded one of the most spectacular sites that was destroyed in the year 2nd Century BC. The cause of its destruction was an earthquake. The construction material was primarily mud brick (Campbell 90). In addition, lead was used to achieve the waterproof effect. The gardens were considered royal. It is however important to note that the archeological verification of the wonder has not occurred.
The Statue of Zeus is yet another wonder that carries with it important characteristics. The Greeks conducted the Olympic Games after every four years (Romer 46). The Games were conducted in honor of Zeus, King of their gods. Athletes from Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt and Sicily took part in the games. In ancient times one of the Greeks most important festivals, the Olympic Games, was held every four years in honor of the King of their gods, Zeus.
The commissioning of the Statue of Zeus at Olympia was a remarkable development. The stadium and the statue were located in Peloponnesus, modern Greece (Campbell 91). The structure was completed in 432 BC. The destruction of the structure occurred in the 5th century A.D through a fire. Construction materials included ivory and gold plates. The height was approximately 12 meters.
The Temple of Artemis is one of the most beautiful structures in the world. It is this reason that it was considered one of the Wonders of the world. It is located in Ephesus, present day Turkey. It was built in 323 BC. The structure was temple to Goddess Artemis. The Goths destroyed the structure in 262 AD. It was characterised by a length of 125 meters, was made of marble. It was the largest among all temples in Artemis (Romer 52).
The inclusion of the four structures as wonders of the world was an important development. The Statue of Zeus, the Temple of Artemis, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Pyramid of Khufu has been described. The Statue of Zeus may be no more. However, the Olympic spirit inculcated during the ancient times is still alive.
The most outstanding wonder of the world is the Pyramid of Khufu. The fact that it is still present makes it one of the most historical monuments of modern times. Most tourists usually head to the city of Giza. It is notable that the pyramid carries with it religious as well as political roots.
The Pharaoh, the king of ancient Egypt was also considered a god. The pyramid was considered the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu. Most historians have found the wonder vital in the demystification of certain past historical myths. Egypt’s tourism industry will probably enjoy immense growth as tourists from all over the world make the country one of the most important tourist destinations.
Works Cited
Braley, Shawn. Discovering the Seven Wonders of the World: Amazing Monuments to Civilization. Nomad Press, 2011, Pp. 78-82
Campbell, Iain. The Seven Wonders of the World: The Gospel in the Storyline of the Bible Day. One Publications, 2007, Pp. 88-92
Carrington, Hereward. The Seven Wonders of the World: Ancient, Medieval and Modern. Kessinger Publishing, 2010, Pp. 45-50
Romer, John. The Seven Wonders of the World: A History of the Modern Imagination. Dials, 2000, Pp. 45-55