Seven Wonders of the World

Seven monumental structures that came to be collectively known as The Seven Wonders of the World.

The Wonders were named by Phylo of Byzantium circa 225 BCE:

1. The Pyramids of Egypt, which are at least 1,500 years older than the other Wonders and are the only ancient Wonders to still exist;
2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, also called the Gardens of Samyrnus;
3. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus which was built in 356 BCE and finally destroyed in 401 CE;
4. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia which was built circa 345 BCE as the center piece for the Temple of Zeus;
5. The Mausoleum of Halikarnassus (Halicarnassus) which was completed in 353 BCE by Artemisia as a tomb for her husband, Mausolus; his name has become synonymous with burial vaults;
6. The Colossus of Rhodes which was built as a tribute to Helios (the Sun) in 249 BCE and was destroyed by an earthquake in 224 BCE; and
7. The Pharos (i.e. lighthouse) of Alexandria, constructed on an island off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt, the lighthouse dates from the third century BCE and was in use for approximately 900 years until it was toppled by an earthquake in 641 CE.