A Worldschooler’s Guide to re-discovering the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World
From the beginning of time, there have been those who wanted to learn more about the world around them by finding and experiencing the most wondrous places they could find. Like today’s worldschooling families, they traveled the world, and when they found something worth sharing, they wrote about it. At some point, these competing lists of places all came together and became the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World!
Not every reference to the 7 Wonders list agrees as to which monuments made the cut. Some earlier versions, like the quote above, list the Walls of Babylon instead of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, for instance. But ultimately the 7 Wonders listed below are the ones that are accepted as being the most agreed-upon list.
Since the list was written by Greek authors, it only includes wonders that they would have been aware of at the time (sorry, Petra), but it’s still an awe-inspiring list.
Can I Visit the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World?
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to visit most of these wonders today, as 6 of the 7 have been destroyed, the exception being the Pyramids of Giza. But while the original Wonders may not be there, the places where these wonders were still offer plenty for worldschoolers to see and to do!
As with many other archeological sites, materials from the original wonders were often scavenged after fires or earthquakes damaged them. Newer buildings in the area often have remnant pieces from the older monuments, and pieces from each wonder remain both on-site and in museums around the world.
Locations of the Ancient Wonders of the World
What Were the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World?
There were several different lists of wonders floating around Ancient Greece, but many of them agreed on at least a few wonders. The list you see here is considered to be the most “authoritative” list of wonders.
Construction on the Colossus didn’t begin until 280 BCE and by 225 it was already toppled, meaning that there was only a period of just over 50 years where it would have been possible to visit all of the places on this list while they were still standing!
I’ve listed them in order of the date of their construction, from oldest to newest, starting with the Pyramid of Giza.
Great Pyramid of Giza
Of the 7 original wonders, the Great Pyramid is the only one that has lasted until today. It is located just outside of Cairo, and continues to draw a huge number of tourists every year!
While there are 3 large pyramids and several smaller ones at the Giza Necropolis, only the Khufu’s pyramid, the Great Pyramid is considered to be a wonder. Its base is 750ft2 and it stands more than 450ft high, making it the largest of the Egyptian pyramids.
We had the opportunity to visit the pyramids in person during the months we were at a worldschool hub in Egypt, so I have a much more detailed post on seeing the Great Pyramid for those looking to go.
A Good Guide to the Great Pyramid
Few archaeological sites are as recognizable as the pyramids of Giza and for good reason. We have the ability to build structures that dwarf the pyramids today, but at the time when they were built, these monuments seemed to be an architectural impossibility!
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Hanging Gardens were said to have been constructed by King Nebuchadnezzar to ease the homesickness of his wife, who was from Persia. They were rumored to have been the most beautiful gardens in the world, with greenery cascading from multiple levels of irrigated terraces.
However, in all the writings we have of it, not one is a firsthand account from someone who actually saw the gardens! For this reason, it is speculated that the Hanging Gardens never existed.
If they had existed, it is thought that they would have been located in the ancient city of Nineveh, in modern Iraq, roughly 350 miles away from Babylonia. But until we find physical evidence, no one can be sure.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
The Statue of Zeus was commissioned for the Temple of Zeus in the 5th century BCE and was created by the Greek sculptor, Phidias. The statue was made from panels of ivory and gold laid over a wooden frame, and it was decorated with precious stones, ebony, and more gold and ivory.
It was said to have captured the likeness of Zeus so well that Phidias was asked if he had traveled to Olympus to see Zeus or if Zeus had come down to visit him!
The statue remained at the Temple of Zeus until it was close by Emperor Theodosius I as a remnant of Rome’s pagan history. No one knows when the statue itself was destroyed, though it is thought that it was either burned when the temple caught fire in 425 CE or was taken to Constantinople where it would have burned in the fire at the Palace of Lausus in 475.
You can still visit the ruins of the Temple of Zeus in Olympus today, though there is nothing remaining of the statue.
Temple of Artemis in Ephesus
The Temple of Artemis that is included in the list of the 7 Ancient Wonders was actually the third Temple of Artemis to be built in that location, with each rebuilding making the temple grander than the previous version. It is thought that the earliest version was constructed in the 8th century BCE, but the third stage was not built until after the death of Alexander the Great in 323, around 500 years later.
It was around 450 ft long and 225 ft wide, reaching as tall as 60 ft at its highest point. The Temple was filled with elaborate carvings and sculptures by the masters of that time period, while the columns were said to be gilded with silver and gold.
This version of the Temple lasted more than 600 years, but it is uncertain when exactly it was destroyed. It was at least partially damaged by the Goths when Ephesus was attacked in 268 CE, but no one is certain if it survived beyond that.
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Halicarnassus was chosen to be the capital of the kingdom of Caria which ruled over a small area of what is now Turkey. The ruler of that time, a man named Mausolus, chose to build up a monument for himself where we would be buried after his death. This tomb became the first “mausoleum,” which was originally a word referring specifically to this building.
The mausoleum was constructed on a hilltop overlooking the city and stood 148ft tall from its base. One-third of its height was a large rectangular stand with intricate bas-relief carvings along its sides. Another third was composed of 36 columns with statues between them, while the last third was a large pyramidal roof topped with a massive statue of a chariot on top, driven by Mausolus and his sister Artemisia, who ruled the kingdom alongside him.
No one knows when the mausoleum was destroyed, but it was in ruins by the 1400s when the Knights Hospitaller used marble and other stones from the ruins to build the Castle at Bodrum. You can still see some of the marble in the walls of the castle, while some statues and reliefs from the original monument have made their way into museums around the world.
Lighthouse of Alexandria
As it turns out, the Great Pyramid wasn’t the only Ancient Wonder to be found in Egypt!
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built shortly after Ptolemy the First declared himself Pharoah and quickly became one of the most famous monuments of the period. It was estimated to be around 350ft tall, which would have made it the third tallest building on earth during that period of time, surpassed only by two of the pyramids of Giza (the pyramid of Khufu and the pyramid of Khafre).
The lighthouse consisted of three layers stacked atop each other to reach its final height, and it became something of an archetype for future lighthouses across the globe. It was damaged in a series of earthquakes between 796 and 1303, with the last remnants of the lighthouse being used in the construction of the Citadel of Qaitbay in the late 1470s.
Today, you can still visit that Citadel, but all that is left of the lighthouse itself are some sunken ruins among the underwater portions of ancient Alexandria.
Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes was an enormous bronze statue of the Greek god Helios standing over the Harbor of Rhodes. It was said to be over 100ft tall and was built to commemorate the lifting of the siege of Rhodes in 305 BCE.
Unfortunately, the Colossus was toppled by an earthquake that occurred around 225 BCE and was ultimately destroyed and sold scraps by invaders around 800 years later.
To give you a quick idea of the size of the Colussus, the Statue of Liberty in New York City is 151 feet tall, from its feet to the tip of its torch, making it about 50 feet taller than the Colussus would have been.
And that’s the list!
While there were several other locations that could have made the list of wonders during this period, these are the 7 that form the “official” list. It’s a fascinating look at what “the must-see” field trips for worldschoolers would have been in Ancient Greece.
Interested in learning about some Wonders that you can visit today?
Chichen-Itza, Mexico
Check out my article on the best Mayan Ruins to see in the Yucatan, including the World Wonder, Chichen-Itza.
Petra, Jordan
A city carved out of stone, Petra is the former capital of the Nabataean Empire and a New Wonder of the World.
Table Mountain, South Africa
Table Mountain National Park has extreme amounts of botanical biodiversity making it a New 7 Natural Wonder.
