From skyscrapers that defy gravity to tunnels below the sea, mankind’s civil engineering feats are all around us.
The complexity of older structures like the Great Wall of China, Chichén Itzá, and the Taj Mahal continue to captivate and fascinate visitors today, but it’s worth noting that “wonders” such as these are not a modern concept.
As far back as the 2nd century BCE, ancient guide books and poems were being written by Greeks that had toured the extent of Alexander the Great’s kingdoms, giving us the original “seven wonders of the world” from the Hellenistic world they knew at the time.
This graphic by Pranav Gavali looks at the original ancient seven wonders, including their modern-day locations and features, using data from Encyclopaedia Britannica and Wikipedia.
The original seven wonders of the world were built around the Mediterranean Sea and in the Middle East over a span of 3,000 years, all before the Common Era.
Wonders | Modern Location | Year Created |
---|---|---|
Great Pyramid of Giza | Egypt | 2,584 BCE |
Hanging Gardens of Babylon | Iraq | 600 BCE |
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus | Turkey | 550 BCE |
Statue of Zeus at Olympia | Greece | 435 BCE |
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus | Turkey | 351 BCE |
Colossus of Rhodes | Greece | 292 BCE |
Lighthouse of Alexandria | Egypt | 280 BCE |
From the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt to the Colossus in Rhodes, each wonder represents a different aspect of human ambition and ingenuity.
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