Top 16 incredible facts about the wonders of the world

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Ancient buildings are called wonders of the world, striking in their splendor and grandeur. Now it is no longer a problem to build a skyscraper, almost a kilometer high, and this does not cause so many emotions. The builders and architects of ancient times did not have so much powerful technology and precise measuring instruments at their disposal, which makes their works truly unique.

Fact # 1 Colossus of Rhodes

One of the seven wonders of the world, the statue of the god Helios, which was located in Greece. It was created so huge that a person could not even grasp the toe of a colossus with both hands. During the earthquake, this statue broke at the knees and lay for a long time on the dusty road, blocking the entrance to the city.

Fact number 2 Hanging Gardens of Babylon

In fact, scientists are questioning the existence of this miracle. They consider it to be just a fairy tale or a rumor. In those days, it would have been impossible to supply every plant with water. Great minds still cannot find a technical justification for such a construction.

Moreover, there is not a single mention of this fact in ancient literature.

Fact number 3 Statue of Zeus

The majestic structure that adorned the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. The Greeks themselves considered unhappy those who had never seen the statue of the supreme god. After the ban of the Olympic Games, thieves simply plundered the temple, simultaneously smashing all the sculptural masterpieces that adorned it.

Fact # 4 Great Pyramid of Giza

This is the only wonder of the world that has survived to this day almost unchanged. As the legend says, Pharaoh Cheops was so vain that he wanted to become a god after his death. He gathered engineers from all over Egypt who built an altar of bronze mirrors and placed it at the very top of the pyramid after the death of the great Pharaoh.

A few days later, on a clear sunny morning, the altar began to emit light, smoke and make terrible sounds.

All the inhabitants fled in fear, believing that it was the soul of the sovereign who was being reborn. In fact, all this noise was created by a secret structure, which subsequently split and ceased to terrify the local population.

Fact number 5 Colosseum

The main attraction of Rome, which was built in the form of an amphitheater. Until now, scientists have not been able to establish exactly what technologies were used by ancient architects to create this artifact. After the grand opening of the Colosseum, a hundred-day games were declared by the emperor, during which thousands of people and animals were killed.

Fact # 6 Catacombs of Kom el-Shukaf

This is perhaps the most amazing sight in Alexandria, which is considered a miracle of building thought. A huge, whimsical room is located deep inside the cliff. It was created at the end of the first century AD and combines the Egyptian, Greek and Roman styles of architectural art.

Fact # 7 Stonehenge

The strangest attraction in England. Few stones and dozens of graves attract the attention of millions of tourists every day. Few people know that there are 900 such stone rings on the island. Stonehenge is the most publicized of them all. For a long time, scientists have argued about the true purpose of the stone ensemble, putting forward the most incredible theories.

Only in 2005 was there evidence that Stonehenge is the burial place of the elite of ancient tribes.

Fact number 8 Great Wall of China

This structure was built to protect the country's borders. During its creation, millions of local residents died, whose corpses were walled up directly in the masonry. A little later, the Chinese themselves composed songs about the helplessness of the Chinese Wall. After all, the barbarians who attacked the empire either knew where the gaps were (and there were many of them), or bribed the guards.

Fact number 9 Machu Picchu

The mysterious city of the Incas, which can rightfully be considered one of the wonders of the world. It is located deep in the Andes and looks truly mesmerizing. Why and for what this city was built is unknown. But the beauty of the ensemble is so breathtaking that it has been nicknamed “the city in the sky”.

Fact # 10 Chichen Itza

This is a city that is included in the "modern seven" wonders of the world and is located in Mexico. The truly huge and intricately decorated temples of the Itza tribes look quite intimidating. But the secret is that it is still unknown where the once civilized tribe went.

Fact number 11 Alexandria lighthouse

It was built on the island of Faross and served as a guiding sign for the ancient sailors. It was about 81 meters high, which is amazing for those times.

Fact no. 12 Mausoleum at Helikarnassus

The tombstone to the Halicarnian ruler Mavsol towered over the base at 46 m, was decorated with 300 statues of various gods, columns and various stone subjects. The mausoleum was destroyed by an earthquake. The projection of the building served as the prototype for Grant's Mausoleum in Manhattan.

Fact # 13 Temple of Artemis

Built by several generations of architects and sculptors. As a result of many years of work by the latter, the structure was a huge, complex complex. According to legend, the entrance to the central building was decorated with a statue of a goddess made of pure gold. It is noteworthy that the priests of the temple did not obey the local authorities and lived according to the internal laws of the cult.

Fact number 14 Hagia Sophia

The monument to the "golden" era of the Byzantine Empire was considered the largest Christian sanctuary for more than a thousand years. The interior decoration of the temple also corresponded to the name - the rich state spent about 3 annual treasury revenues on its construction.

According to legend, the ruler who oversaw the construction wanted to surpass the Hebrew king Solomon.

Fact # 15 Leaning Tower of Pisa

It was built for about 200 years, the angle of inclination is about 3 degrees. The defect resulted from incorrect foundation calculations. The soft soil beneath the building gave up after the construction of the third floor.

Fact # 16 The Porcelain Tower in Nanjing

It was built of special bricks, for which it was named "porcelain". It has not survived to our time.

In addition to architectural treasures, some geographical publications have created lists of natural wonders of the world, including various natural ensembles. Most of them are under the protection of UNESCO.