The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

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Paul V. Hartman

There has recently been a commotion around the world as a new 7 wonders were being
voted on and selected. So, before everyone forgets the original list, this is the
complete 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. The earliest extant copy of a list of the
7 Wonders comes from Antipater of Sidon from around 140 BC. What list site would be
complete without the first famous list?

Of those Seven Wonders, only one remains. (The accompanying mini-images are pure
artistic guesses.) In no particular order, they were:

1. The Pharos, lighthouse of Alexandria

The Pharos at Alexandria
The site of a lighthouse built (334 BC) under orders of Alexander, who united
the island of Pharos with a land bridge, forming a peninsula, upon which the
lighthouse was erected. In 280 BC, the lighthouse which would become a Seven Wonder
was erected by Ptolemy II. Variously estimated to be anywhere from 200 to 600 feet
tall, no precise details remain.
The lighthouse was destroyed by earthquake in the 14th century.

Lighthouse of Alexandria
Constructed: 3rd Century BC
By: The Hellenistic Egyptians
Destroyed: 1303-1480 AD
Cause: Earthquake

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was located on the ancient island of Pharos, now a
promontory within the city of Alexandria in Egypt. Of the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World, only one had a practical use in addition to its architectural
elegance: The Lighthouse of Alexandria. For sailors, it ensured a safe return to
the Great Harbor. For architects, it meant even more: it was the tallest building
on Earth. And for scientists, it was the mysterious mirror that fascinated them
most. The mirror’s reflection could be seen more than 50 km (35 miles) off-shore.

Of the six vanished Wonders, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was the last to
disappear. Therefore we have adequately accurate knowledge of its location and
appearance. Ancient accounts such as those by Strabo and Pliny the Elder give us a
brief description of the “tower” and the magnificent white marble cover. They tell
us how the mysterious mirror could reflect the light tens of kilometers away.

The internal core was used as a shaft to lift the fuel needed for the fire. At the
top stage, the mirror reflected sunlight during the day while fire was used during
the night. In ancient times, a statue of Poseidon adorned the summit of the
building.