Wonders of the World Facts

Wonders of the World is a list of some of the most extraordinary attractions, both natural and man-made, that the world has ever seen. The list usually includes seven carefully selected remarkable natural wonders and man-made structures. Its purpose is to catalog these wonders as guides for future tourists and travelers. Since then, the list evolved to include modern places and buildings.

Below are some of the facts about the Wonders of the World:

  • The very first seven wonder list was created by the historian Herodotus (484 – ca. 425 BC) and the scholar Callimachus of Cyrene (ca. 305–240 BC).
  • The first list includes the following ancient attactions: Colossus of Rhodes, Great Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Lighthouse of Alexandria, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Statue of Zeus at Olympia and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.
  • The list uses the number seven because the Greeks believed it represented perfection and plenty, and also it was the number of the five non-earth planets known at that time (Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and Mercury), plus the sun and moon.
  • From the original list of wonders, only the Great Pyramid of Giza still exist and largely intact up to this day. This pyramid was constructed around 2580–2560 B.C.

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