1) The Seven Wonders of the World are the Egyptian pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Statue of Zeus, the Temple of Artemis and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.
2) They were first described by a Greek historian named Herodotus.
3) They are seven because the Greeks believed that the number seven represented perfection and plenty, and because it was the number of the five planets known anciently, plus the sun and moon.
4) They are called "Wonders" because they all were remarkable constructions, amazing works of art and architecture.
5) To my mind the most fantastic wonder is the statue of Zeus which was made by the Athenian sculptor Phidias and placed in the temple of Zeus at Olympia, site of the ancient Olympics, around the mid-fifth century B.C.
6) It was built in honour of Zeus, the god of thunder.
7) It hasn't survived to the present day. An earthquake probably destroyed the temple. The statue was removed and later destroyed in a fire in 462 AD.
8) Its notable characteristics are rich decorations with gold and ivory. At 40 feet, the statue was so tall that its head nearly touched the top of the temple.
9) We need to know about the Seven Wonders of the World because they are parts of our heritage and culture.
