Seven wonders of ancient Greece: Ancient Greece is one of the greatest of all civilizations. They were pioneers of engineering and architecture. The monuments built by them are images of grandeur and magnificence.
The seven wonders of ancient Greece were listed in the works of Antipater of Sidon and Philon of Byzantium. Among the seven wonders of the ancient world, the State of Zeus at Olympia and Colossus of Rhodes are also included. Most wonders of Greece also formed a part of the wonders of the ancient world.
The Seven Wonders of ancient Greece:
1. Theatre of Epidaurus: Famous for its great acoustics, this ancient open-air Greek theatre was constructed in the late 4th century. Mostly theatres and dramas were performed here. Originally it had 34 rows but later 21 new rows were added to it by the Romans.
2. Limestone was used to construct the rows. These stones filtered out the murmurs among the spectators but amplified the sound of the actors.It is considered as the most beautiful open-air theatres.
3. Statue of Zeus: this statue was erected in the Temple of Zeus and was built by Phidias, a great Greek sculptor. The statue is 12 meters tall and made of ivory and gold-plated bronze. The throne of Zeus is carved in cedar wood. Wreaths of olive leaves in gold adorned the statue.
4. The statue depicts Zeus sitting with the statue of Nike, goddess of victory in his right hand and a scepter of gold in the left. The scepter has an eagle perched on it.
5. Parthenon: This temple was built in the honor of Greek goddess, Athena. It served as the treasury of the Athenian empire. Later it was converted into a church of Virgin Mary and to a mosque after the Ottoman conquest.
6. The temple was severely damaged in the Venetian bombarding. Only its remains exist.
7. Colossus of Rhodes: erected on the Greek island of Rhodes, this is a statue of the Greek Titan Helios. With 30 meters of height, this was the tallest statue of the ancient world.
8. It was erected by Chares of Lindos to celebrate the victory of Rhodes over Cypress.
9. Settlement of Santorini: this ancient town of Greece had an impressive three-storied building with elaborate frescoes and lavish balconies. It was located on a volcanic island in the south Aegean Sea. This town destroyed by a volcanic eruption.
10. Palace of Knossos: this 1,300 room palace with interlocking rooms is spread over 6 acres. The palace was important for administrative, religious and storage purposes. The design of a labyrinth drives inspiration from this place because it had an elaborate maze-like structure.
This palace got destroyed in a fire but was rebuilt later.Temple of Apollo at Delphi: this temple was built in hex style of 6 by 15 columns by architects Trophonios and Agamedes. It got destroyed by an earthquake but was rebuilt later around the original stepped platform.
