← Wonders of the World

Chapter 1

Ancient wonders

More than 2,000 years ago, Greek travellers listed seven sights every traveller should see. Only one still stands: the Great Pyramid of Giza. The others, from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the Lighthouse of Alexandria, fell to earthquakes, fire and time, so most of this chapter's pictures are engravings made in the 1500s and later. Three more ancient marvels join them: the Great Sphinx, the temples of Abu Simbel and China's Terracotta Army.

10 cards

StoryZap this chapter
See the 10 cards
  1. The oldest of the Seven Wonders, and the only one leftGreat Pyramid of Giza
  2. Greek temple at Ephesus, burned for fameTemple of Artemis
  3. Giant gold and ivory figure of a god at OlympiaStatue of Zeus
  4. Tomb so grand that every great tomb is named after itMausoleum at Halicarnassus
  5. Fabled terraced gardens of an ancient cityHanging Gardens of Babylon
  6. Bronze sun god that stood over a Greek harbourColossus of Rhodes
  7. Tower whose fire guided ships into an Egyptian portLighthouse of Alexandria
  8. Lion with a human head guarding the pyramidsGreat Sphinx of Giza
  9. Four giant seated statues cut into a cliffAbu Simbel
  10. Thousands of clay soldiers buried with an emperorTerracotta Army

Image credits

  • The oldest of the Seven Wonders, and the only one left: Gary Todd (Wikimedia Commons), CC0 1.0 Source
  • Greek temple at Ephesus, burned for fame: Rijksmuseum (Wikimedia Commons), CC0 1.0 Source
  • Giant gold and ivory figure of a god at Olympia: Jacob van der Ulft (Wikimedia Commons), public domain Source
  • Tomb so grand that every great tomb is named after it: Rijksmuseum (Wikimedia Commons), public domain Source
  • Fabled terraced gardens of an ancient city: Maarten van Heemskerck (Wikimedia Commons), public domain Source
  • Bronze sun god that stood over a Greek harbour: Aliv123 (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 4.0 Source
  • Tower whose fire guided ships into an Egyptian port: Philips Galle (Wikimedia Commons), public domain Source
  • Lion with a human head guarding the pyramids: Petar Milošević (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 4.0 Source
  • Four giant seated statues cut into a cliff: Diego Delso (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 4.0 Source
  • Thousands of clay soldiers buried with an emperor: Ideophagous (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 4.0 Source