When travelers compare the places they have been, a debate about the "best" places always occurs.

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is a travel guide to "must-see" landmarks. The best known list was compiled by the poet Antipater of Sidon, about 140 BC. Other lists were composed by the six century BC Gregory - Bishop of Tours, the fourth century BC historian Herodotus, and the third century BC architect Callimachus of Cyrene.

The listing of seven of the most marvellous architectural and artistic human achievements continued beyond the Ancient Greek times to the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and to the modern age.

The idea of the "world's wonders" has led to many versions among international organizations, publications and individuals based on different themes − nature, engineering, industrial and underwater.

 
This page contains two lists of 7 Wonders.

 
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World:

Great Pyramid of Giza	Khufu built the pyramid in a 20-year period around 2650 BC, thus making it the oldest of all the wonders - and the only one still standing today. The pyramid's 2.3 million limestone blocks reached a height of 146.6m. Khufu's pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3800 years
Hanging Gardens of Babylon	The gardens were made by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II around 600 BC, as a gift to his ill Median wife Amytis, who longed for the lush green pastures of her homeland. Famous Greek historians like Strabo and Diodorus make several references to it - though extensive archaeological searches have failed to definitively pinpoint its ancient location.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia	The Greek sculptor Phidias created the statue around 435 BC. The 12-meter tall god was made from soaked ivory, covered in a dazzling coat of gold plating. In his left hand stood a small likeness of Nike, the goddess of victory; in his left an eagle-topped scepter. Some believe the statue was destroyed in the 5th century AD. Others believe it was transported to Constantinople, where it perished in the fire of the Palace of Lausus in 475.
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus	Only one column remains of this huge Temple of Diana, built on the Anatolian coast by Croesus of Lydia around 550 BC near the modern Turkish town of Selcuk. Despite being built on marshland to avoid earthquake damage, the temple was almost completely destroyed by the arsonist Herostratus in 356 BC. Pliny, whose records of the temple are the only ones to have survived, described it as being 115m long, 55m wide and built with 127 18m-high columns. This would have made its area roughly three times as large as Athens' Parthenon.
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus	When the powerful provincial Persian king Maussolus died in 353, his wife and daughter Artemisia decided to employ two of ancient Greece's most revered architects, Satyrus and Pythius, to construct a tomb worthy of the beloved king. The 45m building was composed of three main parts - a huge stone platform, on which stood a square block tomb, surrounded by 36 columns and four stone guards at each corner. The top third comprised a pyramidal roof, on which stood a quadriga; a horse-drawn chariot in which sat Maussolus and Artemisia. The mausoleum stood for over a thousand years, surviving countless invasions, battles and political controversies. It met an unfortunate end in the 16th century AD, however, when the crusading Knights of St. John of Malta used Halicarnassus as a fortification; taking the mausoleum's crumbling blocks as building material.
Colossus of Rhodes	The Colossus is one of the most hotly-contested ancient monuments in terms of its construction and appearance. It was built following the combined Egyptian and Macedonian invasion of Rhodes in 304 BC. The victorious Rhodians melted down metals from their attackers' abandoned siege equipment to form the skin of a huge likeness of their patron God Helios. The sculptor Chares of Lindos was employed to create the Colossus, which stood over 30m high upon a 15m marble pedestal at the Mandraki harbor entrance. Depictions of the Colossus actually standing astride the harbor are false. The Colossus took around 12 years to build - yet it would only be 56 years before it collapsed in an earthquake. Worried they had infuriated Helios, the Greeks refused to rebuild the wonder, and it lay in ruins until invading 7th century AD Arabs sold off what remained for scrap.
Lighthouse of Alexandria	Alexandria's famous lighthouse, or pharos, was built between 285 - 247 BC. It stood on an island separated from the mainland by the Hepstadion, a large dyke, and would have soared above the city's skyline at a height of around 120m. Ptolemy I put his royal seal on the pharos, yet the Cnidian architect Sostratus inscribed his name beneath the building's first layer of plaster. The lighthouse served the city for over a thousand years before it succumbed to earthquakes in 956, 1303 and 1323. The Arab conquest then saw its remains broken up to construct Fort Quaitbey, which still stands on the pharos' site today.
Links to more information about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: Wikipedia History.com - pictures and videos Unmuseum.org Social Studies for Kids How Stuff Works

 

Pyramid at Chichen Itza	Chichen Itza, the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization. The pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temples.
Christ the Redeemer	This statue of Jesus stands some 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The statue took five years to construct and has become a symbol of the city and of the warmth of the Brazilian people, who receive visitors with open arms.
Roman Colosseum	This great amphitheater in the center of Rome was built to celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire. Virtually every modern sports stadium still bears the irresistible imprint of the Colosseum's original design.
Taj Mahal	This immense mausoleum in Agra, India was built on the orders of Shah Jahan, the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, to honor the memory of his beloved late wife. Built out of white marble and standing in formally laid-out walled gardens, the Taj Mahal is regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India.
Great Wall of China	The Great Wall of China was built to link existing fortifications into a united defense system and better keep invading Mongol tribes out of China. At 5,500 miles in length, it is the largest man-made monument ever built.
Petra	On the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to 40 A.D.). The Palace Tombs of Petra, with the 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple facade on the El-Deir Monastery, are impressive examples of Middle Eastern culture.
Machu Picchu	In the 15th century, the Incan Emperor Pachacutec built a "city in the clouds" on the mountain known as Machu Picchu ("old mountain"). This extraordinary settlement lies halfway up the Andes Plateau, deep in the Amazon jungle and above the Urubamba River.
Links to more information about the New Seven Wonders of the World: National Geographic Official New 7 Wonders of the World