7 wonders of the world old and new. Seven wonders of the world. Ancient world. Temple. Gardens of Babylon. Rodossky. Lighthouse. Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt

Over the centuries, people have compiled a variety of lists of wonders of the world in order to highlight from the total number the most outstanding creations of human architectural genius or the most amazing manifestations of natural perfection. Most often, such lists were limited to seven laureates, following the ancient Greek seven wonders of the world, but more expanded or narrow lists are also found.

The Seven Wonders of the World (or the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) is a list of the most famous sights of the Oecumene culture. Compiling a list of the most famous poets, philosophers, generals, great kings, as well as monuments of architecture and art is a traditional “minor” genre of Greek Hellenistic poetry and a kind of exercise in rhetoric. The choice of number itself is sanctified by ancient ideas about its completeness, completeness and perfection; the number 7 was considered the sacred number of the god Apollo (Seven against Thebes, Seven Wise Men, etc.). Like collections of sayings of famous sages, collections of anecdotes and stories of wonders, writings on the Seven Wonders of the World were popular in ancient times and included descriptions of the grandest, most magnificent, or technically most amazing buildings and monuments of art. That's why they were called miracles, while many genuine masterpieces are missing from the list ancient architecture and art - the Acropolis in Athens with the creation of Phidias - the statue of Athena Parthenon, the famous statue of Aphrodite of Knidos by Praxiteles, etc.

Mentions of the Seven Wonders appear in the writings of Greek authors starting from the Hellenistic era. You had to know them already at school; scientists and poets wrote about them. In the text of one Egyptian papyrus, which was a kind of tutorial, the obligatory names of famous legislators, painters, sculptors, architects, inventors are mentioned, then the largest islands, mountains and rivers and, finally, the seven wonders of the world. The “selection” of miracles occurred gradually, and some miracles replaced others.

Herodotus

The walls of Babylon were included in the list of the Seven Wonders of the World, but were later replaced by the Lighthouse of Alexandria

Samos Island today

Aqueduct

"I have seen your walls, Babylon, on which there is spacious
And chariots; I saw Zeus at Olympia,
Miracle of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Colossus of Helios
And the pyramids are the work of many and hard labors;
I know Mausolus, a huge tomb. But I just saw
I am the palace of Artemis, the roof raised to the clouds,
Everything else faded before him; outside Olympus
The sun does not see beauty equal to it anywhere."

The description of Antipater follows the work of Philo of Alexandria (orator of the 4th century AD or the famous mechanic of the 3rd century BC) “On the Seven Wonders.” Probably after construction Alexandria lighthouse this miracle of engineering replaces the walls of Babylon on the list (as a wonder of the world it is mentioned by Pliny the Elder in Natural History). In a number of works, instead of the hanging gardens, the walls of Babylon appeared again, and the lighthouse on the island. The Pharos was replaced by the Library of Alexandria; The list was also supplemented by the Pergamon altar of Zeus, the palace of Cyrus in Persepolis, the “singing” statues of Memnon near Egyptian Thebes and Thebes itself, the temple of Zeus in Cyzicus, the statue of Asclepius in Epidaurus, the Athena Parthenos by Phidias on the Athenian Acropolis, and in the Roman period - the Colosseum and the Capitol. Subsequently, the list in various combinations was also supplemented by the Temple of Solomon, Noah’s Ark, the Tower of Babel, the Temple of Sophia in Constantinople, etc.

Classic list

Around the 3rd century BC. a classic list of seven wonders of the world has been formed:

Pyramid of Cheops (Giza, 2550 BC),
Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Babylon, 600 BC),
Statue of Zeus at Olympia (Olympia, 435 BC),
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (Ephesus, 550 BC),
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (Halicarnassus, 351 BC),
Colossus of Rhodes (Rhodes, between 292 and 280 BC),
Lighthouse of Alexandria (Alexandria, 3rd century BC).

Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) - the largest of Egyptian pyramids, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that has survived to this day. An Eastern proverb says: “Everything in the world is afraid of time, but time is afraid of the Pyramids.” It is assumed that construction, which lasted twenty years, ended around 2540 BC. e. Architect Great Pyramid Hemiun, vizier and nephew of Cheops, is considered. He also bore the title "Manager of all Pharaoh's construction projects." More three thousand years (before construction cathedral in Lincoln, England, around 1300), the pyramid was the tallest building on Earth.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A more correct name for this structure is the Hanging Gardens Amitis (according to other sources - Amanis): this was the name of the wife of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, for whose sake the gardens were created. Presumably located in the ancient city-state of Babylon, near modern city Hilla. The Hanging Gardens existed for about two centuries. After Amytis's death, they stopped caring for the garden, then powerful floods destroyed the foundation of the columns, and the entire structure collapsed. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are the most mysterious structure of all the Wonders of the World. Scientists even doubt whether they actually existed or are just a figment of someone’s imagination, carefully copied from chronicle to chronicle.

The statue of Zeus at Olympia is the work of Phidias. An outstanding work of ancient sculpture, one of the seven wonders of the world. It was located in the temple of Zeus, in Olympia - a city in the region of Elis, in the north-west of the Peloponnese peninsula, where from 776 BC. e. to 394 AD e. Every four years the Olympic Games were held - competitions between Greek and then Roman athletes. The Greeks considered those who did not see the statue of Zeus in the temple unfortunate. The Olympic Games, held for 300 years in honor of the god Zeus, were extremely popular among the people. Despite this, there was no main temple of Zeus in Greece and only in 470 BC. began collecting donations for its construction. According to legend, the temple was magnificent. The entire temple, including the roof, was built of marble. It was surrounded by 34 massive columns made of shell rock. Each was 10.5 meters high and more than 2 meters thick. The area of ​​the temple was 64x27 m. On the outer walls of the temple there were slabs with bas-reliefs depicting the 12 labors of Hercules. Bronze doors, 10 meters high, opened the entrance to the cult room of the temple. In the 5th century BC. e. The citizens of Olympia decided to build a temple of Zeus. The majestic building was erected between 466 and 456 BC. e. It was built from huge stone blocks and was surrounded by massive columns. For several years after construction was completed, the temple did not have a worthy statue of Zeus, although it was soon decided that one was necessary. The famous Athenian sculptor Phidias was chosen as the creator of the statue. Around 40 AD e. The Roman Emperor Caligula wanted to move the statue of Zeus to his home in Rome. Workers were sent for her. But, according to legend, the statue laughed, and the workers fled in horror. The statue was damaged after an earthquake in the 2nd century BC. e., then it was restored by the sculptor Dimophon. In 391 AD e. The Romans closed the Greek temples after adopting Christianity. Emperor Theodosius I, who affirmed Christianity, banned the Olympic Games as part of a pagan cult. Finally, only the base, some columns and sculptures remained from the Temple of Olympian Zeus. The last mention of it dates back to 363 AD. e. At the beginning of the 5th century AD. e. The statue of Zeus was transported to Constantinople. The statue burned down in a temple fire in 425 AD. e. or in the fire in Constantinople in 476 AD. e.

Ancient ruins in Olympia

The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus - one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located in greek city Ephesus on the coast of Asia Minor (currently the city of Selcuk in the south of Izmir province, Türkiye). The first large temple was built in the middle of the 6th century BC. e., burned by Herostratus in 356 BC. e., soon restored in a rebuilt form, in the 3rd century it was plundered by the Goths. In the 4th century it was closed by Christians due to the ban on pagan cults and destroyed. The church built in its place was also destroyed.

Artemis of Ephesus

Model of a temple in Turkey in Miniaturk Park

View of the temple ruins

This is what the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus looked like

Halicarnassus Mausoleum is a tombstone of the Carian ruler Mausolus (Greek: Μαύσωλος), built in the middle of the 4th century BC. e. by order of his wife Artemisia III in Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum, Turkey), one of the ancient wonders of the world. The mausoleum stood for 19 centuries. In the 13th century it collapsed from strong earthquake, and in 1522 the remains of the Mausoleum were dismantled by the Knights of St. John for the construction of the fortress of St. Petra. In 1846, the ruins were explored by an expedition from the British Museum led by Charles Thomas Newton. Based on the results of the research, several options for reconstructing the original appearance were compiled, one of which was used as the basis for the Grant Mausoleum in Manhattan.

Carian king Mausolus

Perhaps this is what the Colossus of Rhodes looked like

The Colossus of Rhodes (Greek Κολοσσός της Ρόδου, lat. Colossus Rhodi) is a giant statue of the ancient Greek sun god Helios, which stood in the port city of Rhodes, located on the island of the same name in the Aegean Sea, in Greece. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The sculptor Hares, a student of Lysippos, worked for twelve years to create an almost 36-meter bronze giant. When the work on the statue was completed, a tall and slender young god with a radiant crown on his head appeared before the eyes of the amazed Rhodians. He stood on a white marble pedestal, leaning slightly back, and intensely peered into the distance. The statue of the god stood right at the entrance to the harbor of Rhodes and was visible from the nearby islands. The statue was made of clay, had a metal frame at its base, and was covered with bronze sheets on top. The production of the grandiose monument required 500 talents of bronze and 300 talents of iron (about 13 and about 8 tons, respectively). The colossus also gave rise to a kind of fashion for giant statues in Rhodes already in the 2nd century. BC e. About a hundred colossal sculptures were installed. The colossus stood for sixty-five years. In 222 BC. e. The statue was destroyed by an earthquake. As Strabo writes, “the statue lay on the ground, overthrown by an earthquake and broken at the knees.” But even then the Colossus caused surprise with its size. Pliny the Elder mentions that only a few could wrap both hands around the thumb of the statue's hand (assuming the natural proportions of the human body are observed, this indicates the height of the statue at 200 feet or 60 m). The remains of the Colossus lay on the ground for more than a thousand years, until they were finally sold by the Arabs, who captured Rhodes in 977, to a merchant who, as one chronicle says, loaded 900 camels with them.

The Alexandria (Faros) lighthouse is one of the 7 wonders of the world, built in the 3rd century BC. e. in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, so that ships could safely pass the reefs on their way to the Alexandria Bay. At night they were helped in this by the reflection of flames, and during the day by a column of smoke. It was the world's first lighthouse, and it stood for almost a thousand years. The lighthouse was built on small island Pharos in the Mediterranean Sea near the coast of Alexandria. This busy port was founded by Alexander the Great during his visit to Egypt in 332 BC. e. The building was named after the island. Its construction was supposed to take 20 years, and it was completed around 283 BC. e., during the reign of Ptolemy II, king of Egypt. The construction of this gigantic structure lasted only 5 years. Architect - Sostratus of Cnidus. The Faros lighthouse consisted of three marble towers standing on a base of massive stone blocks. The first tower was rectangular and contained rooms in which workers and soldiers lived. Above this tower was a smaller, octagonal tower with a spiral ramp leading to the upper tower. The upper tower was shaped like a cylinder in which a fire burned. By the 12th century AD. e. Alexandria Bay became so silted that ships could no longer use it. The lighthouse fell into disrepair. The bronze plates that served as mirrors were probably melted down into coins. In the 14th century, the lighthouse was completely destroyed by an earthquake. A few years later, its ruins were used to build a fortress. The fortress was subsequently rebuilt several times. Interestingly, before the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the seventh wonder of the world was the walls of Babylon. Before its construction, the walls of Babylon were considered the second wonder of the world. When a 130-meter lighthouse was built at the mouth of the Nile, contemporaries were so amazed by this outstanding technical achievement that they simply crossed out the walls of Babylon from the list of the Seven Wonders of the World and added the lighthouse to it as the latest, newest miracle.

The Colosseum was also added to the list of wonders of the Ancient World

The first mention of the Seven Wonders in Rus' is found in Simeon of Polotsk, who was familiar with their description from some Byzantine source. In modern Europe, they became widely known after the publication of Fischer von Erlach’s (1656–1723) book “Sketches on the History of Architecture,” which also contained the first known reconstructions of famous monuments of ancient architecture.

The classic list of the seven wonders of the world has been known to us since school days, when we studied Ancient history. Only the pyramids of Egypt have survived to our times, which can be seen by anyone who visits this country. The Pyramid of Cheops at Giza is the only surviving wonder of the world. The rest of the wonders - the Colossus of Rhodes, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse of Alexandria - were destroyed over the centuries, some by fires and earthquakes, others by floods.

The classic list of wonders of the world includes:

1. Pyramid of Cheops (burial site of the Pharaoh of Egypt) - created by the Egyptians in 2540 BC. e. ;
2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Babylon - created by the Babylonians in 605 BC. e. ;
3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia - created by the Greeks in 435 BC. e.;
4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (built in honor of the goddess Artemis in Turkey) - created by the Greeks and Persians in 550 BC. e.;
5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus - created by the Carians, Greeks and Persians in 351 BC. e.;
6. The Colossus of Rhodes was established by the Greeks between 292 and 280. BC e.;
7. Lighthouse of Alexandria - built in the 4th century BC. e. by the Greeks a lighthouse, and named in honor of Alexander the Great.

All the photographs presented below with the wonders of the world are either models of what the majestic structures used to look like, or what remains of them at the present time. It's a pity that they couldn't withstand natural disasters.

Some time later, cultural figures began to add additional attractions to this list, “miracles” that still surprise and inspire. So, at the end of the 1st century, the Roman poet Martial added only the rebuilt Colosseum to the list. After a while, in the 6th century, Christian theologian Gregory of Tours added Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple to the list.

Different sources mention different combinations of wonders of the world, for example, English and French writers and historians equated the Alexandria Catacombs, the Leaning Tower in Pisa, the Porcelain Tower in Nanjing, and the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul as wonders of the world.

New list of wonders of the world

In 2007, a UN organization organized a vote to approve a new list modern miracles Sveta. They voted by phone, Internet and SMS messages. And this is the final list:

Colosseum in Italy;
The great Wall of China;
Machu Picchu – ancient city Incas in Peru;
Taj Mahal in India is a magnificent mausoleum-mosque in India;
Petra is an ancient city, the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, located in modern Jordan;
Christ the Redeemer statue flying over Rio de Janeiro in Brazil;
pyramids of Giza in Egypt;
Chichen Itza in Mexico, an ancient city of the Mayan civilization.

All of them have been preserved from ancient times, except for the statue of Christ the Redeemer, which was finally built in 1931 of the last century and has since become a symbol of Brazil and one of its largest cities - Rio de Janeiro.

How to see them?

The new list of wonders has been officially approved by the UN, and now everyone who travels to the country can see them. No one excursion route will not avoid visiting these attractions. They try to carefully preserve them for future generations, but also use them for modern needs.

For example, the Colosseum is known for its excellent acoustics. Famous singers and musicians from all over the world often perform there, and operas are staged in the open air.

The Taj Mahal is also open to tourists, but this is the tomb of the padishah’s beloved wife, so people only inspect it and admire the beauty of its architectural forms and interior paintings.

It is considered simply indecent to be in China and not visit the Great Wall. There are many excursions to it, but you cannot climb it: it is a huge obstacle course and walking on it is dangerous. That's why everyone takes pictures near her plots in the most picturesque places.

The Pyramids of Giza can be viewed from the outside and inside, and nearby you can see the grandiose statues of ancient sphinxes.

Excursions to the ancient cities of Machu Picchu, Petra and Chichen Itza are extremely interesting, but physically difficult - you will have to walk for a long time through the ruins. However, tourist holidays in these countries are well organized, and you will not regret if you spend a day or two visiting these magnificent places.

Chichen Itza - ancient Mayan city

Why exactly 7 wonders of the world, and not 10 or 15?

As you may have already noticed, previously people with special treatment belonged to the magical number seven. Everyone knows that there are 7 holes on the human head - 2 eyes, 2 nostrils, 2 ears and a mouth. When a person sees seven objects at the same time, he can immediately count them with his eyes, without even thinking, however, if there are more of them, he will have to count them in his mind.

Thus, due to seemingly such primitive conclusions, people began to strive to reduce the number of something to seven. For example, highlight 7 days in a week, seven colors in a rainbow, 7 tones in a sound series, and so on.

It is not at all surprising that the ancient Greeks identified the Seven Wonders of the World, because the number 7 was the sacred number of Apollo, the god who patronized art.

Seven wonders of the world.
Our world is full of unusual and wonderful places that everyone should visit! Think for yourself, what do we live for, for new gadgets and financial well-being? Isn't it better to see the world, travel and discover more and more new horizons of the unknown? We begin a review of the best and most beautiful places of our planet!
Undoubtedly, the greatest interest among the whole world is caused by the seven wonders of the world, which every person, young and old, should know about! In this article we will briefly describe each of the 7 wonders of the world, and by clicking on the title and following the link, you can get acquainted in more detail with the place that interests you most.

After the victory over the Macedonian king Demetrius II, the inhabitants of the island of Rhodes decided to perpetuate the significant event with a giant statue of the sun god Helios, who was considered the patron saint of the island. The construction was undertaken by the sculptor Hares, a student of Lysippos from the city of Lindus. A forty-meter statue was created from bronze by casting. This required more than thirteen tons of bronze and eight tons of iron. Helios, depicted in full height, stood on a pedestal of stone blocks fastened with iron. Construction lasted twelve years, and what a shame it was for the island’s residents about 60 years later when the statue was destroyed by a powerful earthquake. Find out more about the magnificent statue on Rhodes by reading the detailed material -.

The architect Libo from the city of Elis erected a temple that was entirely dedicated to the sky god Zeus. Built from limestone blocks measuring 30x65 meters, the temple was decorated with pediments depicting battles and metopes with paintings depicting the labors of Hercules. Inside the building there was a huge statue of Zeus seated on a throne, about fifteen meters high. The sculpture, made of wood, was attached to plates of ivory and gold. The sandals, clothes and wreath on the head were completely gold. In 476, the statue was transported to Constantinople, where it burned down in a fire. Read more about the construction and fate of the statue in the material -

Alexandria, founded in 332 BC, was a unique cultural center. Great architects, mathematicians, scientists, poets, and astronomers were here. To ensure the safety of ships approaching from the sea, a lighthouse 125 meters high was erected! The first floor was made in the shape of a rectangle oriented to the cardinal points. The length of each side was more than thirty meters. The second floor, lined with marble, had eight sides and was oriented in the direction of the eight winds. There were also bronze statues, some of which served as weather vanes to determine the direction of the wind. The third floor was round and carried a huge lantern, above which there was a dome with a seven-meter figure of Poseidon. The light of the Alexandria Lighthouse was maintained for almost 1000 years, until the lighthouse was destroyed by an earthquake in 797. Nowadays, on the remains of the lighthouse there is a fortress built by Qait Bey at the end of the fifteenth century. You can learn even more about this grandiose structure by reading the detailed material -

The New Seven Wonders of the World is a project whose goal was to find the modern seven wonders of the world. It was organized by the non-profit organization New Open World Corporation (NOWC) on the initiative of the Swiss Bernard Weber. Selections of the new seven “wonders of the world” from the known ones architectural structures world events took place via SMS, telephone or Internet. The result was announced on July 7, 2007.

The Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheater is an amphitheater, an architectural monument of Ancient Rome, the most famous and one of the most grandiose buildings of the Ancient World that have survived to this day. Located in Rome, in the hollow between the Esquiline, Palatine and Caelian hills.

IN ancient Rome Many historical monuments have been preserved, but the most extraordinary of them is the Colosseum, in which people doomed to death desperately fought and died for the entertainment of free citizens of Rome. It became the largest and most famous of all Roman amphitheatres, and one of the greatest masterpieces of Roman engineering and architecture that has survived to this day. The grandiose Colosseum amazed everyone who came to the capital of the empire for the first time. This is a symbol of Rome and its centuries-old history, the largest and most beautiful stadium of the ancient world.

The amphitheater is a Roman invention. It consisted of an elliptical-shaped arena, surrounded by tiers of rows of seated stands, from which a large public, without putting themselves at risk, could watch exciting bloody spectacles. Gladiator fights were held here and wild exotic animals were paraded, then pitted against each other in mortal combat in front of a captivated crowd.

Even before the construction of the Colosseum, Rome had several amphitheaters, but after a great fire in 64 AD. e. a new building was needed. Roman Emperor Vespasian, who reigned from 69 AD. e., wanting to further spread the bloody sport of gladiators, he ordered to begin in 72 AD. e. construction of an amphitheater, which was to bear the name of the new imperial dynasty and surpass all previous ones in unprecedented size and beauty. The amphitheater was initially called Flavian (Amphiteatrum Flavium).

It was erected at the bottom of an artificial reservoir dug under Vespasian's predecessor, Emperor Nero, for his famous luxurious Golden House. Such a choice of location was very advantageous not only from a technical, but also from a political point of view, as if demonstrating a break with the previous decadent luxury. Vespasian developed construction plans on a scale no less than Nero, but this was construction for public needs, and not at all to satisfy the personal whims of the emperor.

The Colosseum's circumference reaches 527 meters; it has the shape of an ellipse with diagonals of 188 and 156 meters. The height of the undestroyed part is 57 meters. The four floors of the building could accommodate 80 thousand people. A giant canopy was attached to the columns of the upper tier, protecting spectators from the scorching sun. The inside of the building was paved with marble, and the façade was paved with travertine (a porous rock widely used in ancient times as a building material), the slabs of which were held together with iron brackets. Under the sand-covered wooden floor of the arena, numerous underground passages began. During performances, decorations, animals, gladiators and their weapons were raised along these passages using special mechanisms. The audience was separated from the arena by a metal grill. You could get inside the building through one of the 80 arches on the first tier.

It was solemnly consecrated in 80 AD. e. already Vespasian's heir, Emperor Titus. On this occasion, a holiday was held that lasted exactly 100 days. During that period of time, 5 thousand predators brought from northern Africa and hundreds of gladiators. But even then, despite the official opening, construction was not yet completely finished. The last, upper platform for spectators was completed only under Titus' successor, Emperor Domitian.

A distinctive feature of this structure is the large number of tiers. Its architecture shows how ingeniously it is possible to simply organize and direct the movement of countless crowds of people. A complex system of staircases and passages provided unobstructed and easy access to the stands and seats. Four main entrances made it possible to quickly enter the arena, and through 80 arches in just 10 minutes you could be in numbered spectator seats. Spectators often spent several days in a row here, so they brought food with them from home. All this speaks of a high engineering and architectural level of the design. But it should also be noted that there were no toilets there, with all the attendant circumstances.

Seats in the Colosseum were distributed according to the social status of the spectators. The lower ones were intended for representatives of the upper strata of society - government officials, priests, vestals. Commoners sat on the upper tiers. The imperial box - a podium with a spacious terrace - was located right next to the arena. The rows closest to her were reserved for wealthy patricians and honored guests. The amphitheater was divided into sectors, each of which had a serial number.

The name of the architect who designed the amphitheater is unknown, but it is assumed that he was Rabirius, who later became the author of Domitian’s palace. The outside of the amphitheater is entirely covered with travertine and has four tiers. The three lower ones represent arched propets running along the entire profile, cut by pilasters and semi-columns in the canonical sequence: on the first tier - Doric, on the second - Ionic, and on the third - Corinthian. The fourth, upper tier, completed a little later, is a solid wall, dissected by Corinthian pilasters and cut through by small windows. The crowning cornice still has holes where supports were inserted to stretch a bright awning, protecting spectators from the heat. Each arched flight of the first tier corresponded to an entrance to the seats for spectators: 76 of these entrances were numbered (Roman numerals can still be seen on the arches); four main entrances were intended: one for the imperial retinue, another for the Vestals, the third for judges and the last for honored guests.

The Colosseum operated 36 elevators, manually operated by slaves. Each elevator could be lifted by up to 10 slaves. They also transported wild animals. In 523 AD e., after long popular protests, a decree was passed in Rome prohibiting the killing of predators. In this ancient stadium, the display of gladiator fights continued until the 5th century AD. e.

In the center of the Roman Colosseum there was an arena surrounded by archers who protected spectators from attacks by predators. A terrace was built around the arena, where the imperial box and the boxes of prominent senators, judges and popes were located. The remaining spectator seats were divided into three tiers. The lower tier is for noble nobles and wealthy businessmen, the second is for the free citizens of Rome of the middle class, the last is for the common people. Slaves operating the elevators sat in the uppermost rows. And even higher than the slaves were the sailors of the imperial navy, Classis Miseniensis. What were they doing there? They controlled the huge linen canvas that covered the top of the Colosseum so that the arena remained always open. For this purpose, a complex structure was built here, consisting of 240 pillars, supporting a giant substance. And since the sailors were excellent masters in sail control, they were the ones responsible for this sector. Under the arena there were special passages that were used for performances, as well as cages with wild animals. The creators of the Colosseum designed a complex system of passages and lifts through which angry animals released from their cages in the dungeon fell directly into the arena. There were 2 special exits in the Colosseum: the exit of life and the exit of death. The winners or pardoned gladiators came out into one, and the dead were carried out through the other.

Entry to the Colosseum was free. Many emperors cared about the amusement of their people, in this way they could be more easily kept under control. For the same purpose, before entering the stadium, flour for baking bread was distributed free of charge. Among the spectators there were many women who were ardent fans of these bloody spectacles.

Gladiatorial fights began at dawn and ended at dusk, and some festive performances lasted for several days. The performance usually opened with the performance of festively dressed gladiators, under their feet there was a wooden floor sprinkled with sand to absorb the blood.

The first number on the program was cripples and clowns: these also fought, but not seriously and without blood. Sometimes women also appeared and competed in archery. And only then came the turn of the gladiators and animals. First, trained animals performed, and then wild ones were released into the arena, which were set against each other or against armed people. The Romans' love for such spectacles led to the mass extermination of animals. But much more brutal were the battles of the gladiators who fought for life and death. They were recruited from slaves, convicted criminals, or prisoners of war. The main weapon of gladiators was a short double-edged sword - a gladius. When the mortally wounded soldiers fell, a man dressed as Charon (a character from Greek mythology - the carrier of the dead to the afterlife) entered the arena. The body was taken out, the bloody stain was covered with sand, and the place of the dead gladiator was taken by the next one. Anyone who was seriously wounded could lie on the floor and beg the audience for mercy. If the crowd thought he had fought valiantly, they would chant “Mitte!” (“Free him!”). But if the fighter failed to win the sympathy of the public, the inexorable “Ingula!” followed. ("Kill him!"). In the Colosseum, the all-powerful Caesar did not contradict the wishes of his subjects: at the request of “Mitte!” he raised his thumb up, granting the gladiator life, and sometimes freedom, while after shouts of “ingula!” put his finger down, condemning the fighter to death.

The use of wild animals in the arena has become so diverse and complex that specially trained people - bestiaries - began to be brought in to perform performances with them. The Roman mob especially loved shows with animals. The highest nobility preferred gladiator fights. Bestiaries were trained in a special school. They had their own traditions, their own uniforms and their own professional jargon. During the magnificent celebrations on the occasion of the opening of the Colosseum in 80 AD. e. gladiators killed about 5 thousand lions, hippos, elephants, and zebras. A huge number of animals died in 248, during the festivities in honor of the 1000th anniversary of Rome.

Bloody gladiator fights were banned only in 404 AD. e. In 523 AD BC, after long popular protests, a decree was passed in Rome prohibiting the killing of predators.

The barbarian invasions left the Flavian Amphitheater desolate and marked the beginning of its destruction. From the 11th century until 1132, it served as a fortress for noble Roman families who competed with each other for influence and power over their fellow citizens, especially for the families of Frangipani and Annibaldi. The latter, however, were forced to cede the Colosseum to Emperor Henry VII, who donated it to the Roman Senate and people. Back in 1332, the local aristocracy organized bullfights here, but from that time on the systematic destruction of the Colosseum began. They began to look at it as a source of obtaining building material, and not only the stones that had fallen off, but also the stones deliberately broken out of it began to be used for new structures. So, in the 15th and 16th centuries, Pope Paul II took material from it to build the so-called Venetian palace, Cardinal Riario - the palace of the chancellery, Paul III - the Palazzo Farnese. However, a significant part of the amphitheater survived, although the building as a whole remained disfigured. Sixtus V intended to use it to set up a cloth factory, and Clement IX actually turned the Colosseum into a plant for the extraction of saltpeter.

The tearing away of the stone, threatening to completely destroy ancient monument, stopped only in the middle of the 18th century by Pope Benedict XIV, who installed a cross on the building, and around it a number of altars in memory of the torture, the procession to Calvary and the death of the Savior on the cross and consecrated it as a place of martyrdom of many Christians. This cross and altars were removed from the Colosseum only in 1874. The popes who followed Benedict XIV, especially Pius VII and Leo XII, continued to take care of the safety of the surviving parts of the building and reinforced the parts of the walls that were in danger of falling with buttresses, and Pius IX corrected some of the internal stairs in it.

The current appearance of the amphitheater is almost a triumph of minimalism: a strict ellipse, three tiers made in three orders, a precisely calculated arch shape. Initially, each arch was accompanied by a statue, and the giant opening between the walls was covered with canvas using a special mechanism.

The New Seven Wonders of the World is a project whose goal was to search for the modern seven wonders of the world. The selection of the new seven “wonders of the world” from the famous architectural structures of the world took place via SMS, telephone or Internet. In total, 90 million people around the world took part in the selection of new wonders of the world. The result was announced on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon. The results of this voting caused outrage, because many equally beautiful and famous landmarks were not included in the finals. Nevertheless, here it is seven in the form in which the voters determined it. We admire and evaluate, and also share our impressions in the comments. There are detailed stories about many miracles on LifeGlobe, with many interesting facts and photographs. To get there, just follow the links in the article.

Competition “7 New Wonders of the World” Organized by the non-profit organization New Open World Corporation (NOWC) on the initiative of the Swiss Bernard Werber. On July 7, 2007, the day of the “three sevens,” the new seven wonders of the world were named in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. They were the Great Wall of China, the Roman Colosseum, the Taj Mahal, the city of Petra in Jordan, the Statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, the Indian City of Machu Picchu in Peru and the Mayan Pyramid in the city of Chichen Itza (Mexico). Let's talk about each of the Wonders of the World in more detail.

the great Wall of China

The largest architectural monument, passing through China for 8851.8 km. This building is rightfully considered the greatest achievement of world civilization. The Great Wall of China is truly unique and surrounded by many mysteries. In terms of the grandeur of its structure, the Great Wall of China has no equal in the history of world architecture. From its highest points you can admire the breathtaking panorama.

For a long time there was a myth that the Great Wall is the only structure that can be seen from space. However, this turned out to be just a delusion. The myth that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure that can be seen from space has been very popular in China for quite some time. When American astronauts said they could not detect it from space, many in China attributed this to the fact that the astronauts were foreigners. But later, the first Chinese cosmonaut Yang Liwei and, finally, the second pair of Chinese “taikonauts” confirmed the disappointing observations of the Americans.

Coliseum

UNESCO representatives also do not recognize the results of this vote. This decision was justified in this organization by the fact that not all inhabitants of the earth had the opportunity to take part in the vote. In many parts of the world there are still no mobile phones or internet.

The Vatican also expressed its note of protest, accusing the organizers of the online voting for the seven new wonders of the world of deliberately ignoring Christian monuments. Although the short list of contenders includes the monumental statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro and Moscow's St. Basil's Cathedral, Rome is convinced that these works of art were included in the list of finalists only due to political pressure from these two countries, notes the London newspaper The Times.

February 3, 2013 | Categories: Places , History , Topper , Architecture