Nowadays, it is customary to call unique artistic and technical creations a wonder of the world, which, due to their level of performance, evoke the admiration of most specialists. But in fairness, this erroneous approach should be corrected - the wonders of the world include specific objects created by people in ancient times.

Below is a list of 7 wonders of the ancient world...

1. Pyramids of Cheops (Giza)

The Pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu (in the Greek version of Cheops), or the Great Pyramid, is the greatest of the Egyptian pyramids, the oldest of the seven wonders of the world of antiquity and the only one of them that has survived to our time. For over four thousand years, the pyramid was the largest building in the world.

The Pyramid of Cheops is located in the far suburb of Cairo, Giza. Nearby there are two more pyramids of the pharaohs Khafre and Menkaure (Khefre and Mikerin), according to ancient historians, the sons and successors of Khufu. These are the three largest pyramids in Egypt.

Following ancient authors, most modern historians consider the pyramids to be funerary structures of ancient Egyptian monarchs. Some scientists believe that these were astronomical observatories. There is no direct evidence that pharaohs were buried in the pyramids, but other versions of their purpose are less convincing.

Based on ancient “royal lists”, it has been established that Cheops reigned around 2585-2566. BC. Construction of the "Sacred Height" lasted 20 years and ended after the death of Khufu, around 2560 BC.

Other versions of the construction dates, based on astronomical methods, give dates from 2720 to 2577. BC. Radiocarbon dating shows a scatter of 170 years, from 2850 to 2680. BC.

There are also exotic opinions expressed by supporters of theories of aliens visiting the Earth, the existence of ancient civilizations, or adherents of occult movements. They determine the age of the Cheops pyramid from 6-7 to tens of thousands of years.

2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Babylon)

The existence of one of the wonders of the world, many scientists question and argue that it is nothing more than a figment of the imagination of an ancient chronicler, whose idea was picked up by his colleagues and began to be carefully copied from chronicle to chronicle. They justify their assertion by the fact that the Gardens of Babylon are most carefully described by those who have never seen them, while historians who have visited ancient Babylon are silent about the miracle erected there.

Archaeological excavations have shown that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon still existed.

Naturally, they did not hang on ropes, but were a four-story building, built in the shape of a pyramid with a huge amount of vegetation, and were part of the palace building. This unique structure received its name due to an incorrect translation of the Greek word “kremastos”, which actually means “hanging” (for example, from a terrace).

The unique gardens were erected by order of the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II, who lived in the 7th century. BC. He built them especially for his wife Amytis, daughter of Cyaxares, king of Media (it was with him that the Babylonian ruler entered into an alliance against the common enemy, Assyria, and won the final victory over this state).

Amitis, who grew up among the mountains of green and fertile Media, did not like dusty and noisy Babylon, located on a sandy plain. The Babylonian ruler was faced with a choice - to move the capital closer to his wife’s homeland or to make her stay in Babylon more comfortable. They decided to build hanging gardens that would remind the queen of her homeland. Where exactly they are located, history is silent, and therefore there are several hypotheses:

• The main version says that this wonder of the world is located near the modern city of Hilla, which is located on the Ephrat River in the center of Iraq.
• An alternative version, based on re-decipherment of cuneiform tablets, states that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are located in Nineveh, the capital of Assyria (located in the north of modern Iraq), which after its fall was transferred to the Babylonian state.

The very idea of ​​​​creating hanging gardens in the middle of a dry plain seemed simply fantastic at that time. The local architects and engineers of the ancient world were able to accomplish this task - and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which were later included in the list of the Seven Wonders of the World, were built, became part of the palace and were located on its north-eastern side.

They say that the statue of Zeus at Olympia turned out to be so majestic that when Phidias, having created it, asked his creation: “Are you satisfied, Zeus?” - thunder struck, and the black marble floor at the god’s feet cracked. The Thunderer was pleased.

Despite the fact that only memories of one of the most majestic statues of this scale have reached us, the mere description of the monument, which was in its own way a real masterpiece of jewelry, cannot but shake the imagination. Both before and after the creation of the statue of Olympian Zeus, people have not created a monument of such a scale - and it is not a fact that they ever will: this wonder of the world turned out to be too expensive in cost and huge in scale.

The uniqueness of this monument also lies in the fact that the statue of Olympian Zeus, the only one of all the wonders of the ancient world, was located on the territory of continental Europe, in the Greek city of Olympia, which is located on the Balkan Peninsula.

The statue of Zeus in Olympia took quite a long time to create: Phidias spent about ten years on it. When she appeared before the residents and guests of Olympia in 435 BC, she was a real wonder of the world.

The exact dimensions of the statue have not yet been determined, but apparently its height ranged from 12 to 17 meters. Zeus, naked to the waist, sat on a throne, his feet were on a bench supported by two lions. The pedestal on which the throne was located was quite huge: its dimensions were 9.5 by 6.5 m. Ebony, gold, ivory and jewelry were used to make it.

The throne itself was decorated with images of scenes from the life of the Greek celestials, the goddesses of victory danced on its legs, and the battles of the Greeks with the Amazons were depicted on the crossbars and, naturally, the Olympic Games were not absent (Panen did the painting). The Thunderer was made from ebony wood, and his entire body was covered with plates of ivory of the highest quality. The master selected materials for his statue extremely meticulously.

On the head of the supreme god there was a wreath, and in one hand he held the golden Nike, the goddess of Victory, in the other - a scepter decorated with an eagle, symbolizing supreme power. The god's clothes were made of gold sheets (in total, about two hundred kilograms of gold were needed to make the sculpture). The Thunderer's cloak was decorated with images of representatives of the animal and plant world.

Nowadays, a marble copy of one of the wonders of the world can be seen in the Hermitage, where it was brought from Italy in 1861. Apparently, this statue of Zeus was created by a Roman author in the first century BC, and it was found during archaeological excavations in the vicinity of Rome at the end of the 18th century. It is notable for the fact that today it is one of the largest antique sculptures that are in museums in the world - the height of the monument is 3.5 meters and weighs 16 tons.

The sculpture was acquired at the beginning of the 19th century by one of the Italian collectors, Marquis D. Campana.

He did not have it for long, because after some time he went bankrupt, his property was confiscated and sold at auction. Before the auction, the director of the Hermitage managed to persuade the Italian authorities to give him the opportunity to purchase some things before the sale, thus, the best exhibits from the collection of the bankrupt marquis, including the statue of the Thunderer, ended up in the Hermitage.

4. Temple of Artemis of Ephesus (Ephesus)

According to ancient Greek belief, Artemis was the goddess of hunting and fertility, the patroness of all life on earth. She looked after the animals in the forest, herds of domestic animals, and plants. Artemis provided a happy marriage and assistance during childbirth.

In honor of Artemis, a temple was built in Ephesus on the site of the former sanctuary of the Carian goddess, also responsible for fertility. The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus was so large that it was immediately included in the list of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The construction was financed by the Lydian king Croesus, and the construction work was led by the architect from Knossos, Kharsifron. During his time they managed to erect walls and columns. After his death, his son Metagenes took over the post of chief architect. The last stage of construction was led by Peonitus and Demetrius.

The Temple of Artemis of Ephesus was completed in 550 BC. A delightful sight opened before the local residents; nothing like this had ever been built here. And although it is currently impossible to recreate the former decoration of the temple, you can be sure that the best craftsmen of their time, working here, could not have made a mistake. The statue of the culprit of the construction itself was made of ivory and gold.

It was possible to recreate the image of the former majestic temple of the goddess Artemis in Ephesus only after archaeological excavations. The temple measured 105 by 51 meters. The roof of the structure was supported by 127 columns, each 18 meters high. According to legend, each column was donated by one of the 127 Greek rulers.

In addition to religious services, the temple was in full swing with financial and business life. It was the center of Ephesus, independent from the authorities, subordinate to the local college of priests.

In 356 BC, when the famous Alexander the Great was born, the temple of Artemis was burned by the Ephesian resident Herostratus. The motive of this feat is to remain in history in memory of posterity. After being caught, the arsonist faced capital punishment. In addition to this, it was also decided to eradicate the name of this person from history. But what is forbidden sits even more firmly in people’s memories, and the name of Herostratus is now a household name.

By the 3rd century BC, the wonder of the world, the Temple of Artemis in Greece, was restored on the initiative of the aforementioned Alexander the Great, but with the arrival of the Goths, it was again destroyed. Later, with the ban on pagan cults, the Byzantine authorities closed the temple. Then they begin to gradually dismantle it for building materials, as a result of which the temple fades into oblivion. A Christian church was built in its place, but it also faced the fate of destruction.

On October 31, 1869, the English archaeologist Wood manages to find the location of the former Temple of Artemis in Turkey, and excavations begin. Now in its place stands one column restored from the rubble. Despite this, the place still attracts thousands of tourists.

5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Let's move to the ancient city of Halicarnassus. It was the capital of Caria and, as befits the capital of a state, it was famous for its beauty and grandeur. Temples, theaters, palaces, gardens, fountains, and a living harbor guaranteed the city honor and respect. But the tomb of King Mausolus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, occupied special attention here. So, the miracle of the world is the mausoleum in Halicarnassus.

King Mausolus, ruling Caria in the 4th century BC. (377-353), according to the experience of the Egyptian pharaohs, began the construction of his tomb during his lifetime. It was supposed to be a unique structure. Located in the center of the city, among palaces and temples, it symbolizes the power and wealth of the king. And to worship the late king, it must combine both a tomb and a temple. The best architects and sculptors were allocated for the construction - Pythias, Satyr, Leochares, Scopas, Briaxides, Timothy. After the death of the king, his wife, Queen Artemisia, approached the construction of an eternal monument to her great husband even more intensively.

The construction was completed in 350 BC. Its appearance combined several architectural styles of that time. The mausoleum had three levels with a total height of 46 meters. The first tier was a massive base made of brick, lined with marble. Next on it stood a temple with 36 columns. The columns supported the roof in the form of a pyramid with 24 steps. At the top of the roof there was a sculpture of King Mausolus and Artemisia in a chariot drawn by 4 horses. Around the building there were statues of horsemen and lions. The beauty of the structure was mesmerizing; it is no coincidence that the mausoleum in Halicarnassus quickly became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The tomb of Mausolus and his wife itself was located in the lower tier. An upper room with columns and a statue of Mausolus was built to worship the king. The statue has survived to this day, and fully reflects the image of the despot king. The sculptor subtly conveyed the character of Mavsol in his facial features - evil, cruel, capable of getting everything he needs. It is no coincidence that he was a very rich man. Next to the statue of Mausolus there was a statue of Queen Artemisia. The sculptor embellished it, presented it in a stately, soft image. The famous sculptor of that time, Skopas, worked on it. Both of these statues are now considered among the finest in Greek culture from the 4th century BC. Separately, it is worth mentioning the upper part of the mausoleum’s base. The sculptors decorated it with scenes from the Greek epic - the battle with the Amazons, hunting, the battle of the Lapiths with the centaurs.

Mausoleum - a word derived from the name of King Mavsol, is currently a common noun among all peoples.

After 18 centuries, the mausoleum was destroyed by an earthquake. Later, its ruins were used to build St. Peter's Castle by the Knights of St. John. When the Turks arrived, the castle became the Budrun Fortress, currently called Bodrum. Excavations here were carried out in 1857. Relief slabs, statues of Mausolus and Artemisia, and a statue of a chariot were found. They are currently on display in the British Museum.

6. Colossus of Rhodes (Rhodes)

The Colossus of Rhodes is a huge statue that has become one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The grateful inhabitants of the island of Rhodes decided to build it in honor of the sun god Helios, who helped them survive the unequal struggle with the invaders. The siege of the beautiful island lasted almost a year and the likelihood of victory was negligible, but the patron helped the islanders win. For this, Helios was immortalized in the guise of a huge statue. For the people of Rhodes, the statue represented independence and freedom, just like the Statue of Liberty in New York for the Americans.

The island of Rhodes had an advantageous geographical location; its inhabitants traded freely with many countries, which ensured the wealth of the city as a whole and each citizen individually. From its foundation until the 3rd century. BC. Rhodes was ruled in turn by the famous king Mausolus, the Persian rulers and Alexander the Great. None of them oppressed the city or prevented it from developing. However, after the death of Alexander the Great, his heirs began to divide the inherited lands in a bloody struggle.

The island of Rhodes went to Ptolemy, but the other heir (Antigonus) considered this unfair and sent his son to destroy the city. This would help to equalize the power of Ptolemy. Demetrius, the son of Antigonus, assembled a huge army that outnumbered the islanders. Only impregnable walls prevented the soldiers from immediately entering the capital and destroying it. The enemies used siege towers - huge wooden catapults that were installed on ships. The inhabitants of Rhodes managed to delay their enemies until the arrival of Ptolemy's army and defend their homeland.

Having sold the siege engines and the surviving ships of the invaders, the inhabitants of Rhodes decided to erect a huge statue of the god Helios, their patron. Until then, any statues were called colossi, but after the Colossus of Rhodes, only the largest of them began to be called that.

Construction of the Colossus began in 302 BC. and finished only after 12 years (according to other sources after 20 years). They installed the statue on an artificial embankment that blocked the entrance to the harbor. Behind this hill, for a long time, individual parts of the sculpture were hidden from prying eyes. The mound with the statue turned into a kind of gateway to the city. Some poets described the Colossus as standing on two hills. The ships had to sail between Helios' legs. However, this version is considered doubtful. The stability of such a sculpture would be too low, and large ships would not be able to dock in the port.

The statue has not survived to this day, but numerous descriptions from contemporaries indicate that the Colossus stood on one of the banks, and not at all in the form of an arch, as artists depict it. In the giant's hand was a bowl of blazing fire. At the base there were three pillars that served as support. The builders inlaid two of them with bronze parts to disguise Helios at the feet. The third pillar was in the place where the cloak or part of the sheet of the majestic Colossus fell.

Residents wanted the statue to point its hand into the distance, but the sculptor understood that this would reduce the stability of the structure, so the statue seemed to be covering its eyes from the sun with its palm. The torso and main elements were made of sheets of iron and bronze. They were secured to support posts. The space inside was filled with large stones and clay to increase stability. The free space was covered with earth so that workers could move freely along the surface and secure the following parts. In total, the production of the Colossus required 8 tons of iron and 13 tons of bronze. The resulting statue reached a height of 34 m.

The statue of the Colossus of Rhodes was so huge that it could be seen from ships sailing in the distance. According to the descriptions of contemporaries, she was a tall young man with a radiant crown on her head. One hand of the young man covered his eyes, and the other caught his falling robe.

Another poet, Philo, described the Colossus differently. He claimed that the statue was on a marble pedestal and was striking in the size of its feet. Each of them was the size of a small statue itself. There was a working torch at arm's length. It was lit at night to illuminate the way for sailors.

Scientists are still trying to discover where the Colossus of Rhodes is located or where exactly it was installed. At the end of the 20th century, huge boulders were discovered off the coast of the island of Rhodes, which resembled the fragments of a statue in shape. However, the theory that these are elements of an ancient sculpture was not confirmed. But researcher Ursula Vedder suggested that the Colossus did not stand near the shore at all, but on Monte Smith Hill. The ruins of the Temple of Helios remain here, and its foundations have a suitable platform on which the Colossus could have stood.

7. Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos)

Only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world had a practical purpose - the Lighthouse of Alexandria. It performed several functions at once: it allowed ships to approach the harbor without any problems, and the observation post located at the top of the unique structure made it possible to monitor the expanses of water and notice the enemy in time.

Locals claimed that the light of the Alexandria lighthouse burned enemy ships even before they approached the shore, and if they managed to approach the coast, the statue of Poseidon, located on the dome of an amazing design, uttered a piercing warning cry.

The height of the ancient lighthouse was 140 meters - much higher than the surrounding buildings. In ancient times, the buildings did not exceed three floors, and against their background the Faros Lighthouse seemed huge. Moreover, at the time of completion of construction it turned out to be the tallest building of the ancient world and remained so for an extremely long time.

The Alexandria Lighthouse was built on the east coast of the small island of Pharos, located near Alexandria - the main seaport of Egypt, built by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. It is also known in history as the Faros Lighthouse.

The great commander chose the location for the construction of the city extremely carefully: he initially planned to build a port in this region, which would be an important trading center.

It was extremely important that it be located at the intersection of both water and land routes of three parts of the world - Africa, Europe and Asia. For the same reason, it was necessary to build at least two harbors here: one for ships arriving from the Mediterranean Sea, and the other for those sailing along the Nile.

Therefore, Alexandria was not built in the Nile Delta, but a little to the side, twenty miles to the south. When choosing a location for the city, Alexander took into account the location of future harbors, paying special attention to their strengthening and protection: it was very important to do everything to ensure that the waters of the Nile did not clog them with sand and silt (a dam was subsequently built specifically for this purpose, connecting the continent with an island).

After the death of Alexander the Great (who, according to legend, was born on the day of the destruction of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus), after some time the city came under the rule of Ptolemy I Soter - and as a result of skillful management it turned into a successful and prosperous port city, and the construction of one of the seven wonders of the world was significant increased his wealth.

The Alexandria lighthouse made it possible for ships to sail into the port without any problems, successfully avoiding underwater rocks, shoals and other obstacles in the bay. Thanks to this, after the construction of one of the seven wonders, the volume of light trade increased sharply.

The lighthouse also served as an additional reference point for sailors: the landscape of the Egyptian coast is quite diverse - mostly just lowlands and plains. Therefore, signal lights before entering the harbor were very useful.

A lower structure could have successfully performed this role, so the engineers assigned another important function to the Lighthouse of Alexandria - the role of an observation post: enemies usually attacked from the sea, since the country was well defended on the land side by the desert.

It was also necessary to install such an observation post at the lighthouse because there were no natural hills near the city where this could be done.

The lighthouse of Alexandria has served since 283 BC. until the 15th century, when a fortress was erected instead. Thus, he experienced more than one dynasty of Egyptian rulers and saw Roman legionnaires. This did not particularly affect its fate: no matter who ruled Alexandria, everyone made sure that the unique structure stood for as long as possible - they restored parts of the building that had been destroyed due to frequent earthquakes, and updated the facade, which was negatively affected by wind and salty sea water.

Time has done its work: the lighthouse stopped working in 365, when one of the strongest earthquakes in the Mediterranean Sea caused a tsunami that flooded part of the city, and the number of dead Egyptians, according to chroniclers, exceeded 50 thousand inhabitants.

After this event, the lighthouse significantly decreased in size, but stood for quite a long time - until the 14th century, until another strong earthquake wiped it off the face of the earth (a hundred years later, Sultan Qait Bey built a fortress on its foundation, which can be seen Nowadays). After this, the pyramids at Giza remained the only ancient wonder of the world that has survived to this day.

In the mid-90s. the remains of the Alexandria lighthouse were discovered at the bottom of the bay with the help of a satellite, and after some time, scientists, using computer modeling, were able to more or less restore the image of the unique structure.

But really, why are the Egyptian pyramids considered the first of the 7 wonders of the world? To begin with, it is important to clarify that the list of 7 wonders of the world does not include all pyramids, but only one, the most majestic Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu). Researchers still cannot fully understand how people could build it in such an ancient time. Even now there is an opinion that it was not built by human hands at all, but by some incomprehensible external force. But since these are just guesses, there is no point in writing much about it.

Why is the Cheops pyramid called a miracle?

There is no exact definition here, but there are many facts that force us to agree that it is simply impossible not to call this structure a miracle.

• The first is the size of the pyramid. For more than three thousand years in a row, the structure was the tallest on Earth. The size of the base was originally 227.5, height - 146 meters. Over time, the structure collapsed slightly, as a result of which the pyramid is now 9 meters lower.
• The second is the materials that were used for construction. In total, the pyramid took 2.3 million stone blocks. The weight of one such block is no less than two and a half tons. In addition, it is important to pay attention to the density of the pyramid. The stones fit together so well that even the thinnest blade cannot fit between them.
• Third - appearance. Initially, the pyramid was covered with a facing material such as white limestone. During the day, when the sun illuminated the pyramid, it shone with a bright peach color, which made it look like a real miracle, “to which, it seemed, the Sun God Ra himself gave his rays.” Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to see this beauty, since after the Arab attack in 1168, local residents used the cladding to restore their houses.

Having studied all the facts about the pyramid, evaluating its appearance, the correctness of its geometric shapes, etc., it is difficult to disagree with the opinion that it is actually a miracle. After all, this is a structure that was created 2584–2561 BC and has retained its integrity to this day. That is why the Egyptian pyramids are considered the first of the 7 wonders of the world: because of their age, their greatness and the number of mysteries that they contain.

The Great Pyramids are the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that has survived to this day. Ancient Egypt - one of the earliest states in the world - arose in the valley of the longest river on our planet, the Nile, around 3000 BC. e., when the legendary Pharaoh Mena united the country and became the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt. This state existed for more than two and a half thousand years, it was replaced by 30 dynasties before it fell under the attacks of the Persians.

Scientists divide the history of Ancient Egypt into the following eras: First (early 4 thousand BC) and Second (mid 4 thousand BC) predynastic periods; Early Kingdom (XXXII-XXIX centuries BC); Ancient Kingdom (XXIX-XXIII centuries BC); First transition period (XXIII-XXI centuries BC); Middle Kingdom (XXI-XVIII centuries BC); Second transitional period (late 18th - mid 16th centuries BC); New Kingdom (XVI-XI centuries BC); Third transition period (XI-X centuries BC); Late Kingdom (IX-VII centuries BC); era of Persian rule (late VI-IV centuries BC). And only a few centuries of the Old Kingdom fell on the era of the pyramid builders.

The high priest of the sacred city of Annu, which the Greeks called Heliopolis, the astronomer Imhotep connected the pyramids with the sky. Previously, kings were buried in mastabas, which consisted of an underground burial chamber and a rectangular stone structure above the ground. But Imhotep ordered the construction of five more similar buildings above the mastaba, and received a step pyramid for his pharaoh Djoser. The pharaoh had to ascend to the sky along these steps.

The pyramids of the pharaohs Cheops, Khafre and Mikerin located in Giza are called the Great Pyramids. They belong to the period of the IV dynasty. They were not stepped, but smooth pyramidal in shape, lined with white limestone and sparkled in the sun. The Cheops pyramid is made up of 2 million 300 thousand stone blocks, precisely fitted to each other, without any binding substances. The weight of each block is approximately from 2 to 14 tons. Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian who visited Egypt two millennia after the construction of the Great Pyramids, wrote that the blocks were lifted using wooden levers from tier to tier along special ramps, and not far from the Cheops pyramid was found An ancient quarry and the remains of a ramp. The remains of a harbor were discovered, where stones were delivered from afar.

Who built the pyramids? According to Herodotus, these were slaves. Moreover, their work was so exhausting that 100 thousand slaves changed there every three months. However, recent archaeological studies refute this claim: the remains of a builders' camp and their burials were found. These were, most likely, free people who performed labor duties and received payment for their work. The workers were divided into teams, and there were even competitions between the teams! However, it is difficult to imagine that construction was abandoned during the Nile flood, when the suffering began - after all, most Egyptians were engaged in agriculture. Most likely, some specialists lived near the pyramids permanently. These people were taken care of and treated well. One construction worker had a craniotomy and another had his leg amputated, but lived for many years after that. After all, building pyramids was not an easy task and required great precision and knowledge.

The pyramids themselves and their structure are fraught with many mysteries. Remains of ditches were found near the pyramids. Probably, the ditches were filled with water and the stone was chipped off, focusing on its level, so that the site became level. The ditches were dug so that the structure was located exactly along the cardinal points. The average deviation from the exact direction is only slightly greater than 3°. The architects navigated by the stars, and probably did this with the help of reflections in the water. A thin rope was pulled over a ditch filled with water and moved until its reflection on the surface of the water coincided with the reflection of the star. Researcher Kate Spence thinks these were the stars Mizar and Kohab in the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Perhaps the pyramids were a kind of observatory calendars, because the Egyptians used the stars to determine the beginning of the Nile flood, or the stars simply had a sacred meaning - after all, the Egyptians believed that after death a pharaoh becomes a star in the northern sky. “Star” hypotheses haunt researchers. Robert Bauval, for example, believes that the system of corridors and chambers in the Great Pyramid corresponds to the pattern of the constellation Orion, and even the location of the pyramids at Giza also depicts this constellation. Whether this is a coincidence or not is unknown.

It is interesting that the length of the base of the Cheops pyramid is 230 m, its height was originally 146.7 m. Half the perimeter of the base, divided by the height, will give the number 3.137, close to the number π (3.1415). How did the Egyptians know the number pi? This question led to numerous hypotheses, including the existence of an unknown high civilization. In the 20th century discovered a new mystery of the pyramids when the structure of the DNA molecule was deciphered. It turned out that it is a double helix, reminiscent of a ladder of sugar (deoxyribose) and phosphoric acid. The “steps” of this ladder are nitrogenous bases. And they attach to the “sides” of DNA precisely at angles from 50° to 54°, with an average angle of 51°45′. In the Cheops pyramid the angle of inclination of the faces is 51°51′! Did the Egyptians really know the structure of DNA? The answer may be much simpler. This structure is the most durable and it was developed precisely in the process of evolution. The structure of the pyramids is just as strong. The ancient builders, from their own experience and thanks to the calculations available to them, came to the conclusion that it was precisely this tilt that would make the pyramids stable. And they were not mistaken - the ancient pyramids have survived to this day, leaving researchers with a wide field for work.

A story about the pyramids would be incomplete without mentioning the Sphinx. The word is Greek, but what the Egyptians called it is unknown. The Sphinx - a reclining lion with a human head - is the oldest monumental sculpture on earth. The face of the sphinx is believed to represent Pharaoh Khafre (c. 2575-2465 BC), whose pyramid is nearby. But the Sphinx has Negroid features, and other images of Khafre do not confirm this. The date of creation of this sculpture is also unknown. The traces of erosion found on it make us wonder: what if the Sphinx is much older, because heavy rains fell in Egypt 10 thousand years ago. True, erosion can also be explained by the usual destruction of the limestone from which the statue is made. Interestingly, the sphinx's nose is broken off. According to one version, this was done by a Sufi fanatic in 1378, when he saw that peasants were bringing gifts to the sphinx in the hope of a good harvest. He became angry and struck the statue, for which he was torn to pieces by the crowd. This story confirms that even in the era of Islam, the Egyptians continued to worship the ancient deity. This means that the ancient civilization continued to live in the memory of the people, and not just in historical works.

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In the suburbs of Cairo, where the Nile Valley smoothly turns into the Libyan Desert, the Great Pyramids of Egypt stand on the Giza Plateau. They are like a mirage, they appear from the hot sands of the desert. In ancient times, these amazing structures were. Centuries have passed, but they are impressive in their size, and their secrets still excite the minds of scientists and researchers.

Pyramids of Giza in Egypt

The Egyptian pyramids are the most famous and tallest in the world. This is the only surviving ancient wonder of the world. They aroused the admiration of great men and mere mortals. The pyramid complex at Giza, guarded by the Great Sphinx, is part of the huge necropolis of this city.

They were built during the time of the Egyptian pharaohs of the IV dynasty, which ruled the ancient state in 2639-2506 BC. Next to the huge structures there are small temples and pyramids in which the wives of the pharaohs, their officials and priests are buried. Scientists are still studying these burials.

Until now, researchers continue to argue about the purpose of these structures. There is a traditional version that says that the huge mounds that rise above the mortal world are the tombs of the pharaohs. Their ashes in such burials were closer to the sky and the sun. Some scientists believe that the Egyptian pyramids are temples where ministers of the cult of the Sun performed religious ceremonies. Other researchers suggest that these were scientific laboratories created for astronomical observations. German archaeologists have put forward another interesting hypothesis. They believe that the pyramids are natural generators of earth energy. Thanks to her, the pharaohs were “charged” and rejuvenated. Pharaohs visited the pyramids as regularly as a modern person goes to a psychologist or massage therapist. Most scientists believe that they were on Earth before the biblical flood. Therefore, all their secrets will have to be unraveled for more than one generation.

Egyptian pyramids: interesting facts

The great ones were erected at different times under several pharaohs, who created tombs and monuments for themselves for centuries. The oldest of them is the Pyramid of Djoser. Its construction dates back to 2670. It is located in the city of Saqqara. Its height is 62 meters. The name of the author of this pyramid is known - he was the ancient Egyptian architect Imhotep. He was highly revered in Ancient Egypt, and later, even in myths, he became the main patron of crafts and arts - the son of the god Ptah.

The second largest ancient Egyptian pyramid was built by the son of Cheops, Pharaoh Khafre. It is lower than the nearby tomb of Cheops, its height is 136.4 meters, but since it is located on a higher point of the plateau, it competes with the Great Pyramid. At its top, a white basalt lining still remains, which is very reminiscent of a glacier. The internal structure of the pyramid is quite simple - two chambers, two entrances, located on the north side. One of them is located at a height of fifteen meters, and the second is directly below it, at the base of the building.

The Pyramid of Mikerin was built in 2504 BC. It is much smaller than the two great pyramids. Height - 66 meters. Scientists believe that the small size is due to the fact that Mikerin was not the legal heir to the throne. However, when he finally gained power, the structure began to have a more monumental appearance. Unlike the pyramids of Cheops and Khafre, its cladding was made of huge blocks of pink granite, which were brought to Giza from Aswan along the Nile. And downstream it was built. According to the surviving records of contemporaries, despite its more modest size, this structure was considered the most beautiful in Egypt.

Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt

Much later, similar structures were built in other areas of the country, which Egypt is proud of today. Giza, whose pyramids are known all over the world, gained great fame thanks to one of them - Cheops. It has become a real wonder of the world, which can still be seen in our time. The three tallest structures are rightfully considered the great Egyptian pyramids - the pyramids of Cheops, Mikerin and Khafre. But do not forget that in this ancient city there are many small buildings that keep no less secrets than the more monumental ones.

The Pyramid of Cheops in Giza was built a long time ago. It is still unknown exactly how long it took to build it. This great pyramid of Giza is believed to have stood since the time when the country was ruled by Cheops, the pharaoh of the 4th dynasty. The enormous interest in the history of its construction continues today. Myths about the pyramid There are many theories about the origin of this grandiose structure. Some of them are based on information received from Egyptologists, others have a somewhat exotic, fairy-tale touch. There is even a version that this structure was erected by aliens or some vanished civilization that lived in these places even before the appearance of the pharaohs. And they built it using unknown technical capabilities. According to such theories, the age of this pyramid at Giza is significantly higher than that indicated by modern scientists.

It is quite difficult to accurately measure the parameters of the Cheops pyramid in our time, since it has suffered greatly over its long history. Today, for example, the stone that crowned the structure is no longer there; the facing slabs have been destroyed. According to data obtained using modern measuring instruments, initially great pyramid of giza had a height of 146.5 meters. The length of one side is 232.5 meters. The sides have a slope of 51 degrees 50 minutes. Weight - 6,400,000 tons. The internal structure of the famous one is quite interesting.

Anyone who enters this majestic structure can visit four spacious rooms. These are the chambers of the king and queen, a large gallery and an underground chamber. Researchers discovered four shafts inside the pyramid. At first there was an assumption that they were necessary for ventilation of rooms, but later a bolder version arose, according to which the mines are channels to the stars.

Two of them are aimed at the North Star, the third - at the star Sirius, the fourth - at Orion. Since ancient times, people have sought to climb to the top of the Cheops pyramid, where there is a small area measuring ten square meters. There was a belief that there you could come into contact with eternity. Many famous Russians have visited this mysterious place. Among them is Emperor Nicholas II. And today many tourists come to Giza who want to see this miracle with their own eyes. Those who are interested in the history of Egypt can read about.

Sphinx - guardian of the pyramids of Giza

The Pyramids of Giza are guarded by the Great Sphinx, the oldest sculpture that has survived to this day. This is a lion with the head of a man. The history of the creation of this figure is no less mysterious than the history of the pyramids. There are many versions of the appearance of the Sphinx, but the most common of them says that the sculpture was built by Khafre in memory of his father, Pharaoh Cheops.

It is believed that the Sphinx was created much earlier, and under the pharaoh it was dug out of the sand during the construction of the great pyramid. Some inconsistency with the first version is that the face of the Sphinx has Negroid features, while all images of Cheops that have survived to this day do not have such features.

Many legends are associated with the Sphinx's lack of a nose. The most common theory is that this mythical animal lost its nose to Napoleon's cannons during the battle between the Turks and the French in 1798. But this is fiction, because there are images from 1737 in which the Sphinx no longer had a nose. Therefore, this sculpture is a big mystery for scientists around the world who study the civilization of Ancient Egypt. Many of the finds are stored in.
Nowadays, the pyramids in Giza are one of the world's main attractions, which are fraught with a great many secrets and mysteries. It is not at all surprising that the Egyptian pyramids are under the protection of UNESCO. Every year millions of tourists come to Egypt to see them and feel the extraordinary spirit of ancient times.

Moreover, it is the only one that has survived to this day. A lot of facts have been written about this unique structure, and you can read them all on Wikipedia. We want to outline the general concepts of the pyramid and interesting facts about it.

First of all, you should know that it is the largest pyramid in Egypt. Previously, its height was about 146 meters, and today it is approximately 138 m. The date of construction is somewhere around 2600 BC, although this is imprecise and is disputed by many scientists.

Pyramid of Cheops - the first wonder of the world

Today, this stunning building surprises with its size and incredible accuracy of engineering calculations. It seems that the ancient Egyptians knew perfectly well the principle of the golden ratio, possessed the secret of the number Pi and other scientific knowledge that was discovered much later.

There is an assumption that these stone giants are space observatories. After all, the shape of the pyramids exactly follows the contours of Orion.

Others believe that these buildings used to serve as powerful energy generators. They were originally covered in limestone, and shone on like supernatural beacons.

Fragments of the cladding with which the pyramid was initially completely covered

Inside the first wonder of the world - the pyramids of Cheops, you will find three chambers: underground, “Queen's Chamber” and “Pharaoh's Chamber”. You can get inside the artificial mountain through a natural entrance, located at an altitude of about 15 meters (somewhere like a 5-story building) or through an artificial one, which was made in 820.

If you have ever been to the Giza Plateau and seen the facts described with your own eyes, then you are unlikely to soon forget the unique wonder of the world - the Cheops Pyramid.

Pyramid of Cheops in section

On our website you can find another interesting article about how the largest Egyptian pyramid was opened. It must be said that many secrets become clear only upon closer examination.