"The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World" is the first known list of the most remarkable creations of classical antiquity; it was based on guidebooks popular among Hellenic sightseers and only includes works located around the Mediterranean rim and in Mesopotamia.
First established in the 1572 publication Octo Mundi Miracula, they are: Great Pyramid of Giza, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Temple of Artemis (Diana), the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Sadly, save for just one — the Great Pyramid — the others have long since been destroyed by fire, earthquakes and the ravages of time and man. The number seven was chosen because the Greeks believed it represented perfection and plenty, and because it was the number of the five planets known anciently, plus the sun and moon.
