How did the oceans form on earth? When and how was the ocean formed? The traditional division of MO into parts

We all know from childhood that there is an official list of the Seven Wonders of the World of the Ancient World. Many will even be able to name all of them without hesitation. Of course, for their time, these were mega-structures, the equals of which were not yet known. But let's take a look at them from ours, modern point vision and comparable with those monuments that exist in the world today and seem to us completely ordinary and familiar.

Cheops Pyramid (Giza, Egypt) - Ryugyong Hotel (Pyongyang, North Korea)

The Pyramid of Cheops is the only one of all the seven wonders of the world that has survived to this day. It was built as the tomb of Pharaoh Cheops in 2540 BC. Interesting fact that for the ancient Romans, for example, Pharaoh Cheops was as ancient as these same Romans for us, even more ancient. Be that as it may, in the modern world, buildings in the form of pyramids are also quite often built. But today it is, of course, not a tomb. For example, the Luxor Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, or the University of California stadium, has the shape of a pyramid.

And in the form of an elongated pyramid, one of the highest hotels in the world, the North Korean hotel Ryugyong, was built. Its construction began in 1982. The project was truly grandiose: 105 floors, more than 3000 rooms, 330 meters in height. The opening was supposed to take place in June 1989. However, due to shortages of materials and general construction problems, the completion dates were postponed several times. As a result, due to lack of funding and general economic crisis in the country, in 1992, construction was stopped. It resumed only in 2008. As of the end of 2015, the hotel was fully completed, but never put into operation.

hanging gardens Semiramis (Babylon - Iraq, Mesopotamia) - Garden of Miracles in Dubai (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

If you are well versed in history, then you probably know that the ancient wonder of the world would be more correctly called the Hanging Gardens of Amitis. The history of their appearance is as follows: the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, in order to fight against the main enemy - Assyria, entered into a military alliance with Cyaxares, the king of Media. As expected, the union was confirmed by the marriage of Nebuchadnezzar II to the daughter of the Median king Amitis. Dusty and noisy Babylon, located on a bare sandy plain, did not please the queen, who grew up in the mountainous and green Media. To console her, Nebuchadnezzar II ordered the construction of hanging gardens. However, in historical science the name of the gardens was erroneously assigned to the Assyrian queen Semiramis, who lived two centuries earlier. Around the 1st century BC, a severe flood destroyed the foundation and the structure collapsed.

There are not so many really large-scale hanging gardens in the world today. However, we have an example of how, having the desire and opportunities, we can turn a lifeless desert into a blooming garden. Of course, this is the well-known Arab Emirates and in particular the city of Dubai. This man-made oasis has become one of the largest flower parks in the world. It is all the more difficult to believe in this, given that there is a real desert around it. This garden even got into the Guinness Book of Records for one of its main attractions - a huge flower wall three meters high and 800 meters long.

Statue of Zeus at Olympia (Olympia, Greece) - Buddha of the Spring Temple (Henan Province, China)

The statue of Zeus at Olympia, like the entire temple in which this statue was installed, were truly majestic structures. In size, they surpassed all the temples existing at that time. Traditions say that the entire temple, including the roof, was built of marble, and 34 massive columns surrounding it were made of shell rock. It took more than 10 years to build it. Only then did they decide to invite the famous Athenian sculptor Phidias to create a statue of Zeus. The body of the Thunderer was made of ivory, the cape and staff, as well as many other elements, were made of pure gold, it took more than 200 kg to create the statue. Ebony and precious stones were used in the decoration.

The height of the statue together with the pedestal was, according to various sources, from 12 to 17 meters. Contemporaries wrote that people next to her looked like insignificant insects, and only one eye of the statue of Zeus was the size of an average human fist. The fate of the statue and the temple was not enviable. In 391 a.d. e. The Romans, after the adoption of Christianity, closed the Greek temples. Emperor Theodosius I forbade even approaching "filthy idols" on pain of death. After numerous wars and robberies that followed the death of Theodosius, only the base, some columns and sculptures remained from the temple of Olympian Zeus. However, the 11th-century Byzantine historian George Kedrin wrote that the statue itself was transported to Constantinople, where it burned down in a fire in 476.

Today it is already difficult to surprise anyone with statues and monuments even 20 meters high. For example, the monument to Lenin at the entrance to the Volga-Don Canal in Volgograd has a height of 27 meters and this is only the sculpture itself, and the total height of the monument, together with the pedestal, is 57 meters. The famous sculpture "The Motherland Calls!" in the same Volgograd with a height of 85 meters. But the largest statue in the world, next to which the statue of Olympian Zeus would seem just a toy, is located in Henan province in China. The height of the statue itself is 128 meters, the pedestal is another 30 meters. Thus, the total height of the monument is 153 meters. This is really a lot. Now it is hardly possible to calculate how much it cost the Greeks to build a statue of Zeus, but the Chinese spent $ 55 million on the Buddha of the Spring Temple.

Temple of Artemis of Ephesus (Ephesus, Turkey) - St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican)

Like many monuments from the list of wonders of the world of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus had a difficult fate. The original version of the large temple was built in the middle of the VI century BC, but after 300 years this temple was burned by Herostratus. Soon the sanctuary was restored, but already in a slightly rebuilt form, but in the III century it was plundered by the Goths. The work was completed by the Christians. After only a century, they completely destroyed the temple in connection with the prohibition of pagan cults. The width of the Temple of Artemis was 52 meters, length - 105 meters, the height of the columns - 18 meters. The roof of the temple was supported by 127 columns installed in eight rows. According to legend, each of these columns was a gift from one of the 127 kings.

Today, St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican is the largest church in the world, which has a total area of ​​more than 20,000 square meters. Its construction took more than 100 years and the efforts of several generations of outstanding Italian architects. The capacity of the cathedral itself is about 60 thousand people, plus another 40 thousand people can be accommodated in the square. The main work on the construction of the Cathedral was completed in 1667, but its excellent preservation, as well as the fact that it is open and still functioning, allow us to attribute it to modern buildings.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (Halicarnassus, Turkey) - Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (Hanoi, Vietnam)

A majestic monument, which, in fact, gave the name to all such structures in the future. Tombstone of the Carian ruler Mausolus, built in the middle of the 4th century BC. e. by order of his wife Artemisia III in Halicarnassus, modern Bodrum (Turkey). The decoration of the mausoleum included three sculptural friezes and at least 330 statues. The mausoleum stood for 19 centuries. It collapsed in the 13th century 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. Peter.

In the modern world, oddly enough, many mausoleums and tombs are also preserved. For Russians and people born in the Soviet Union, this is not at all surprising. Lenin's body has been in a mausoleum in the very center of Moscow for many decades. But, as in the ancient world, today's mausoleums are also completely different in size and decoration. One of the biggest modern mausoleums It is rightfully considered the tomb of the first president of North Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh. Mausoleum square shape is 21.6 m high and 41.2 m wide. In front of him is a stepped platform. Around the mausoleum there is a garden where about 250 species of flora grow from different regions of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh's body is in the central hall in a glass coffin. Access to the mausoleum usually takes place daily from 9 am to noon. It is strictly forbidden to take pictures inside.

Colossus of Rhodes (Rhodes, Greece) - Statue of Liberty (New York, USA)

Giant statue of the ancient Greek Sun God - Helios, which stood in port city Rhodes, located on the island of the same name in the Aegean Sea, in Greece. Helios was not just a particularly revered deity on this island - according to legend, he was its creator: without a place dedicated to him, the sun god carried the island on his hands from sea ​​depth. The sculptor Khares worked for 12 years to create this 36-meter bronze giant. The statue was made of clay, it had a metal frame at its base, and it was covered with bronze sheets on top. The pedestal on which the statue stood was made of white marble. The colossus stood for sixty-five years. In 222 or 226 BC. e. The statue was destroyed by the Rhodes earthquake. As Strabo writes, in his time "the statue lay on the ground, overthrown by an earthquake and broken at the knees." The fragments of the colossus lay on the ground for more than a thousand years, until finally they were sold by the Arabs, who captured Rhodes in 977, to a merchant who, according to one of the chronicles, loaded 900 camels with them.

Today, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most famous and recognizable sculptures in the world. Like the Colossus of Rhodes, she also stands in the sea, meeting all who are in the port of New York. She, in general, is called the New Colossus. The height of the statue from the ground to the top of the flag is 93 meters. It was created in France as a gift for the centenary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1876.

Lighthouse of Alexandria (Alexandria, Egypt) - Burj Khalifa (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

This lighthouse was built in the 3rd century BC. e. on the island of Faros near the Egyptian city of Alexandria so that the ships could safely pass the reefs on their way to the Alexandrian Bay. At night, they were helped in this by the reflection of flames, and during the day - by a column of smoke. The lighthouse consisted of three marble towers, standing on a base of massive stone blocks. The first part of the tower was rectangular, it contained rooms in which workers and soldiers lived. Above this part was a smaller, octagonal tower with a spiral ramp leading to the upper part. Top part The tower was shaped like a cylinder in which a fire burned. The lighthouse stood for almost a thousand years, but in 796 AD. e. was badly damaged by the earthquake. Subsequently, the Arabs who came to Egypt tried to restore it, and by the XIV century. the height of the lighthouse was about 30 m. At the end of the 15th century, the Sultan of Kait Bay erected a fortress on the site of the lighthouse, which still stands today.

The Burj Khalifa is currently the tallest man-made structure in the world. From the ground to the end of the spire, the height of the building is 828 meters. Burj Khalifa was originally planned as the most high building in the world. When the skyscraper was still under construction, its design height was kept secret. This was done in case a skyscraper was designed somewhere. greater height- then adjustments could be made to the project of the Dubai tower. The air inside the building is not only cooled, but also aromatized thanks to special membranes. This fragrance was created specifically for the Burj Khalifa. fragrant and Fresh air served through special grates in the floor. Especially for the Burj Khalifa, a special brand of concrete was developed that can withstand temperatures up to +50 ° C. The concrete mixture was laid only at night, and ice was added to the solution.

The primacy of compiling a list of the 7 seven wonders of the world of the Ancient World is attributed to Antipater of Sidon, who sang them for centuries in his poem:

I saw your walls, Babylon, on which it is spacious

And chariots; I saw Zeus at Olympia,

The Miracle of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus of Helios

And the pyramids are the work of many and hard works;

I know Mausolus a huge tomb. But I just saw

I am the chamber of Artemis, who raised the roof to the clouds,

Everything else faded before him; outside of Olympus

The sun sees no beauty equal to it anywhere.

At different times, with the construction of new buildings, they tried to change the list of 7 wonders of the world of antiquity, but in the final version, only the lighthouse of Alexandria appeared from the new ones, which overshadowed the grandeur of the walls of Babylon.

Some include here all the pyramids of Egypt, some of the great pyramids of Giza, but for the most part, only the largest of them, the pyramid of Cheops, is perceived as a miracle. The pyramid is also considered the oldest miracle on the list - its construction is estimated at about 2000 BC. Despite its old age, this is the only building of the 7 old wonders of the world that has survived to this day.

Created by order of the king of the desert Babylon Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife, these gardens were supposed to console and remind her of her distant homeland. The name of Semiramis, the Assyrian queen, appeared here by mistake, but, nevertheless, was firmly entrenched in history.

The statue was created for a temple in a large religious center Ancient Greece- Olympia. Giant Zeus sculptor Phidias struck local residents so much so that they decided that Zeus himself personally posed for the master.

In the ancient large port city of Ephesus, the goddess of fertility Artemis was especially revered. In honor of her, a huge and majestic temple was created here, which was included in the list of 7 ancient wonders of the world.

The rich king Mausolus wished to erect a mausoleum-temple in Halicarnassus, incomparable to anything in beauty. Worked on building the best masters that time. The work was completed only after the death of Mausolus, but this did not prevent him from going down in history forever.

In honor of great victory the inhabitants of Rhodes decided to build a huge statue of the god Helios. The plan was carried out, but this miracle did not last long, and was soon destroyed by an earthquake.

To navigate ships up close major port Alexandria, it was decided to build the largest lighthouse at that time. The building immediately overshadowed the walls of Babylon and took its place in the list of the seven wonders of the world of antiquity.

Time is fleeting. Civilizations are changing, leaving behind a grandiose architectural heritage. Unfortunately, everything is subject to destruction, especially what was built by human hands. That is why the ancient seven wonders of the world, the description of which is known to everyone culturally, for the most part, have not survived to our time. They were replaced by others that still exist. The seven wonders of the world of our time were chosen long enough and scrupulously. The result of this work was seven grandiose architectural structures, famous throughout the world.

Concept definition

What are the wonders of the world, and why did they get such a proud name? Why they were singled out among all the monumental works ancient world and modernity? And they are named so due to the fact that they are above the category of time. These monuments of architectural thought are admired now in the same way as they were admired in antiquity. There are legends about them.

Until recently, there were the ancient seven wonders of the world. The Pyramid of Cheops is the only one that has survived to this day. Others, such as the Hanging Gardens or the Lighthouse of Alexandria, did not survive. They are known only from manuscripts, essays by contemporaries and paintings recreated from descriptions.

How the new list was chosen

Thus, it was necessary to elect new seven wonders of the world. Architectural monuments withstood a real competition (it was held by an independent organization "New Open World Corporation"). All were involved modern facilities, including votes were taken both on the Internet and via SMS messages. 90 million people around the world voted for the monument that they considered the most worthy to wear so honorary title. Thus, among several dozen applicants in 2007, seven wonders of the world of our time were chosen. We will describe each of them in more detail below. In the meantime, I would like to list those who were only a step away from the highest award. So, Red Square in Moscow, the Stonehenge building, the Eiffel Tower and the Acropolis in Greek Athens participated in the final.

It is noteworthy that the pyramids of Giza were also finalists in the competition, but the Egyptian authorities refused to participate in it. Most likely, they do not consider it possible for these architectural monuments to be included in the new seven wonders of the world, because they already appear in the ancient ones.

the great Wall of China

There are many legends and beliefs about how they built it. So, until now, many are sure that the people who worked on its construction are buried right inside the structure - this is not so. Although the fact that more than a million people died during construction is true.

So, the construction of the Great Wall of China originates in the III century BC. The emperors conceived its construction. The construction pursued many goals, the main of which were:

• protection of lands from nomadic tribes;
• the inadmissibility of the assimilation of foreigners with the Chinese nation;

Thus began the construction, which dragged on for centuries. The rulers changed: some treated the construction with disdain (the Manchu Qing dynasty), while others, on the contrary, carefully watched the construction.

It should be said that a significant part of the wall collapsed because it was not properly monitored. Only the site near Beijing was lucky - for a long time it served as a kind of gateway to the capital. Nevertheless, in the late eighties of the XX century, large-scale restoration work began, and in 1997 the Wall entered the seven wonders of the world of our time.

Why did she receive such an honorary title? This is the longest architectural structure in the world: the total length is 8851.8 kilometers. How was the Great Chinese wall that could reach such unprecedented sizes? The process went on for millennia, systematically. However, it is worth saying that this is not a solid structure. There are gaps along the Wall. This is what allowed the great Genghis Khan to conquer China and rule it for 12 years. Every year, tens of millions of tourists visit this wonder of the world of our time.

Rio: Christ statue

Completely on the other side of the planet, in Rio de Janeiro stands the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer. He rises above the city, spreading his arms, as if embracing all the inhabitants and guests of the city of many millions.

The monument was built in honor of the centenary of the independence of Brazil. Truly chosen for its construction beautiful place: Mount Corcovado, from which, at a glance, you can see the whole of Rio, with its Sugar Loaf peak, famous beaches.

The whole country was collected for the construction: the magazine "O Cruzeiro" announced a subscription, the funds from which went to the construction of the monument. The project was entrusted to Silva Coste, although other options were proposed before him: for example, the arms of Christ, spread out like a crucifix, were proposed by K. Oswald, the artist.

Brazil at that time was a poor, non-industrial country, so it was impossible to implement such a large-scale project. France came to the rescue - it was there that the statue of Christ the Redeemer was made in detail. And then it was already transported to Brazil. The parts were delivered to the construction site by a small railway which is still in operation. Millions of tourists annually make an ascent to one of the most famous structures of our time.

Taj Mahal

In Agra, India, on the banks of the Jamna, the greatest palace-mausoleum of the Taj Mahal is located. This is the tomb of the wife of the great descendant of Tamerlane, Shah Jahan. The woman's name was Mumtaz Mahal, she died in childbirth.

Taj Mahal in India - the pinnacle of the Mughal architectural style. It included a synthesis of the art of the Indians, Persians and Arabs. The most famous element of the structure is a huge snow-white dome. The mausoleum itself is made of white marble. It is a five-domed palace, which contains the tombs of both the Shah himself and his wife. It is noteworthy that the four minarets located at the edges are slightly inclined - this protects the tombs from destruction in case of earthquakes, which are not uncommon in India. A park with picturesque fountains and a lake adjoins the mausoleum itself. The Taj Mahal was built in 1653. 20 thousand builders managed such a large-scale project in 22 years.

The mausoleum itself, thanks to numerous visitors, brings considerable funds to the treasury of India.

Chichen Itza

The legendary Mayan city is located on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. This is not an ordinary city - it served as the capital, political and religious center. Chichen Itza was built in the 7th century AD. Most of the buildings belong to the Mayan culture, some of them were erected by the Toltecs. AT late XII century in Chichen Itza there were no inhabitants at all. This is one of the mysteries that has not yet been explained: either the Spaniards, who destroyed the Mayans during the invasion of Mexico, were responsible for everything, or everything happened naturally in view of the decline economic situation capital Cities.

In the territory ancient city in different time found several architectural structures. However, the most remarkable of them is the Chichen Itza pyramid. This is a kind of focus of the legendary knowledge of the Maya, their religious beliefs, the center of the cult. The 24-meter one has four sides, on which 9 steps are made. The stairs located on each side of the pyramid have 91 steps. If you add up their number, you get 364 plus one, leading to a small temple crowning the pyramid. It turns out 365 - the number of days in a year.

The balustrade along the edges of the stairs represents the body of a snake, whose head is at the base of the pyramid. It gives the impression that the snake is moving. And in the fall down, and in the spring up.

Ritual temples are located at the top of the pyramid and inside it. They were probably used for sacrifices.

Coliseum

The new seven wonders of the world of our time include European monuments. This is the famous Roman Colosseum. Its appearance is partly connected with the despotic rule of Nero. He, having committed suicide, left behind a grandiose palace with a lake in the very center of Rome. Vespasian, who came to power, decided to forever erase the cruel Nero from the memory of the people. It was decided to give the chic palace to imperial institutions, and to build a huge amphitheater on the site of the lake. And so the Colosseum was born. Initially, after the construction in 80, it was called the Flavian Amphitheater. Modern name the building received only in the VIII century, most likely because of its impressive size.

Initially, it was used to amuse the people with gladiator fights, baiting animals, etc. It even celebrated the 1000th anniversary of Rome. However, in the Middle Ages, due to the invasion of barbarian tribes, the Colosseum was partially destroyed; a powerful earthquake of the 14th century played an important role in this process. After grand building pulled apart brick by brick for construction purposes.

Only in the 18th century did Pope Benedict XIV begin to protect the Colosseum as important object architecture. Now it is a symbol of Rome, which is visited by a great many tourists from all over the world.

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu - a unique city South America, located at an altitude of almost 2500 thousand meters above sea level. The Spanish conquerors could not reach it, which is why the architecture of the ancient city remained untouched.

Machu Picchu was discovered only at the very beginning of the 20th century by a professor Yale University. It is noteworthy that very little is known about the city, they do not know anything about the population, or about the purpose of construction, and so on. One thing is clear: Machu Picchu has a very clear structure and layout.

AT this moment is under protection. UNESCO has limited the number of daily visitors to 2,500.

Petra - the pearl of Jordan

City in the rock - this is how you can characterize another wonder of the world modern world, Jordanian Petra. The path to the city lies through natural gorges, which are the city walls. In ancient times, Petra was of great importance - it lay on the trade route between Damascus and the Red Sea region, as well as Gaza and Persian Gulf. Trade city and lived.

The inhabitants of Petra were able not only to skillfully process stone, but also to collect water. In fact, the city has become an artificial oasis in the middle of the desert.

The main attraction that attracts tourists is Al-Khazneh. According to scientists, this is a temple-mausoleum. There are many legends associated with the building. According to some, this is the place where the pharaoh hid his wealth during the time of Moses, according to others, this is the repository of the loot looted by robbers.

Petra and its main temple are known to tourists all over the world from the film about the adventures of Indiana Jones.