Of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World listed by classical writers, which one is the only wonder still standing largely intact today?
- The Great Pyramid of Giza
- The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
- The Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos)
- The Colossus of Rhodes
Why A? And why not the others?
Correct answer: A. The Great Pyramid of Giza
Built around 2560 BCE as a tomb for the pharaoh Khufu, this pyramid is the sole survivor of the seven wonders that ancient Greek writers like Antipater of Sidon compiled as must-see marvels. Every other entry on that classical list vanished long ago: the gardens said to cascade over terraces in Babylon left no confirmed archaeological trace and may even have been located elsewhere or conflated with another site, the lighthouse guiding ships into Alexandria's harbour was toppled by a series of earthquakes between the 12th and 14th centuries, and the bronze statue straddling the harbour entrance at Rhodes stood for barely 54 years before an earthquake snapped it at the knees. The pyramid's survival owes much to sheer mass and solid stone construction, giving it more than four thousand years of continuous existence compared to wonders that lasted mere centuries.
Source: Britannica: Great Pyramid of Giza; Seven Wonders of the Ancient World