last of the seven wonders

Only one of the seven wonders of antiquity remains standing:The Great Pyramid of Gizeh, built by Pharaoh Cheops about 4,600 years ago. It is not surprising that, in their book about this monument, Egyptologists Mark Lehner and Zahi Hawass collect an old Arab proverb: “Man is afraid of time, but time is afraid of the pyramids.”

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It has been explained that the Great Pyramid has survived because it is The only solid construction among the seven wonders (Its mass is composed of about 2.3 million stone blocks), so it could not fall or be toppled, and those huge stone blocks could not move. Using them in other buildings was an impossible task. -Or, in any case, meaningless from an economic point of view, due to the resources required and the time required.

But The tomb of Cheops emerged untouched from its battle against time: It lost its original outer covering of slabs of white limestone, which gave it its ideal pyramidal shape and made it shine under the sun; They were much smaller, easier to remove and more beautiful than the huge stones that were still there, impressive and challenging. Only When we see tourists sitting on these huge blocks we appreciate their true dimensions, taking photos. An irresistible temptation, even if it means incurring the wrath of the guards at the compound, as doing so is currently prohibited.

Perhaps the most miserable fate of these missing monuments is that of the Colossus of the Island of Rhodes. Made of an iron frame, weighing about eight tons, plated with bronze, This giant building was destroyed by an earthquake less than a century after its construction, Its remains remained visible for 900 years, until Caliph Mu’awiya destroyed what was left and sent the bronze to Syria, where it was bought by a Jew from Edessa (modern Sanliurfa in Turkey). It took 900 camels to carry it., One of the seven wonders of the ancient world has been sold at a cheap price.

In this issue, Bettany Hughes takes a trip to antiquity to tell us How did the list of those formidable constructions come to be and why are there seven?, something that surely we have all asked ourselves at one time or another. You will find the answer on these pages as well as on other topics that I am sure will be of interest to you. Let me mention two: the scandalous trials of the (alleged) Salem Witches in 17th century Puritan America, and the world of medieval tournaments.

happy reading!

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