Frequently-Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between the Seven Wonders and the Seven Ancient Wonders?
No difference.
Q: Who compiled the list of the Seven Ancient Wonders?
A: The first reference to the idea is found in History of Herodotus as long ago as the 5th century BC. His list comprised the Pyramids, the Hanging Gardens, and the Walls of Babylon among others. Callimachus of Cyrene (305BC-240BC), Chief Librarian of the Alexandria Mouseion, wrote "A Collection of Wonders around the World". All we know about the collection is its title, for it was destroyed with the Alexandria Library. The current list is sometimes attributed to the ancient poet and historian, Antipater of Sidon, although his list contained the Walls of Babylon in place of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The final list of the Seven Wonders was compiled during the Middle Ages when they were first depicted by the great Dutch architect Maerten van Heemskerck.
Q: Can I please use the color paintings of the Wonders?
A: We do not own the copyright for the six paintings of the Wonders (all except the pyramid). Please do not request permission to use these paintings from us. These paintings were created by Mr. Mario Larrinaga, and we are only using them with permission. If you would like to obtain more information on these six paintings in particular, you need to contact Gallery A, PO Box 1358, Taos, NM 87571, USA, Tel: (1)505-758-2343, Fax: (1)505-982-8570.
The picture of the Pyramid is copyrighted by us, and is not available for public use (i.e. we cannot grant a copyright release for this picture). If you would like to reproduce material other than these six paintings, or the Pyramid picture, you must contact us.
Q: Can you send me a high resolution scan of the paintings?
We do not have better resolution scan of the paintings. The painter representative, Gallery A, do not either. The originals were lost so there is no way of reproducing the paintings to a higher resolution.
Q: What are the Seven Modern/Natural Wonders?
A: It varies depending on the reference. There is no concensus, but here is a list of some popular Modern and Natural Wonders.
Q: Why is the Taj Mahal/Great Wall/Pisa Tower not on the list?
A: The original list was compiled by ancient Greek historians before the Taj Mahal or the Pisa Tower were built. These historians did not know of the existence of the Great Wall (which did not take its present shape until the Middle Ages anyway). When the Dutch architect Maerten van Heemskerck compiled the final list in the Middle Ages, he relied mostly on the ancient Greek sources. In this WWW site, we have devoted a complete section to some of the greatest Forgotten Wonders.
Q: Why is the Eiffel Tower/Statue of Liberty/Big Ben not on the list?
A: The original list was compiled by ancient Greek historians long before the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and Big Ben were built. In this WWW site, we have devoted a complete section to some of the greatest Modern Wonders.
Q: Why is only Khufu's Great Pyramid a wonder and not the pyramids surrounding it?
A: The three Great Pyramids are sometimes referred to as a Wonder, but it is actually the Great Pyramid that is only listed. It appears that when Herodotus compiled his list, he properly attributed the pyramids to different builders. The Pyramid of Khufu was built first and therefore earns a special place compared to the other two pyramids that were modeled later after Khufu's.
Q: Can you explain the casing of stones that used to be on the pyramid in more detail?
A: The stone casing used to cover the Pyramids and form a smooth outer surface. Because of the good quality of this stone, it was stripped and used over the years to build other structures in Cairo. Most of this stone was used in Arab structures in Cairo, such as the great Citadel of Saladin. Some of the stone was also used to build houses, and a portion eroded naturally. The remianing portion of this stone can still be seen on top of Khafre's Pyramid.
Q: Why are there exactly seven wonders? Why specifically this number?
A: There is no specific reason, although the number "seven" appears in many aspects of mythology and religion. People always talk about the seven gates of heaven, the seven days of the week, and the seven seas. It appears this number is somehow embedded in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern tradition and history.
Q: Which wonder do you particularly like the best and why?
A: Each Wonder has its own intrigue. Historian agree that the Pyramids stood the test of time, the Lighthouse is the only Wonder that has a practical secular use, and the Temple of Artemis was the most beautiful of all Wonders.
Q: Was King Nebuchadnezzar wife happy with the garden?
A: This information is not preperly documented anywhere. In fact, there is no historic evidence that the Gardens existed in the form we know.
Q: What kind of animals were in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?
A: This information is not preperly documented anywhere. In fact, there is no historic evidence that the Gardens existed in the form we know. Animals and plants that were in the Gardens, if any, would have been any kinds of animals and plants that could live in Mesopotamia's (present day Iraq) weather.
Q: Who operated or supervised the light at the Pharos in Alexandria? Slaves? Special operators?
A: There is no historic evidence that the Ptolemies used slaves to build or operate the lighthouse. It is possible that special operators supervised the lighthouse.
Q: What makes all these structures "wonders"?
A: These structures were viewed at the time when they were compiled as the greatest structures on earth. They combine elements of architecture, engineering, and religion, and in most cases (e.g. the Pyramid, the Colossus) symbolize the unity of the people who built them.
Note: The color painting at the top of the page
is of artistic nature and does not necessarily represent an accurate
reconstruction of the Wonder. Painting by Mario Larrinaga. 
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Seven Wonders