What Is the Oldest and Only Surviving Wonder of the Ancient World?

The oldest and only surviving wonder of the ancient world is the Great Pyramid of Giza. It is believed that construction took up to 20 years and was finished around 2560 BC.

The Great Pyramid of Giza is also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops, because it is believed to have been built as a tomb for the fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Khufu is Cheops in Greek). 

• The pyramid is situated on the archaeological site known as the Giza Necropolis, and is the oldest and largest of the three Great Pyramids that exist there. 
• The Giza Necropolis is about five miles from present day El Giza, Egypt, and about 15 miles southwest of Cairo. 
• The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only pyramid in Egypt that we know contains both ascending and descending passageways. 

Building and Construction

Since it is quite amazing that this Great Pyramid has lasted long enough to be the only surviving wonder of the seven ancient wonders, you may also wish to learn a bit more about its construction: 

• It is thought that the Great Pyramid of Giza took between 14 and 20 years to build.
• Though varying theories exist about how it was built, the most widely accepted ones are based on the premise that it was built by hand by taking huge stones out of a quarry and then dragging and lifting them into place.  
• It is estimated that about 2.3 million limestone blocks make up the pyramid. 
• While we believe that most of the stones came from quarries close by, it is also believed that some of the limestone blocks used for the pyramid’s casing came from across the Nile River, and that even others came from Aswan, which is over 500 miles away from the site. 
• The stones thought to have come from Aswan are those used in what is called the King’s Chamber, and are the largest granite stones used in the structure, weighing 25 to 80 tons.
• Estimates state that it took about 5.5 million tons of limestone, 8,000 tons of granite, and 5000,000 tons of mortar to built the Great Pyramid of Giza.  

Size and Style Facts

The Great Pyramid of Giza is almost 800 feet long and 450 feet high, and was initially 480.6 feet high (it has gotten shorter because of erosion). 

For over 3800 years it was the tallest building in the world.   

The pyramid is made up of three chambers:

• The first is the lowest chamber, and is unfinished. 
• The King's Chamber and Queen’s Chamber sit on top of the lowest chamber. 
• Surrounding the pyramid are several other structures, including two mortuary temples that were built to honor Khufu, three smaller pyramids that were built for his wives, and small tombs that were built for nobles.

Inside the pyramid the temperature is a steady 68 degrees.

Other Wonders of the Ancient World

So, now that you know about the Great Pyramid of Giza, you may be curious about the ancient wonders that did not survive. The other wonders of the ancient world were:

• Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
• Statue of Zeus at Olympia
• Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
• Colossus of Rhodes
• Lighthouse of Alexandria

All of these wonders, including the Great Pyramid of Giza, are important parts of history.