Great Pyramid of Giza remains the sole surviving ancient wonder

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only monument remaining from the original list of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Compiled by Hellenistic authors such as Antipater of Sidon, the list included the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

While most of these structures were destroyed by earthquakes or time, the Great Pyramid has endured due to its massive scale. Built as a tomb for the Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) around 2560 BCE, the structure features exterior blocks averaging 2.5 tons and internal blocks weighing up to 50 tons. Historically, the pyramid served as a prominent landmark of Memphis and has drawn travelers, including Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus, since antiquity.