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1 year ago
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Imagine the Colossus of Rhodes, the Statue of Zeus and the other ancient Seven Wonders of the World standing as they did thousands of years ago when first built.
Artificial intelligence has done just that by recreating each historic structure in modern society with bustling tourists snapping photos with smartphones.
Only one of the original seven survives today, with the others lost over time due to war, crumbling civilizations and natural disasters.
But using the imagine generator Midjourney, AI has brought them back from the dead, allowing the world to take another look.
Colossus of Rhodes
Ancient artwork depicting the Colossus of Rhodes shows the statue straddling the harbor entrance, but researchers have determined such a feat would be impossible. Instead, the god stood on a pedestal near the harbor's entrance, welcoming visiting ships
It was a staggering feat of engineering and building, and the statue towered 100 feet above the harbor in Rhodes.
The giant statue, which took about 12 years to construct, was made of bronze plates and depicted the Greek god of the sun, Helios.
Ancient artwork depicting the Colossus of Rhodes shows the statue straddling the harbor entrance, but researchers have determined such a feat would be impossible.
Instead, the god stood on a pedestal near the harbor's entrance, welcoming visiting ships.
An earthquake brought about the demise of the statute, which survived for less than a century after its completion in 282BC.
Great Pyramid of Giza
AI has recreated the pyramid in its original form, topping it off with gleaming white limestone that has since been lost over time. The Great Pyramid of Gaza is the only ancient wonder still standing today
The one surviving relic from the ancient world resides in Egypt and is still one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world.
Ancient Egyptians spent 20 years laying stones weighing up to 2.5 tons each, which were dragged by enslaved people by order of pharaoh Khufu
AI has recreated the pyramid in its original form, topping it off with gleaming white limestone that has since been lost over time.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
According to legend, the gardens would have sat approximately 50 miles south of Baghdad in Iraq. The gardens were believed in 600BC and were complete with 65-foot tall terraces
According to ancient texts, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon boasted elaborate terraces, magnificent water features and floating plants.
However, stories are the only evidence the lush oasis existed.
One text specifically claimed Babylonian Emperor Nebuchadnezzar built the gardens in the Babylon province of Iraq for his wife Amyitis.
Yet, there was no mention of them in any text written by the Emperor or his wife.
According to legend, the gardens would have sat approximately 50 miles south of Baghdad in Iraq.
The gardens were believed in 600BC and were complete with 65-foot tall terraces.
If the gardens did exist, they would have been razed after it was conquered by the Achaemenid Empire in 539 BC.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
The 40-foot-tall ivory Zeus sat on a throne inside an airy temple, which is how it appeared in the image created by AI
Olympia built the statue of the ruler of the gods in a bid to outshine the city's rivals - those in Athens.
The 40-foot-tall ivory Zeus sat on a throne inside an airy temple, which is how it appeared in the image created by AI - but with tourists seated around it.
Records show the massive statue was destroyed in a fire at Constantinople in 426AD.
Lighthouse of Alexandria
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was destroyed by earthquakes hitting the ancient Egyptian harbor. AI recreated the amazing structure as if it had never been rocked by the events
The most famous lighthouse in antiquity once stood more than 350 feet tall on Pharos island in the Alexandria harbor in ancient Egypt.
It was a complex structure designed to showcase the prowess of the world's intellectual capital while revealing its mathematical and geometric foundations.
Sostratus of Cnidus designed the burning fire to sit atop a cylindrical tower, an octagonal middle, and a square base.
Following a string of earthquakes, it fell into eventual disrepair and ruin in the Middle Ages.
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
AI reimagined the giant tomb with tourists rushing up the stairs to look at the wonder that was built in 350BC. It held the remains of Mausolus, ruler of Caria
The tomb was built for Mausolus, ruler of Caria, an ancient region of Asia Minor.
The building was so impressive that the late king's name became the generic word for significant funeral monuments.
The structure was a mixture of Greek, Near Eastern, and Egyptian design principles set in Anatolian and Pentelic marble.
When the tomb was excavated, sacrificial remains of oxen, sheep, and birds were taken to be the leftovers of a 'send-off' feast for the Mausoleum's permanent tenant.
Constructed in 350 BC in modern-day Turkey, it was destroyed by a series of earthquakes in the 13th Century.
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was built and rebuilt over many years. The most famous was built in about 550 BC and was funded by King Croesus of Lydia. Unlike many other temples of its time, it was made of marble and glittered with gold
Artemis is the Greek goddess of chastity, hunting, wild animals, forests, and fertility, and the building was built and destroyed three times.
The first to demolish it was Herostratus, who burned it down just to get famous.
Next came the Goths, who wrecked the city while passing through on the run from the Romans.
Finally, a Christian mob tore it apart in 401AD, leaving just the foundations and a single column – which can still be seen today.
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