7 wonders of the ancient world brief description. Seven wonders of the world. Ancient world. Temple. Gardens of Babylon. Rodossky. Lighthouse. Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil
There are many mysterious and enigmatic places in the world. But only a few of them are recognized as genuine miracles, which had no equal on Earth! From this article you will learn which of the 7 wonders of the world have survived to this day, and which have sunk into oblivion forever. We present to your attention the 7 wonders of the world - the list consists of the following items:
This exclusive complex is included in the list of 7 wonders of the world. The basis of the Gardens of Babylon was a monumental building with four tiers, erected in the shape of a pyramid. Hanging greenery combined with fountains and ponds turned it into a real oasis. According to an ancient legend, these gardens were created for the wife of the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II named Amytis.
To maintain the green miracle in a viable state, it was necessary a large number of water. The problem was solved at the expense of human resources, or rather, slave labor. The slaves continually rotated a wooden wheel to which leather wineskins were tied. This wheel took water from the river (according to another version, from some underground sources). Water was pumped to the very top tier, and from there flowed down through a complex system of numerous channels.
After the death of the ruler Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon for some time became the residence of Alexander the Great. After the death of the great commander, the city gradually began to fall into disrepair; the Gardens of Babylon were also left without proper care. After some time, a nearby river overflowed its banks, which led to the erosion of the foundation of the building.
Pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops
This existing one geographical feature, which is also included in the list of 7 wonders of the world, is sometimes called Great Pyramid Giza. It serves as the tomb of the Egyptian ruler Cheops (Khufu). The pyramid was erected near Giza, a suburb of Cairo. To create this miracle, it took the joint efforts of 100 thousand people. According to archaeologists' calculations, the work lasted about twenty years.
Zeus statue in Olympia
A truly monumental structure was erected in honor of the Thunder God. The Temple of Zeus was entirely built of marble, including even the roof. Along the perimeter of the sanctuary there were 34 columns made of limestone. The walls of the temple were covered with picturesque bas-reliefs depicting the labors of Hercules.
But it was not included in the list of 7 wonders of the world. temple complex, and a statue of Zeus. The ancient Greek sculptor Phidias worked on bringing this masterpiece to life. The body of the god was created from ivory; a great many rare gems and about 200 kg of gold without the slightest admixture of ligature were also used to decorate the statue. The Thunderer's eyes seemed to flash lightning, and his head and shoulders shimmered with an unearthly light.
According to legend, lightning struck the center of the marble floor of the temple. This was regarded as an expression of approval from Zeus. An altar made of copper was erected at the site of the impact. The statue of Zeus was destroyed in a fire that occurred in the temple in 425. There is another version, according to which it was transported to Istanbul, where the figure of the Thunderer burned down in 476.
The ancient city of Halicarnassus was famous for the residences of nobles, theaters and green gardens. But the list of 7 wonders of the world does not include these architectural beauties, but the tomb of the cruel ruler Mausolus. The mausoleum had 3 levels, the total height of the building was 46 meters. This man-made masterpiece combines several architectural styles.
Traditional columns, as well as statues of horsemen and lions, were used to decorate the mausoleum. At the very top there was a sculpture of King Mausolus, proudly seated in a horse-drawn chariot. The mausoleum stood for about 19 centuries; the cause of its destruction was a strong earthquake. An interesting fact is that some of the fragments of the mausoleum were used to build the fortress of St. Peter.
The Faros lighthouse was built in the 3rd century BC, it is also included in the world famous list of 7 wonders of the world. This facility was supposed to help sea vessels safely overcome coastal reefs and avoid shipwrecks. During the day, the sailors were guided by a column of smoke, and at night they could navigate by the flames.
Alexandrian lighthouse towered 120 meters above sea level, its signals could be seen at a distance of up to 48 km. The upper part of the structure was decorated with a statue of Isis-Faria, who was revered as the patroness of sailors. To make the flow of light as efficient as possible, the builders used an original system of curved mirrors.
The Faros lighthouse, like many other objects from the list of 7 wonders of the world, was destroyed in a rather trivial way. It was destroyed by a powerful earthquake that occurred in the mid-14th century. Scientists discovered some fragments of the Alexandria lighthouse on the seabed during research in 1996.
The Colossus of Rhodes
This statue was made in honor of Helios (the Sun God). It was assumed that the height of the figure would be 18 meters, but later they decided to make it 36 meters. The statue in the form of a youth god was cast from bronze and was located on a marble pedestal. Construction took place on a hill created artificially. There were stones inside the figure, which was done to increase the stability of the structure.
The sculptor Hares, who worked on the Colossus of Rhodes, made a miscalculation in determining the amount of materials needed. The master had to borrow a lot of money to be able to complete his masterpiece. Hares was completely ruined and surrounded by creditors, the sculptor committed suicide.
The Colossus of Rhodes was destroyed by an earthquake that occurred in 222 or 226 BC. The statue broke at the knees, and its fragments continued to lie in place for about 1000 years. Fragments of the Colossus were sold by the Arabs, who captured Rhodes in 977. To remove parts of the sculpture, it was necessary to equip a caravan consisting of 900 camels.
By the way, have you ever wondered why there are only seven wonders of the world? In this case, we recommend that you read the article “” - and the secret meaning of this “lucky” number will be revealed to you!
The primacy of compiling a list of the 7 Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is attributed to Antipater of Sidon, who sang them for centuries in his poem:
I saw your walls, Babylon, on which there is spacious
And chariots; I saw Zeus at Olympia,
Miracle of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Colossus of Helios
And the pyramids are the work of many and hard labors;
I know Mausolus, a huge tomb. But I just saw
I am the palace of Artemis, the roof raised to the clouds,
Everything else faded before him; outside Olympus
The sun does not see beauty equal to it anywhere.
IN different times With the construction of new buildings, they tried to change the list of 7 wonders of the world of antiquity, but in the final version, only the Lighthouse of Alexandria appeared among the new ones, which eclipsed the greatness of the walls of Babylon.
Some include here all the pyramids of Egypt, some of the great pyramids of Giza, but for the most part only the largest of them, the Pyramid of Cheops, is perceived as a miracle. The pyramid is also considered the oldest miracle on the list - its construction is estimated around 2000 BC. Despite its old age, this is the only structure of the 7 old wonders of the world that has survived to our times.
Created by order of the king of desert Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar II, for his wife, these gardens were supposed to comfort and remind her of her distant homeland. The name of Semiramis, the Assyrian queen, appeared here by mistake, but, nevertheless, was firmly entrenched in history.
The statue was created for a temple in a large religious center Ancient Greece- Olympia. The giant Zeus struck the sculptor Phidias local residents so much so that they decided that Zeus himself personally posed for the master.
In the ancient large port city of Ephesus, the goddess of fertility Artemis was especially revered. In honor of her, a huge and majestic temple was created here, which was included in the list of 7 ancient wonders of the world.
The rich king Mausolus wished to erect a mausoleum-temple in Halicarnassus, incomparable in beauty. The best craftsmen of that time worked on the construction. The work ended only after the death of Mavsol, but this did not prevent him from going down in history forever.
In honor of great victory the inhabitants of Rhodes decided to build a huge statue of the god Helios. The plan was carried out, but this miracle did not last long, and was soon destroyed by an earthquake.
For navigating ships nearby major port In Alexandria, it was decided to build the largest lighthouse at that time. The building immediately eclipsed the walls of Babylon and took a place on the list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The New Seven Wonders of the World is a project whose goal was to find the modern seven wonders of the world. It was organized by the non-profit organization New Open World Corporation (NOWC) on the initiative of the Swiss Bernard Weber. The selection of the new seven “wonders of the world” from the famous architectural structures of the world took place via SMS, telephone or Internet. The result was announced on July 7, 2007.
The Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheater is an amphitheater, an architectural monument of Ancient Rome, the most famous and one of the most grandiose buildings of the Ancient World that have survived to this day. Located in Rome, in the hollow between the Esquiline, Palatine and Caelian hills.
IN ancient Rome Many historical monuments have been preserved, but the most extraordinary of them is the Colosseum, in which people doomed to death desperately fought and died for the entertainment of free citizens of Rome. It became the largest and most famous of all Roman amphitheatres, and one of the greatest masterpieces of Roman engineering and architecture that has survived to this day. The grandiose Colosseum amazed everyone who came to the capital of the empire for the first time. This is a symbol of Rome and its centuries-old history, the largest and most beautiful stadium of the ancient world.
The amphitheater is a Roman invention. It consisted of an elliptical-shaped arena, surrounded by tiers of rows of seated stands, from which a large public, without putting themselves at risk, could watch exciting bloody spectacles. Gladiator fights were held here and wild exotic animals were paraded, then pitted against each other in mortal combat in front of a captivated crowd.
Even before the construction of the Colosseum, Rome had several amphitheaters, but after a great fire in 64 AD. e. a new building was needed. Roman Emperor Vespasian, who reigned from 69 AD. e., wanting to further spread the bloody sport of gladiators, he ordered to begin in 72 AD. e. construction of an amphitheater, which was to bear the name of the new imperial dynasty and surpass all previous ones in unprecedented size and beauty. The amphitheater was initially called Flavian (Amphiteatrum Flavium).
It was erected at the bottom of an artificial reservoir dug under Vespasian's predecessor, Emperor Nero, for his famous luxurious Golden House. Such a choice of location was very advantageous not only from a technical, but also from a political point of view, as if demonstrating a break with the previous decadent luxury. Vespasian developed construction plans on a scale no less than Nero, but this was construction for public needs, and not at all to satisfy the personal whims of the emperor.
The Colosseum's circumference reaches 527 meters; it has the shape of an ellipse with diagonals of 188 and 156 meters. The height of the undestroyed part is 57 meters. The four floors of the building could accommodate 80 thousand people. A giant canopy was attached to the columns of the upper tier, protecting spectators from the scorching sun. The inside of the building was paved with marble, and the façade was paved with travertine (a porous rock widely used in ancient times as a building material), the slabs of which were held together with iron brackets. Under the sand-covered wooden floor of the arena began numerous underground passages. During performances, decorations, animals, gladiators and their weapons were raised along these passages using special mechanisms. The audience was separated from the arena by a metal grill. You could get inside the building through one of the 80 arches on the first tier.
It was solemnly consecrated in 80 AD. e. already Vespasian's heir, Emperor Titus. On this occasion, a holiday was held that lasted exactly 100 days. During that period of time, 5 thousand predators brought from northern Africa and hundreds of gladiators. But even then, despite the official opening, construction was not yet completely finished. The last, upper platform for spectators was completed only under Titus' successor, Emperor Domitian.
A distinctive feature of this structure is the large number of tiers. Its architecture shows how ingeniously it is possible to simply organize and direct the movement of countless crowds of people. A complex system of staircases and passages provided unhindered and easy access to the stands seating areas. Four main entrances made it possible to quickly enter the arena, and through 80 arches in just 10 minutes you could be in numbered spectator seats. Spectators often spent several days in a row here, so they brought food with them from home. All this speaks of a high engineering and architectural level of the design. But it should also be noted that there were no toilets there, with all the attendant circumstances.
Seats in the Colosseum were distributed according to the social status of the spectators. The lower ones were intended for representatives of the upper strata of society - government officials, priests, vestals. Commoners sat on the upper tiers. The imperial box - a podium with a spacious terrace - was located right next to the arena. The rows closest to her were reserved for wealthy patricians and honored guests. The amphitheater was divided into sectors, each of which had a serial number.
The name of the architect who designed the amphitheater is unknown, but it is assumed that he was Rabirius, who later became the author of Domitian’s palace. The outside of the amphitheater is entirely covered with travertine and has four tiers. The three lower ones represent arched propets running along the entire profile, cut by pilasters and semi-columns in the canonical sequence: on the first tier - Doric, on the second - Ionic, and on the third - Corinthian. The fourth, upper tier, completed a little later, is a solid wall, dissected by Corinthian pilasters and cut through by small windows. The crowning cornice still has holes where supports were inserted to stretch a bright awning, protecting spectators from the heat. Each arched flight of the first tier corresponded to an entrance to the seats for spectators: 76 of these entrances were numbered (Roman numerals can still be seen on the arches); four main entrances were intended: one for the imperial retinue, another for the Vestals, the third for judges and the last for honored guests.
The Colosseum operated 36 elevators, manually operated by slaves. Each elevator could be lifted by up to 10 slaves. They also transported wild animals. In 523 AD e., after long popular protests, a decree was passed in Rome prohibiting the killing of predators. In this ancient stadium, the display of gladiator fights continued until the 5th century AD. e.
In the center of the Roman Colosseum there was an arena surrounded by archers who protected spectators from attacks by predators. A terrace was built around the arena, where the imperial box and the boxes of prominent senators, judges and popes were located. The remaining spectator seats were divided into three tiers. The lower tier is for noble nobles and wealthy businessmen, the second is for the free citizens of Rome of the middle class, the last is for the common people. In the very top rows sat slaves operating the elevators. And even higher than the slaves were the sailors of the imperial navy, Classis Miseniensis. What were they doing there? They controlled the huge linen canvas that covered the top of the Colosseum so that the arena remained always open. For this purpose, a complex structure was built here, consisting of 240 pillars, supporting a giant substance. And since the sailors were excellent masters in sail control, they were the ones responsible for this sector. Under the arena there were special passages that were used for performances, as well as cages with wild animals. The creators of the Colosseum designed a complex system of passages and lifts through which angry animals released from their cages in the dungeon fell directly into the arena. There were 2 special exits in the Colosseum: the exit of life and the exit of death. The winners or pardoned gladiators came out into one, and the dead were carried out through the other.
Entry to the Colosseum was free. Many emperors cared about the amusement of their people, in this way they could be more easily kept under control. For the same purpose, before entering the stadium, flour for baking bread was distributed free of charge. Among the spectators there were many women who were ardent fans of these bloody spectacles.
Gladiatorial fights began at dawn and ended at dusk, and some festive performances lasted for several days. The performance usually opened with the performance of festively dressed gladiators, under their feet there was a wooden floor sprinkled with sand to absorb the blood.
The first number on the program was cripples and clowns: these also fought, but not seriously and without blood. Sometimes women also appeared and competed in archery. And only then came the turn of the gladiators and animals. First, trained animals performed, and then wild ones were released into the arena, which were set against each other or against armed people. The Romans' love for such spectacles led to the mass extermination of animals. But much more brutal were the battles of the gladiators who fought for life and death. They were recruited from slaves, convicted criminals, or prisoners of war. The main weapon of gladiators was a short double-edged sword - a gladius. When mortally wounded soldiers fell, a man dressed as Charon (a character in Greek mythology - the carrier of the dead in afterworld). The body was taken out, the bloody stain was covered with sand, and the place of the dead gladiator was taken by the next one. Anyone who was seriously wounded could lie on the floor and beg the audience for mercy. If the crowd thought he had fought valiantly, they would chant “Mitte!” (“Free him!”). But if a fighter failed to win the sympathy of the public, the inexorable “Ingula!” followed. ("Kill him!"). In the Colosseum, the all-powerful Caesar did not contradict the wishes of his subjects: at the request of “Mitte!” he raised his thumb up, granting the gladiator life, and sometimes freedom, while after shouts of “ingula!” put his finger down, condemning the fighter to death.
The use of wild animals in the arena has become so diverse and complex that specially trained people - bestiaries - began to be brought in to perform performances with them. The Roman mob especially loved shows with animals. The highest nobility preferred gladiator fights. Bestiaries were trained in a special school. They had their own traditions, their own uniforms and their own professional jargon. During the magnificent celebrations on the occasion of the opening of the Colosseum in 80 AD. e. gladiators killed about 5 thousand lions, hippos, elephants, and zebras. Great amount the animals also died in 248, during the festivities in honor of the 1000th anniversary of Rome.
Bloody gladiator fights were banned only in 404 AD. e. In 523 AD BC, after long popular protests, a decree was passed in Rome prohibiting the killing of predators.
The barbarian invasions left the Flavian Amphitheater desolate and marked the beginning of its destruction. From the 11th century until 1132, it served as a fortress for noble Roman families who competed with each other for influence and power over their fellow citizens, especially for the families of Frangipani and Annibaldi. The latter, however, were forced to cede the Colosseum to Emperor Henry VII, who donated it to the Roman Senate and people. Back in 1332, the local aristocracy organized bullfights here, but from that time on the systematic destruction of the Colosseum began. They began to look at him as a source of production building material, and not only the stones that had fallen off, but also the stones deliberately broken out of it began to be used for new structures. So, in the 15th and 16th centuries, Pope Paul II took material from it to build the so-called Venetian palace, Cardinal Riario - the palace of the chancellery, Paul III - the Palazzo Farnese. However, a significant part of the amphitheater survived, although the building as a whole remained disfigured. Sixtus V intended to use it to set up a cloth factory, and Clement IX actually turned the Colosseum into a plant for the extraction of saltpeter.
The tearing away of the stone, threatening to completely destroy ancient monument, stopped only in the middle of the 18th century by Pope Benedict XIV, who installed a cross on the building, and around it a number of altars in memory of the torture, the procession to Calvary and the death of the Savior on the cross and consecrated it as a place of martyrdom of many Christians. This cross and altars were removed from the Colosseum only in 1874. The popes who followed Benedict XIV, especially Pius VII and Leo XII, continued to take care of the safety of the surviving parts of the building and reinforced the parts of the walls that were in danger of falling with buttresses, and Pius IX corrected some of the internal stairs in it.
The current appearance of the amphitheater is almost a triumph of minimalism: a strict ellipse, three tiers made in three orders, a precisely calculated arch shape. Initially, each arch was accompanied by a statue, and the giant opening between the walls was covered with canvas using a special mechanism.
Each of us has heard that there once existed 7 wonders of the ancient world, however, not everyone can name them with confidence. First mentions of seven ancient wonders of the world found in the works of the ancient scientist and philosopher Herodotus, which were written 5 thousand years BC. In his notes, the scientist attempted to classify the most majestic architectural structures of that time, which captured the imagination of his contemporaries. Herodotus not only compiled a list of the most outstanding engineering structures antiquity, but also made Full description each of seven wonders of the ancient world. Unfortunately, his works have not survived to this day. They were burned in a fire in the Library of Alexandria, along with many other priceless manuscripts, so we can judge old seven wonders of the world only from scattered mentions in surviving manuscripts of that time, as well as on the basis of fragments of once majestic structures found during archaeological excavations.
Of all wonders of the ancient world Only the pyramid of Cheops has survived to this day. Huge tomb of the ruler ancient egypt, which has survived centuries with virtually no destruction, clearly speaks of the power that the pharaoh possessed.
The Colossus of Rhodes is rightfully considered the most majestic sculptural structure of antiquity. The height of the bronze statue, whose legs were located on the opposite banks of the strait, was, according to various sources, from 36 to 60 meters, but insufficiently careful design calculations led to the fact that the Colossus collapsed during the first earthquake after 60 years of construction. The giant's legs remaining on the banks for a long time reminded of the former greatness of the structure, but even they have not survived to this day.
Among the rest 7 Ancient Wonders of the World includes the statue of Zeus in ancient Greece, whose height was 17 meters, the 150-meter lighthouse of Alexandria on the island of Pharos, the Temple of Artemis in Asia Minor, as well as the Mausoleum in Halicarnassus, which was erected by the wife of the Carian king Mausolus as his tomb. The mausoleum stood for more than one and a half thousand years and collapsed during an earthquake in the 13th century. Hanging Gardens Semiramis was the most unusual structure of all 7 Wonders of the World. Old The legends describe in all colors the four tiers of the pyramid, located on top of the columns, on which a layer of fertile soil was placed, and rare trees and beautiful flowers grew. The lowest tier was at a height of 34 meters, the highest - at a height of 42 meters. Hundreds of slaves worked continuously to provide the gardens with the necessary amount of water.
Since not one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, except for the Cheops pyramid, has survived to this day, their former greatness can only be judged by the records of contemporaries that have reached us.
Many things that are familiar to you and me are in one way or another connected with the number 7.
These are the seven days of the week, seven notes, seven deadly sins, seven sacred church sacraments, “flower - seven flowers,” Snow White and the seven dwarves, and many others. The number 7 is considered symbolic and lucky by many peoples. In ancient civilizations (Babylonian, ancient Greek) it denoted the completeness, perfection of the world, the sum of its main components (4 parts of the world and the basis of life in the person of parents and children). The city of Rome was built on 7 hills. To describe all such examples you need to spend a lot of time, so let’s move on to describing the history of occurrence 7 Wonders of the World.
The first mentions of the wonders of the world appeared in Ancient Greece. So the historian and philosopher Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century. BC, listed 3 wonders of the world:
1) Temple of the goddess Hera on the island of Samos;
2) An aqueduct delivering water through a system of tunnels (Samos Island);
3) A dam protecting the port from sea storms (Samos Island).
Since then, people have increasingly begun to describe the most grandiose and significant architectural buildings, therefore, Herodotus’ list was completely updated and expanded two centuries later.
The writer from Sidon (Phenicia) Antipater, in the third century BC, became the author of a new list 7 Wonders of the World the ancient world, which has reached our time almost unchanged. Traveling around different countries he left reviews about each of them, paying special attention to the most important architectural monuments. He could only tell us about those architectural masterpieces, which were not destroyed by natural disasters or military actions, otherwise the list of wonders of the world could have become much more voluminous. Also in the classical interpretation of the list 7 Wonders of the World, did not include structures built by man later than the 3rd century BC.
Thus, such grandiose man-made architectural projects as: Tower of Babel , walls of the city of Babylon, Library of Alexandria, Palace of Cyrus in Persepolis, Acropolis of Athens with a statue of the goddess Athena, Temple of King Solomon, Roman Colosseum, Capitol and many others.
Let's move on to the description miracles Sveta in the classic version according to chronology.
1) The Pyramid of Cheops, built by the Egyptians around 2550 BC. AD. Located in the Giza Valley (Egypt), and intended as a tomb for Pharaoh Cheops. This is one of seven wonders of the world, which is almost in in its original form has survived to this day and is very popular among tourists from all over the world.
2) Hanging Gardens of Babylon, were built around 600 BC. AD in the city of Babylon, (modern Iraq). The gardens were presented as a gift to the wife of King Nebuchadnezzar II. This architectural monument has not survived to this day, as it was destroyed by an earthquake 200 years after its construction.
3) Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, built in 550 BC. AD Greeks, Lydians and Persians near the city of Ephesus (Türkiye). This temple was erected in honor of the ancient Greek goddess Artemis. The Temple of Artemis was plundered and destroyed 2 times (first by Herostratus in 370 BC, and then by Gothic tribes in the 3rd century AD). As a result of the fire, the temple was completely burned down.
4) Zeus statue, created by the ancient Greek sculptor Phidias in 435 BC. was originally established in Olympia (Greece), where every 4 years the Olympic Games, in the temple of Zeus. The god Zeus is depicted as a statue seated on a throne, holding a scepter on which Zeus' messenger Eagle is located. The temple statue, impressive in its size, execution and cost, was destroyed during a fire that occurred at the Hippodrome of the city of Constantinople in the 5th century AD.
5) mausoleum in Halicarnassus erected jointly by Carian, Persian and Greek architects in 351 BC. under the leadership of the architect Pytheas. The mausoleum was the tomb of the ruler of Caria - King Mausolus and his wife, Artemisia, and was located near the city of Halicarnassus (Turkey). Only architectural fragments and the foundation of the mausoleum, destroyed in 1494 by a strong earthquake, have survived to this day. Miraculously, 2 statues survived - King Masol and Queen Artemisia. They are currently kept in the British Museum in London.
6) The Colossus of Rhodes huge 18 meter statue in a bronze case, dedicated to the sun god Helios, in honor of the victory of the inhabitants of the island of Rhodes (Greece) over the troops of Demetrius Polyocretos in 304 BC. The work was completed in 280 BC. The statue stood for just over 66 years, after which several elements of the statue fell off during an earthquake. In the 7th century AD the bronze body of the statue was completely dismantled.
7) Alexandrian lighthouse, erected in the 3rd century. BC. at the direction of Alexander the Great. The lighthouse was located on the island of Pharos, near the newly built city of Alexandria (Egypt). He was grand architectural structure more than 130 meters in height. It was crowned with a statue of the god Zeus. The lighthouse made it possible to navigate not only during the day, but also at night. From the name of the island on which it was located (Pharos) in the 19th century. lighting devices for cars were named - headlights. Having stood for more than a millennium, the lighthouse nevertheless fell under the pressure of the elements. In 783 AD. The lighthouse of Alexandria was destroyed by a strong earthquake. And in its place in the 15th century. The Turks built a fortress that remains to this day.