Regarded as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Colossus of Rhodes was a huge statue of the Greek Sun God Helios. It was located at the entrance to the harbor of Rhodes. The islands of Rhodes are situated near the southwestern tip of Asia Minor, where the Aegean and Mediterranean seas meet. The city was founded around 400 BC, and it took 12 years to construct the statue, which was finished in 280 BC.
The Colossus of Rhodes was partly built by Charles of Lindus . Unfortunately, it lasted for a very short period, as it was brought down by an earthquake. Although it is rumored that the statue had stood astride the Rhodes harbor, with ships passing between its legs, it was actually located on a promontory that was very close to the harbor. Its outer skin was made of bronze, and it is said that the construction of the statue caused a massive shortage of bronze in the ancient world.
In 305 BC, one of King Alexander’s most efficient generals, Antigonus the Ruler of Macedonia, called the small kingdom of Rhodes to assist him in his war against the King of Egypt, Ptolemy I . However, the Rhodians refused because Egypt was one of their biggest trading partners. In response to the rejection, the Macedonians, under the leadership of the son of Antigonus, Demetrius , attacked Rhodes. Despite all the military might of Demetrius, the Macedonians couldn’t break the defenses of the intrepid Rhodians. Finally, the Macedonians gave up and abandoned the island. But Demetrius left behind most of his expensive artillery and siege engines, as a token of appreciation to the Rhodians for their great fighting spirit. The Rhodians were ecstatic and set about constructing the Colossus of Rhodes as a monument of their victory. They sold all of the expensive metals that were gifted by Demetrius. The money they collected was used to purchase the materials for building the huge statue.
An untimely end was in store for the Colossus, as an earthquake completely destroyed the statue. However, in the brief period of 56 years that it stood, it created an indelible impact among the people of the ancient world . During the earthquake, the statue toppled over and smashed a number of houses around it. The metal fragments of the statue remained for another 800 odd years, before Arab invaders took those fragments and sent them to Syria.
Nothing of the Colossus of Rhodes remains today, even the place where the grand statue once stood has not been accurately identified. The Colossus was a major tourist attraction during the time of the Roman Empire , and many tourists visited the site of the fallen statue. According to historians, the Colossus looked marvelous even with its pieces lying on the ground.
The modern marvel, the Statue of Liberty , is similar in size to the Colossus, and its resemblance to the ancient wonder makes some tourists call it the “Modern Colossus". Also, both were built to celebrate freedom. It has recently been announced that the Greeks may be planning to rebuild the Colossus of Rhodes. Headed by Dr Dimitris Koutoulas, the new statue will be close to 100 meters tall, and it will serve as a light sculpture. The project is being funded by international donors, and it is expected to stand in the harbor area of Rhodes. The spectacular structure is sure to improve tourism in Greece, and the country can cover the cost of building the statue with profits from tourism as well as sales of travel insurance comparison. The new Colossus of Rhodes will surely draw countless tourists from all over the globe, since it will be the world's largest light installation when it is completed.
Even now, you can make the necessary travel arrangements and visit the site of the fallen Colossus in Rhodes, and try to uncover the mystery of the ancient wonder.