From the Colossus of Rhodes to the Statue of Zeus: AI reinterprets what the ancient Seven Wonders of the World, destroyed by war and natural disasters thousands of years ago, would look like today

Imagine the Colossus of Rhodes, the Statue of Zeus and the other ancient Seven Wonders of the World as they stood thousands of years ago when they were first built.

Artificial intelligence has done just that by recreating every historical structure in modern society, with busy tourists taking photos with smartphones.

Only one of the original seven survives today, while the others have been lost over time due to war, crumbling civilizations and natural disasters.

But with the help of the imagination generator Midjourney, AI has brought them back from the dead, giving the world another look.

Colossus of Rhodes

It was a dazzling feat of engineering and construction, and the statue towered 30 meters above Rhodes harbour.

The gigantic statue, which took about twelve years to build, was made of bronze plates and depicted the Greek god of the sun, Helios.

Ancient artwork depicting the Colossus of Rhodes shows the statue stretching over the harbor entrance, but researchers have determined that such a feat would be impossible.

Instead, the god stood on a pedestal at the entrance to the harbor and welcomed visiting ships.

An earthquake caused the demise of the statute, which survived for less than a century after its completion in 282 BC.

Great Pyramid of Giza

AI recreated the pyramid in its original form and finished it with gleaming white limestone that has since been lost to time

The only surviving remnant of the ancient world is in Egypt and remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world.

The ancient Egyptians spent twenty years laying stones weighing up to 2.5 tons each, which were dragged by enslaved people on the orders of Pharaoh Khufu.

AI recreated the pyramid in its original form and finished it with gleaming white limestone that has since been lost to time.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Legend has it that the gardens were located about 50 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq. The gardens were built as early as 600 BC. believed and were complete with terraces 20 meters high

According to ancient texts, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon had extensive terraces, beautiful water features and floating plants.

However, stories are the only evidence that the lush oasis existed.

One text specifically claimed that the Babylonian Emperor Nebuchadnezzar built the gardens in the Babylonian province of Iraq for his wife Amyitis.

Yet it was not mentioned in any text from the emperor or his wife.

Legend has it that the gardens were located about 50 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq.

The gardens were built as early as 600 BC. believed and were complete with terraces 20 meters high.

If the gardens existed, they would have been razed to the ground after it was conquered by the Achaemenid Empire in 539 BC.

Statue of Zeus in Olympia

The 40-foot-tall ivory Zeus sat on a throne in an airy temple, which is how he appeared in the statue created by AI

Olympia built the statue of the ruler of the gods in an attempt to outdo the city's rivals, those in Athens.

The 40-foot-tall ivory Zeus sat on a throne in an airy temple, as he looked in the statue created by AI, but with tourists surrounding him.

Records show that the massive statue was built in 426 AD. was destroyed in a fire in Constantinople.

Alexandria Lighthouse

Alexandria's lighthouse was destroyed by earthquakes that struck the ancient Egyptian port. AI has recreated the astonishing structure as if it had never been shaken by events

The most famous lighthouse of antiquity once stood over 100 meters high on the island of Pharos in the port of Alexandria in ancient Egypt.

It was a complex structure designed to demonstrate the prowess of the world's intellectual capital while revealing its mathematical and geometric foundations.

Sostratus of Cnidus designed the burning fire atop a cylindrical tower, an octagonal center and a square base.

After a series of earthquakes, it eventually fell into disrepair and ruin in the Middle Ages.

Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

AI has reimagined the gigantic tomb, as tourists rush up the stairs to look at the wonder built in 350 BC. It contained 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 name of the deceased king became the collective word for important grave monuments.

The structure was a mixture of Greek, Near Eastern and Egyptian design principles in Anatolian and Pentelic marble.

When the grave was excavated, sacrificial remains of oxen, sheep and birds were considered the remains of a 'broadcast' feast for the permanent tenant of the Mausoleum.

Built in 350 BC in modern-day Turkey, it was destroyed by a series of earthquakes in the 13th century.

Temple of Artemis in Ephesus

The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus was built and rebuilt over many years. The best known was built around 550 BC and financed by King Croesus of Lydia. Unlike many other temples of the 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 destroy it was Herostratus, who burned it down just to become famous.

Then came the Goths, who destroyed the city while on their way from the Romans.

Finally, a Christian mob tore it up in 401 AD, leaving only the foundations and a single column – which can still be seen today.