Word 7 wonders name

The 7 Wonders of the World are a list of ancient monuments built between the 3rd millennium BC for the oldest and the 3rd century BC for the most recent.
They have the characteristics of having marked their eras, giving glory to the civilizations that erected them. Here is the list.

Listen to the program «La curiosité est un vilan défaut» on 27/02/2017 (in french), a program broadcast on RTL and presented
by Sidonie Bonnec and Thomas Hugues. They received Olivier Lemaître, editor-in-chief of the magazine Historia, who explains in a playful and very
clear way what these seven wonders of the World were.

A good moment!

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Where were the 7 wonders of the ancient world?

They are all in a geographical area ranging from Mediterranean Europe to Asia Minor. Five of them are in an area of influence of the ancient Greek
empire, two in that of ancient Egypt and the last is in the ancient city of Babylon, now approximately 50 km south of Baghdad, in Iraq. Only one of
these seven wonders is still standing today, the pyramid of Cheops, The statue of Zeus,
the colossus of Rhodes and the hanging gardens of Babylon have no trace today,
so much so that the existence of gardens is debatable and discussed. On the other hand, the lighthouse of Alexandria,
the temple of Artemis and the mausoleum of Halicarnassus all have vestiges
visible today, so we know perfectly where they were and what were their environments of the time.

Learn more about the location of the 7 wonders.

Maartens van Heelkerck

Maartens van Heelkerck was a Dutch historical painting of the sixteenth century. He is known for making engravings of a series called «The 7 Wonders
of the World». If these works are artistically interesting, they are much less from a documentary point of view but still deserve a glance.

Learn more about Maartens van Heelkerck.

The pyramid of Cheops

The term «Wonder» was applied to the great pyramid of Kheops for the first time by Herodotus, in the 5th century BC. Other celebrities of antiquity
will also do so, like Diodorus of Sicily, then Strabon (1st century BC), and Pliny the Elder (1st century BC).

Always accompanied by those of Kephren, Mykérinos and those of the three queens, the Pyramid of Kheops is the highest in the world. It was built in
the seventeenth century BC on the Giza plateau near the ancient capital of the Empire, Memphis, west of Egypt’s present capital, Cairo. The pyramid of
Cheops, like those of its immediate successors Kephren and Mykerinos, is the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world still visible today,
the others having either been completely destroyed or, state of ruins.

If one ignores the details of the construction, it seems that it took twenty years to build it, with the help of thousands of workers. It required
2 300 000 blocks of white granite and limestone (which were used for its coating), each block weighing between 2.5 and 15 tons. The way in which these
blocks were hoisted over each other gave rise to many assumptions, given the technical means of the time. The most plausible is that of stacking the
blocks with a helical ramp of raw brick, a ramp that was later destroyed. This thesis, held by the Egyptologist Georges Goyon, is one of those that
hold the most road today.

Its dimensions are quite simple, it is based on a square plan of 230m of side, which makes almost 1 Km of perimeter. These four sides are oriented
towards the cardinal points. The angle of elevation is 51 ° with respect to the ground, which goes up to 146m of height. Currently, it is only 136m
because it is truncated.

Its role was to serve as the tomb of the Pharaoh, just like the other pyramids of the area. There are other assumptions about the usefulness of
the pyramid, if they can sometimes have a scientific background, most are highly fanciful.

Learn more about the Pyramid of Cheops.

The hanging gardens of Babylon

The history of the city of Babylon begins in the second half of the third millennium BC, relatively early in the history of mankind. The city is going
to be the center of an Empire that will spread throughout the second millennium and then expand to the top of the empire during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar
(605-562 BC). The city was then covered of various splendours, for example the famous gate of Ishtar, one of the 100 gates of the city:

I put it in bricks enamelled in blue on which were represented wild bulls and dragons. I had it placed above it to cover it with cedar beams. I placed
in its gates copper-covered wings, hinges and bronze supports. I embellished this door in order to make the admiration of all the people.

Many other buildings, including the summer palace and a gigantic bridge spanning the Euphrates, embellished the city. And of course, in this context,
the gardens were seen as havens of happiness, to possess it meant the wealth of its owner. The most important were made for the bride of Nebuchadnezzar,
Amytis, daughter of the king of the Medes. If their very existence is sometimes subject to discussion, the traces that we have of them through various
testimonies, rarely direct, indicate that it would be a terrace at 20m high trapezoidal shape whose long side measured 120m . They were irrigated by
canals coming from the Euphrates and whose water was mounted on the terrace by a system of worms. The composition of these gardens is unknown at this
time.

At the end of the 19th century archaeologists found traces of what might be the hanging gardens of which Herodotus, Diodorus of Sicily, Stabon — who
described the Lighthouse of Alexandria — and Quintus Curce speak, but these remains are truly subject to caution.

Learn more about the hanging gardens of Babylon.

the statue of Zeus

Do you know what a chryselphantine statue is? Well, it is simply a statue of gold and ivory, like this statue of Zeus, built by Phidias,
around 430 BC. It was in the temple of Zeus in Olympia, a temple that was built on the remains of another temple dedicated to Hera, towards the end of the
6th century BC. In honor of Zeus of the Sports Games were organized, but gradually the games gained momentum and it was necessary to build a temple to the
glory of Zeus himself, which was done between 470 and 456 BC.

This temple was destroyed by an earthquake, the stones recovered and reused. At the end of the 4th century Theodosius forbade the Olympic Games, since
they celebrated a pagan cult, it was from this that the destruction of the temple was definitive.

As for the statue, it is difficult to know its exact description which has disappeared, but one can trust Pausanias who lived in the 2nd century AD and
who described it as follows:

[…] sitting on his throne … He carries on his head a crown of olive branches. in his right hand he carries a statue of victory … in his left hand
a scepter … with an eagle perched at the top … The throne is adorned with painted animals and drawings of statues […] The base the other ornaments
decorating the statue are in gold. In addition to Zeus, there are Helios in his chariot, Hera, Hermes, Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Amphitrite,
Poseidon, and Herakles.

It was transported to Contantinople of the 4th century, a city under the influence of the Eastern Roman Empire. A fire in 475 caused the final destruction
of the statue of which we have no trace today.

Learn more about the Statue of Zeus.

The temple of Artemis

The temple of Artemis is located in the city of Ephesus, an ancient city whose vestiges are currently in Turkey. Founded at the end of the eleventh century
BC, this city was conquered by the Persian Empire, as was the rest of Asia Minor. In the 10th century BC Ephesus was one of the main cities of Greek culture
and commerce on this coast, so the relations between Ephesus and ancient Greece were essentially commercial. During the 6th century BC, Cresus, rich king of
Lydia, financed the construction of a temple called the Artemesion, a temple where the population venerated a mother goddess whom the Greeks later assimilated
to Artemis.

The Greeks having conquered the Persian Empire under Alexander the Great, Ephesus became a Greek city. This temple was dedicated to Artemis. It was 115m
long by 55m wide and was surrounded by columns of fluted marble with carved and painted capitals, as well as a large frieze and sculptured pediments.

It was partially destroyed by wars, restored and finally burnt down in 356 by Erostrate, an Ephesian. A few years later it was rebuilt by raising it to
highlight it. The sculptors Scopas and Praxiteles, as well as the painter Apelles, worked there. It was again ruined during the 1st century by the armies of
Nero, then by the Goths (in 263), and finally abandoned when King Theodosius forbade pagan cults in the 4th century. He then served, as is often the case,
as a source of stone to build other buildings.

The temple contained a wooden statue of Artemis later covered with gold, a crown of crenelated walls (a symbol of power), the body carrying mammals (Animal
Mother’s Symbols) and animal figurines.

Learn more about the Temple of Artemis.

The mausoleum of Halicarnassus

Halicarnassus was the capital of the kingdom of Caria on the Turkish coast of the Aegean. Nowadays it is a stone’s throw from the city of Bodrum. This
kingdom was a possession of the Persian Empire, whose king was Ataxerxes Mnemon. His satrap (a satrap, a governor) overthrew him and proclaimed the independence
of the kingdom of Caria. It was at this moment that he moved his capital to Halicarnassus. This new king was called Mausole.

He married his sister Artemise II, who built her a splendid tomb at Halicarnassus after her death in 453 BC. It was a building of about fifty meters in
length decorated with a splendid quatre, statue of a chariot pulled by 4 horses a priori posed at the top of the monument. Nowadays there is not much left of
the building that was demolished in the 14th century to recover stones in order to build fortifications to protect the island of Rhodes not far away. We still
have portions of friezes and statues that are visible today in the British Museum.

And for those who would ask the question, the word «mausoleum» comes from King Mausole, his name has become a common name — as the island of Pharos, in
Alexandria, gave the name «Phare» to the building which was there.

Learn more about the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.

the colossus of Rhodes

The Colossus of Rhodes is the most ephemeral of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was built in 303 BC and destroyed by an earthquake in 224 BC.
It took only 12 years to build it with a well-established technique. This statue was in bronze and depicted Apollo, it was installed — a priori at the
entrance to the port of Rhodes — but some specialists think it could have been built a little further.

This statue was 34 m high and symbolized the richness of the island of Rhodes. It was intended to impress the merchant mariners who entered the port.

Its history being short, it must be known that when it was destroyed, the ruins remained on the spot until the 7th century before the bronze was
recovered and sold.

Learn more about the Colossus of Rhodes.

The lighthouse of Alexandria

Built during the 3rd century BC under Ptolemy I and inaugurated under the son of Ptolemy II, the lighthouse of Alexandria was described by many travelers
until the 14th century, when it was destroyed by a more violent earthquake than the others . It was long attributed to the architect Sostrate of Cnidus, but
nowadays it seems that this person, very rich and close to the king, was only the sponsor of the summit statue. It is actually the only name found on the
vestiges of the lighthouse, which is why it is so often associated with this monument.

Many different stories but the descriptions of the monument are relatively identical, especially for its general form. We can therefore estimate that it
resembles this description, namely: From a height of more than 130m, it consisted of 3 perfectly
distinct parts. The lower part was square, the second octagonal, and the third, much shorter, cylindrical. At the top was a statue whose representation is
still subject to discussion today.

Alexandria was founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great during his conquest of the Persian Empire. In Egypt he was welcomed as a liberator. At the
time of his death, in 323 BC, he was one of his generals, Ptolemy, who took the office of satrap of Egypt (a satrap, a governor), but soon succeeded
in taking the king’s crown. He is the founder of the Lagide (or Ptolemaic) dynasty which will end in -30 under Cleopatra during the conquest of Egypt
by the Roman Emperor Octave-Auguste. During these three centuries Alexandria was the most important city in the Hellenistic world, from the commercial,
intellectual and artistic point of view.

There were several underwater excavation campaigns on the site. The first
of these took place in 1968 by the British archaeologist Honor Frost, and they enabled us to judge the archaeological interest of the site. Others took
place but did not go on until 1994 when Mr Jean-Yves Empereur took over the excavations carried out under the aegis of the French Institute of Eastern
Archeology and under the auspices of the Center d’études alexandrines which he directed. Various excavation campaigns made it possible to extract important
archaeological material from the waters, including a very beautiful statue of Ptolemy, known as the Colossus of Ptolemy.

Learn more about the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

The old seven Wonders of the World, also known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are monuments that are representatives of the achievements of ancient civilizations. There are only one of these Wonders that is still standing and the old seven Wonders of the World have been replaced by newer monuments that are representative of some of the mankind’s more recent achievements. This is a list of the monuments that are most often considered as the old Seven Wonders Of The World.

The Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only ancient Wonder of the World that is still standing to this day. The Great Pyramid was built between 2584 and 2561 BCE and is the resting place of Pharaoh Khufu. The pyramid was not restored until the 19th century and is still being studied. It remained the tallest man-made structure for 4,000 years and is still one of the most popular touristic attractions of Egypt.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The Hanging Gardens were built by king Nebuchadnezzar II as a gift to his wife. The construction of the gardens is dated back to the sixth century BCE. The gardens were a series of terraces with self-watering exotic plants and were destroyed in an earthquake sometimes during the first century CE. Other monuments built in Babylon are sometimes considered as Wonders of the Ancient World besides the gardens.

The Statue Of Zeus At Olympia

Phidias created this statue during the 5th century BCE. This sculptor is also known for his work on the statue of Athena in Athens and on the Parthenon. The statue reached 40 feet and showed Zeus on his throne. Old rites and traditions were abandoned with the rise of Christianity and the statue was brought to Constantinople. An earthquake would destroy it during the 5th or 6th century CE.

The Mausoleum Of Halicarnassus

The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was the tomb of Persian King Mauslos. The tomb reached 135 feet and gave birth to the English word ‘mausoleum’. The tomb was originally built in 351 BCE by Artemisia, king Mauslos’ wife. The tomb was partially destroyed by earthquakes and the stones were used by the Knights of St. John of Malta to build one of their castles during the 15th century CE.

The Lighthouse Of Alexandria

This 440 feet high lighthouse was built on the island of Pharos by Ptolemy I. The lighthouse was finished during the third century BCE and was the third tallest structure at the time. The light, reflected by a mirror, could be seen as far as 35 miles at sea. A series of earthquakes caused damages to the lighthouse until is completely disappeared. Some of the stones from the lighthouse were used to build the Egyptian fort of Quality.

The Temple Of Artemis At Ephesus

This temple took more than a century to build. The temple was 425 feet high and 225 feet wide. The construction was financed by King Croesus of Lydia and considered as one of the most impressive structures built at the time. In 356 BCE, a man by the name of Herostratus set the temple on fire to have his name recorded in history. Smaller versions of the temple were rebuilt twice only to be destroyed again.

The Colossus Of Rhodes

This statue represented the god Helios and was built between 292 and 280 BCE. The 110 feet high statue towered the harbor and would later inspire the Statue of Liberty. The Statue was built to celebrate the victory of the Island of Rhodes against Demetrius’ invasion. The equipment left behind by Demetrius’ army was sold and the money was used to finance the construction of the statue. An earthquake destroyed the statue in 226 BCE.

These Seven monuments are usually considered as the Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World, but there are other curiosities that sometimes make the list. These seven wonders are the ones selected by Philo of Byzantium to create the first list of this type. However, the Egyptian Labyrinth, the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, the walls of Babylon and the library of Alexandria are sometimes considered as Wonder of the Ancient World by historians.

Holding a great historical significance and symbolizing cultural heritage, both the old and the new 7 wonders of the world are a must for every traveller to explore once in a lifetime. Each wonder boasts its uniqueness and that’s what attracts vacationers from all across the globe. Though only the ruins remain of the majority of the old wonders, travellers can surely witness the charm of the new wonders of the world with exciting international tour packages. Take a look!

Wish to know about the old seven wonders of the world?  Here are the details about the old 7 gems of the world: 

1. The Great Pyramid of Giza

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Of all the ancient seven wonders of the world, the Great Pyramid of Giza is the one and only wonder that has survived to stand tall through thick and thin. Constructed between the period of 2584 BC & 2561 BC, it is the largest of all three pyramids with a base of about 230.4 metres, and a height of 146.5 metres.

Best Time To Visit: September to April
Location: Al Haram, Nazlet El-Semman, Al Haram, Giza Governorate, Egypt
Nearby Attractions: Great Sphinx of Giza, Giza Plateau, Grand Egyptian Museum, and more.
Other Things To Do In Giza: Sightseeing, sound and light show in Giza, camel safari, quad biking, horseback riding, and more.

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2. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

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Considered to be one of the architectural masterpieces in the list of 7 wonders of the world, only the ruins remain of the great Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, which was destroyed by calefaction and floods. Located right in the heart of Turkey, the temple was unearthed again in 1869 in the city of Izmir and was recognized as the World Heritage Site in the year of 2014.

Best Time To Visit: April to May and from September to mid November
Location: Atatürk Mahallesi, Dr. Sabri Yayla Blv., İzmir, Turkey
Nearby Attractions: Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, and more.
Other Things To Do In Turkey: Explore the thermal spa terraces at Pamukkale, shopping at Grand Bazaar, explore the Spice Bazaar, and more.

3. Hanging Gardens of Babylon

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Though the ruins of Babylon are established in the city of Al-Hillah in Iraq currently, the existence of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon remains as mysterious as ever. It is believed that around 600 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar built the Hanging Gardens for his wife Amytis which did not really hang. However, this ancient wonder remains open to the speculations of historians who often find themselves blank due to the lack of evidence of any kind in the Babylonian history.

Best Time To Visit: October to November
Location: Al-Hillah, Iraq
Nearby Attractions: Sami Abdulrahman Park, Citadel of Arbil, Erbil-Kurdistan, and more.
Other Things To Do In Iraq: Shopping in Family Mall, explore the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, visit the Amna Suraka in Sulaymaniyah, and more.

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4. The Lighthouse of Alexandria

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Much famed to be the pride of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was built between between 280 and 247 BC. At a height of about 450 ft. tall, the lighthouse remained the tallest architectural marvel in the world for a very long time until it was completely shattered by earthquakes in between 956 AD and 1323 AD.

Best Time To Visit: March to April and late September to early November
Location: Pharos, Alexandria, Egypt
Nearby Attractions: Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Montazah Palace Gardens, Fort Qaitbey, and more.
Other Things To Do In Alexandria: Explore the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, visit Pompey’s Pillar, enjoy a heritage tour in Alexandria, and more.

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5. Statue of Zeus at Olympia

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Dedicated to the famous Greek God of Zeus, the Statue of Zeus is located in the heart of Olympia that is set on the western coast of Greece and is famous for Olympic Games. A massive statue that once stood tall at a height of 42 ft., was completely sculpted in wood first and later, was later covered with ivory and gold panels. Destroyed in an unfortunate fire during the 5th Century AD, the statue took about 12 years to be perfected by Phidias, the sculptor.

Best Time To Visit: Mid-April to mid-June or September to mid-October
Location: Olympia, Greece
Nearby Attractions: Archaeological Museum of Olympia, Temple of Hera, Philippeion, and more.
Other Things To Do In Olympia: Explore Ancient Olympia, visit Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens, and more.

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6. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

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A tomb built for Mausolus, the ruler of Caria and a Persian Governor, it took four Greek sculptors to perfect Mausoleum at Halicarnassus to a height of 45 meters between 353 BC & 350 BC. Being one of the 7 wonders of the world which survived to a great extent, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was eventually shattered by a successive series of earthquakes.

Best Time To Visit: April to May and October to November
Location: Tepecik Mahallesi, Bodrum, Mugla, Turkey
Nearby Attractions: Kaunos Beach, Bodrum Castle, Tlos, Marmaris Castle, and more.
Other Things To Do In Mugla: Paragliding in Babadag, explore the beaches of Sedir Island, camping in Butterfly Valley, Fethiye, and more.

7. Colossus of Rhodes

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Remember the giant statue in Game of Thrones? Well it does not come as a surprise to know that the inspiration was taken from the famous Colossus of Rhodes. Signifying the victory over Antigonus I Monophthalmus – the ruler of Cyprus, Colossus of Rhodes, the statue of Greek God of Sun, was constructed in 280 BC and was destroyed to ruins post 54 years in an earthquake.

Best Time To Visit: April to May and October to November
Location: Rhodes, Greece
Nearby Attractions: Kastello, Acropolis of Rhodes, Tsambika Beach, Filerimos, and more.
Other Things To Do In Rhodes: Windsurfing and kitesurfing at Prasonisi, explore the Valley of Butterflies, enjoy snorkeling at Antony Quinn Bay, and more.

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Seven New Wonders Of The World

Selected from over 200 iconic landmarks and buildings, here are the majestic sites that made it into the list featuring seven new wonders of the world. 

1. Taj Mahal, India

Built by the famous Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan for its favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, the iconic structure of Taj Mahal, is the pride of India and more importantly, an epitome of love. Built as early as in the 16th century, Taj Mahal is the crown of India which is constructed purely of ivory-white marble and is best witnessed during sunrise.

Height: 73 meters
Timings: 8 am to 5 pm; During Full Moon: 8.30 pm to 12.30 am
Best Time To Visit: November to March
Location: Dharmapuri, Forest Colony, Tajganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Nearby Attractions: Tomb of I’timad-ud-Daulah, Mehtab Bagh, Jama Mosque, Agra Fort, and more.
Other Things To Do In Agra: Sightseeing in Agra, tour the Khas Mahal, shopping in Kinari Bazaar, visit the Jehangir’s Palace, and more.

2. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro

Located atop the Corcovado Mountain in Tijuca Forest National Park, the wondrous statue of Christ the Redeemer is perched at a height of 700 metres. Overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro and constructed during the period of 1922 to 1931, the statue is not only the symbol of Christian community but is also one of the iconic landmarks of Brazil and Rio.

Height: 38 meters
Timings: 8 am to 7 pm
Best Time To Visit: December to March
Location: Parque Nacional da Tijuca – Alto da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nearby Attractions: Copacabana Beach, Sugarloaf Mountain, Ipanema, Maracanã Stadium, and more.
Other Things To Do In Rio de Janeiro: Witness the Brazilian heritage at Santa Teresa, trek through Tijuca Forest – the largest urban forest, enjoy shopping in Leblon, and more.

3. Great Wall Of China

Stunning as it looks, Great Wall of China is one of the those 7 wonders of the world that need no introduction. Encompassing of defensive fortifications that are a perfect blend of bricks, rammed earth, wood, stones, and other substances, the Great Wall of China was built to protect the Chinese region from invasions of empires during 7th century BCE.

Stretch: 21,196 kilometers
Timings: 7.30 am to 5.30 pm
Best Time To Visit: September to October
Location: Huairou, Beijing, China
Nearby Attractions: The Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace, and more.
Other Things To Do In Beijing: Explore Beihai Park, go shopping in Wangfujing, hiking in Mutianyu, and more.

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4. Petra, Jordan

Located in the southwestern desert of Jordan, Petra is the world-famous archaeological site that once served as the Nabatean Kingdom’s capital. Boasting of its one of a kind pink sandstone cliffs out of which the tombs and temples are sculpted, Al Khazneh is the most famous temple of all. Featuring a facade known as the Treasury, Petra reflects the authentic Greek architecture that attracts millions of travelers across the world.

Best Time To Visit: March to May
Location: Jordan
Nearby Attractions: Dead Sea, Wadi Rum, Mount Nebo, Roman Theater, Ajloun Castle, and more.
Other Things To Do In Jordan: Visit the Jordan River, hike the Dana Biosphere Reserve, explore the Jordan Museum, and more.

5. Machu Picchu, Peru

Perched high on the Andes Mountains and built of limestones that are mortar-free, Machu Picchu is one of the most classic 7 wonders of the world. Dating back to the 15th century, Machu Picchu in Peru is the most renowned structure of the Inca civilization which is famous for its dry-stone walls.

Elevation: 7,970 ft. above sea level
Best Time To Visit: April to October
Location: Mountain Machu Picchu, Peru
Nearby Attractions: Sacred Valley, Colca Canyon, Saksaywaman, Islas Ballestas, and more.
Other Things To Do In Peru: Enjoy hiking and backpacking through Inca Trail, mountaineering at Huascarán mountains, hike through Cordillera Blanca, and more.

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6. Chichen Itza, Mexico

The renowned structure of Mayan ruins, the city of Chichen Itza boasts of a World Heritage Site of a massive temple – El Castillo, built in the shape of a pyramid. Dedicated to the God of Kukulkan, the structure consists of 91 steps on each side which when totalled with the final step of the temple, equals the number of days in one Haab year, i.e., 365 days.

Height: 30 meters
Timings: 8.30 am to 4.30 pm
Best Time To Visit: December to March
Location: Yucatan, Mexico
Nearby Attractions: Kabah, Pyramid of the Magician, Ik Kil, St. Ildephonsus Cathedral, Ek Balam, and more.
Other Things To Do In Yucatan: Caving at Cenote Zaci, explore the Sacred Cenote, visit the Sayil, adore the charm of Museo Maya, and more.

7. Colosseum, Rome

One of the major tourist attractions of Rome, the Colosseum is indeed one of the iconic 7 wonders of the world. Constructed mainly of sand and concrete, Colosseum is the largest surviving amphitheatre in the world. Built during the time between 70 AD to 72 AD by the famous Emperor Vespasian, Colosseum is much famed as the Flavian Amphitheatre that continues to charm the travellers today.

Height: 48 meters
Timings: 8.30 am to 3.30 pm
Best Time To Visit: October to April
Location: Piazza del Colosseo, 1, Roma, Italy
Nearby Attractions: Pantheon Temple, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Museums, and more.
Other Things To Do In Rome: Explore the nightlife at Piazza Navona, admire Michelangelo’s paintings at Sistine Chapel, explore the Palatine Hill, and more.

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Above is all the important description and pictures of seven wonders of the world (old and new) to give you a glimpse into their magnanimity. So, if you are a history buff, then checkout customizable international tour packages with TravelTriangle and get going to explore your favourite wonder. Also, don’t forget to share your experience with us at travelogues@traveltriangle.com.

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Frequently Asked Questions About 7 Wonders Of The World

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about natural and man-made phenomena and structures of the world. For other uses of «Wonders of the World», see Wonders of the World (disambiguation).

Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to the present day, in order to catalogue the world’s most spectacular natural features and human-built structures.

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the oldest known list of this type, documenting the most remarkable man-made creations of classical antiquity; it was based on guidebooks popular among Hellenic sightseers and as such only includes works located around the Mediterranean rim and in the ancient Near East. The number seven was chosen because the Greeks believed it represented perfection and plenty, and because it reflected the number of planets known in ancient times (five) plus the Sun and Moon.^[1]

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The Greek historian Herodotus (484 – c. 425 BC) and the scholar Callimachus of Cyrene (c. 305–240 BC), at the Museum of Alexandria, made early lists of seven wonders. These lists have not survived, however, except as references in other writings.

The classic Seven Wonders were:

• Great Pyramid of Giza, in El Giza, Egypt, the earliest of the wonders to be completed, as well as the only one that still exists in the present day.
• Colossus of Rhodes, in the harbor of the city of Rhodes, on the Greek island of the same name.
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon, in Babylon, near present-day Hillah, Babil province, Iraq; or Nineveh, Mosul, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq.
• Lighthouse of Alexandria, in Alexandria, Egypt.
• Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, in Halicarnassus, a city of the Achaemenid Empire in present-day Turkey.
• Statue of Zeus at Olympia, in Olympia, Greece.
• Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, in the city of Ephesus, near present-day Selçuk, Turkey.

Lists from other eras

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, some writers emulated the classical list by creating their own lists with names such as «Wonders of the Middle Ages», «Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages», «Seven Wonders of the Medieval Mind», and «Architectural Wonders of the Middle Ages».^[2] It is unlikely that any of these lists actually originated in the Middle Ages since the concept of a «Middle Age» did not become popular until at least the 16th century and the word «medieval» was not invented until the Enlightenment era. Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable refers to them as «later list[s]»,^[3] suggesting the lists were created after the Middle Ages.

Many of the structures on these lists were built much earlier than the Middle Ages but were well known throughout the world.^[4][5] Typically representative of such lists are:^[3][4][6][7]

• Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, a 2nd-century funerary complex in Alexandria, Egypt.
• Colosseum, a 1st-century amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy.
• Great Wall of China, a series of defensive fortifications built across the historical northern borders of China, with some segments dating to as early as the 7th century BC.
• Hagia Sophia, a 6th-century cathedral and mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.
• Leaning Tower of Pisa, a 12th-century bell tower in Pisa, Italy.
• Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, a 15th-century pagoda on the south bank of the external Qinhuai River in Nanjing, People’s Republic of China.
• Stonehenge, a Neolithic henge monument in Wiltshire, England dated to the 3rd millennium BC.

Other structures sometimes included on such lists include:

• Cairo Citadel, a 13th-century Islamic fortification in Cairo, Egypt.^[8]
• Cluny Abbey, a 10th-century Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France.^[9]
• Ely Cathedral, a (currently Anglican) cathedral originally built in the 11th century in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.^[10]

Recent lists

Following in the tradition of the classical list, modern people and organisations have made their own lists of wonderful things, both ancient and modern, natural and artificial. Some of the most notable lists are presented below.

American Society of Civil Engineers

In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers compiled a list of Seven Wonders of the Modern World, paying tribute to the «greatest civil engineering achievements of the 20th century».^[11][12]

USA Today‘s New Seven Wonders

In November 2006, the American national newspaper USA Today and the American television show Good Morning America revealed a list of the «New Seven Wonders», both natural and man-made, as chosen by six judges.^[14] The Grand Canyon was added as an eighth wonder on November 24, 2006, in response to viewer feedback.^[15]

Seven Natural Wonders of the World

Similar to the other lists of wonders, there is no consensus on a list of seven natural wonders of the world, and there has been debate over how large such a list should be. One of many existing versions of this list was compiled by CNN in 1997:^[16]

• Aurora, in the Earth’s high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic)
• Grand Canyon, in Arizona, United States
• Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland, Australia
• Harbor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Mount Everest, on the border of Nepal and China
• Parícutin volcano, located in the state of Michoacán, Mexico
• Victoria Falls, on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe

New 7 Wonders of the World

In 2001, an initiative was started by the Swiss corporation New7Wonders Foundation to choose the New 7 Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments through online votes.^[17] The Great Pyramid of Giza—part of the Giza Pyramids, the only remaining wonder of the traditional Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was not one of the winners announced in 2007 but was added as an honorary candidate.^[18][19]

Wonder	Date of construction	Present-day location
Great Wall of China	Since 7th century BC[20]	China
Petra	c. 100 BC	Ma’an, Jordan
Christ the Redeemer	opened to the public October 12, 1931	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Machu Picchu	c. AD 1450	Urubamba Province, Peru
Chichén Itzá	c. AD 600	Yucatán, Mexico
Colosseum	completed AD 80	Rome, Italy
Taj Mahal	completed c. AD 1648	Agra, India
Giza Pyramids (honorary candidates)	completed c. 2560 BC	Giza, Egypt

New 7 Wonders of Nature

A similar contemporary effort to create a list of seven natural (as opposed to man-made) wonders chosen through a global poll, called the New 7 Wonders of Nature, was organized from 2007 to 2011 by the same group as the New 7 Wonders of the World campaign.

• Iguazu Falls, on the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná
• Hạ Long Bay, in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam
• Jeju Island, in the Jeju Province of South Korea
• Puerto Princesa Underground River, in Palawan, Philippines
• Table Mountain, overlooking the city of Cape Town, South Africa
• Komodo Island, one of the 17,508 islands that comprise the Republic of Indonesia
• Amazon rainforest, located in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana

New 7 Wonders Cities

New 7 Wonders Cities, a third list organized by New7Wonders and determined by another global vote, includes entire cities:

• Durban, South Africa
• Vigan, Philippines
• Havana, Cuba
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Beirut, Lebanon
• Doha, Qatar
• La Paz, Bolivia

Seven Wonders of the Underwater World

The list of «Seven Wonders of the Underwater World» was drawn up by CEDAM International, an American-based non-profit group for divers that is dedicated to ocean preservation and research. In 1989, CEDAM brought together a panel of marine scientists, including Eugenie Clark, to choose underwater areas which they considered worthy of protection. The results were announced at The National Aquarium in Washington, D.C., by actor Lloyd Bridges, star of TV’s Sea Hunt:^[21]

• Palau
• Belize Barrier Reef, Belize
• Great Barrier Reef, Australia
• Deep-sea hydrothermal vents (worldwide)
• Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
• Lake Baikal, Russia
• Northern Red Sea, bordered by Saudi Arabia and Yemen on the eastern shore, and Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, and Djibouti on the western shore

Seven Wonders of the Industrial World

British author Deborah Cadbury wrote Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, a book telling the stories of seven great feats of engineering of the 19th and early 20th centuries.^[22] In 2003, the BBC aired a seven-part docudrama exploring the same feats, with Cadbury as a producer. ^[23]

• SS Great Eastern, British oceangoing passenger steamship, launched in 1858
• Bell Rock Lighthouse, in the North Sea off the coast of Angus, Scotland, completed in 1810
• Brooklyn Bridge, in New York City, New York, United States, opened to traffic in 1883
• London sewerage system, serving London, England since the late 19th century
• First transcontinental railroad, 1,912-mile (3,077 km) continuous railroad line connecting existing rail networks in Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California in the United States, completed in 1869
• Panama Canal, 51-mile (82 km) artificial waterway crossing the Isthmus of Panama and connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, completed in 1914
• Hoover Dam, on the Colorado River, spanning the border between Nevada and Arizona in the United States, completed in 1936

Seven Wonders of the Solar System

In a 1999 article, Astronomy magazine listed the «Seven Wonders of the Solar System». This article was later made into a video.^[24]

• Enceladus, a moon of Saturn
• The Great Red Spot of Jupiter, a massive and persistent anticyclonic storm in the planet’s southern hemisphere
• The asteroid belt, a region of innumerable small solid bodies located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
• The surface of the Sun
• The oceans of Earth
• The Rings of Saturn
• Olympus Mons, an enormous shield volcano on Mars and the tallest planetary mountain in the Solar System

Other lists of wonders of the world

Many authors and organisations have composed lists of the wonders of the world that have been published in book or magazine form.

Seven Wonders of the World is a 1956 film in which Lowell Thomas searches the world for natural and artificial wonders and invites the audience to try to update the ancient Wonders of the World list.

See also

• Eighth Wonder of the World
• National Seven Wonders
  • Seven Wonders of Canada
  • Seven Wonders of Colombia
  • Seven Wonders of Poland
  • Seven Wonders of Portugal
  • Seven Natural Wonders of Romania
  • Seven Wonders of Romania
  • Seven Wonders of Russia
  • Seven Wonders of Ukraine
  • Seven Wonders of Wales
  • Seven Wonders of Dauphiné
• 12 Treasures of Spain
• Seven Wonders of Fore (Fore Abbey, Ireland)
• World Heritage List – a list of over 900 sites deemed by UNESCO to be of «outstanding universal value»
• Seven Horticultural Wonders of the World

Notes

References

External links

• 77 Wonders of the World in 360° A list of world wonders linking the ancient 7 Wonders of the World and the World Heritage List by UNESCO

The Seven Wonders of the World (or the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) is a widely known list of seven remarkable constructions of antiquity. It was based on guide-books popular among Hellenic sightseers and includes only works located around the Mediterranean rim. Later lists include those for the medieval world and the modern world.

The original Seven Wonders of the World consists of: The Great Pyramid of Giza (the most ancient as well as the only surviving structure), the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

The notion of «Seven Wonders» can be traced to a Hellenistic recognition of trans-cultural human achievement that found expression throughout the Hellenistic world. For thousands of years, the Seven Wonders of the World have inspired humankind as representative works symbolic of the great civilizations of antiquity. In terms of innovative design, elaborate construction, technological mastery, and symbolic meaning, the Seven Wonders have not only showcased the high points of diverse civilizations, but tied humankind together in the common pursuit of intellectual excellence and self-expression.

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The historian Herodotus and the scholar Callimachus of Cyrene (c. 305 – 240 B.C.E.) made early lists of «seven wonders,» but these writings have not survived, except as references. The earliest extant version of a list of seven wonders was compiled by Antipater of Sidon, who described the structures in a poem around 140 B.C.E.:

I have set eyes on the wall of lofty Babylon on which is a road for chariots, and the statue of Zeus by the Alpheus, and the hanging gardens, and the Colossus of the Sun, and the huge labor of the high pyramids, and the vast tomb of Mausolus; but when I saw the house of Artemis that mounted to the clouds, those other marvels lost their brilliancy, and I said, «Lo, apart from Olympus, the Sun never looked on aught so grand»^[1]

A later list, under various titles such as De septem orbis spactaculis and traditionally, though incorrectly, attributed to the engineer Philo of Byzantium, may date as late as the fifth century C.E., although the author writes as if the Colossus of Rhodes, destroyed by an earthquake in 224 B.C.E., were still standing.

The basic characteristics of each of the Seven Wonders are given in the table below:

Wonder	Date of construction	Builder	Notable features	Date of destruction	Cause of destruction
Great Pyramid of Giza	2650 – 2500 B.C.E.	Egyptians	Built as the tomb of Fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu.	Still standing	—
Hanging Gardens of Babylon	600 B.C.E.	Babylonians	Herodotus claimed the outer walls were 56 miles in length, 80 feet thick and 320 feet high (although some archaeological findings suggest otherwise).	After first century B.C.E.	Earthquake
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus	550 B.C.E.	Lydians, Persians, Greeks	Dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis, the temple was begun by Croesus of Lydia and took 120 years to build. It was destroyed by arson in 356 B.C.E., rebuilt and destroyed during a raid by the Goths in 262, rebuilt again and finally demolished by a mob allegedly led by John Chrysostom.[2]	356 B.C.E. and 401 C.E.	Arson and later demolition
Statue of Zeus at Olympia	435 B.C.E.	Greeks	Occupied the whole width of the aisle of the temple that was built to house it, and was 40 feet tall.	fifth and sixth centuries C.E.	Fire
Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus	351 B.C.E.	Persians, Greeks	Stood approximately 135 feet tall with each of the four sides adorned with sculptural reliefs. Origin of the word mausoleum.	by 1494 C.E.	Earthquake
Colossus of Rhodes	292 – 280 B.C.E.	Hellenistic Greece	A giant statue of the Greek god Helios roughly the same size as today’s Statue of Liberty in New York.	224 B.C.E.	Earthquake
Lighthouse of Alexandria	Third century B.C.E.	Hellenistic Egypt	Between 383 feet to 440 feet tall it was among the tallest man-made structures on Earth for many centuries.	1303 – 1480 C.E.	Earthquake

The Greek category to describe what people call «wonders» today was «theamata,» which translates as «something worth seeing» or «must-sees.» Since the list came mostly from ancient Greek writings, only sites that would have been known and visited by the ancient Greeks were included. Sites from eastern Asia, the Americas, Africa, and northern Europe were thus omitted. Five of the seven entries are a celebration of Greek accomplishments in the arts and architecture (the exceptions being the Pyramids of Giza and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon). Antipater’s earlier list replaced the Lighthouse of Alexandria with the Babylon’s famous Ishtar Gate.

It was not until the sixth century C.E. that the list above was used. Of these wonders, the only one that has survived to the present day is the Great Pyramid of Giza. One of wonders, the Temple of Artemis, was destroyed intentionally, first by arson and finally by a mob allegedly led by the Christian bishop St. John Chrysostom. The Statue of Zeus was destroyed by fire. Four of the wonders were destroyed by earthquakes—the Hanging Gardens, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Mausoleum of Maussollos. (The existence of the Hanging Gardens, however, has not been definitively proven.) There are sculptures from the Mausoleum of Maussollos and the Temple of Artemis in the British Museum in London.

Later lists

Many lists of «wonders of the world» are said to have existed during the Middle Ages, although it is unlikely that these lists originated at that time. These lists go by names such as «Wonders of the Middle Ages» (implying no specific limitation to seven), «Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages,» «Medieval Mind,» and «Architectural Wonders of the Middle Ages.» Many of the structures on these lists were built much earlier than the Medieval Ages, but were well known. The lists are more properly seen as a continuing type or genre in the Seven Wonders tradition than a specific list.

The following is a typical representative of such lists:

• Stonehenge
• Colosseum
• Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
• Great Wall of China
• Porcelain Tower of Nanjing
• Hagia Sophia
• Leaning Tower of Pisa

Other sites that have been mentioned include:

• Cairo Citadel
• Ely Cathedral
• Taj Mahal
• Cluny Abbey

Modern lists

Many lists have been made of the greatest structures built during modern times or of the greatest wonders existing today. Some of the most notable lists are presented below.

American Society of Civil Engineers

The American Society of Civil Engineers compiled a list of wonders of the modern world:^[3]

Wonder	Date Started	Date Finished	Locations
Channel Tunnel	December 1, 1987	May 6, 1994	Strait of Dover, between the United Kingdom and France
CN Tower	February 6, 1973	June 26, 1976, tallest land structure in the world until September 12, 2007. Surpassed by Burj Dubai	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Empire State Building	January 22, 1930	May 1, 1931	New York, NY, U.S.
Golden Gate Bridge	January 5, 1933	May 27, 1937	Golden Gate Strait, north of San Francisco, California, U.S.
Itaipu Dam	January 1970	May 5, 1984	Paraná River, between Brazil and Paraguay
Delta Works	1950	May 10, 1997	Netherlands
Panama Canal	January 1, 1880	January 7, 1914	Isthmus of Panama

New7Wonders Foundation’s seven wonders of the world

In 2001, an initiative was started by the Swiss corporation New7Wonders Foundation to choose the New Seven Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments for profit.^[4] Twenty-one finalists were announced on January 1, 2006.^[5] Egypt was not happy with the fact that the only original wonder would have to compete with the likes of the Statue of Liberty, the Sydney Opera House, and other landmarks; and called the project absurd. To solve this, Giza was named an honorary Candidate. The results were announced on July 7, 2007 in Benfica’s stadium in a big ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal:^[6]

Wonder	Date of construction	Location
Great Wall of China	Fifth century B.C.E. – sixteenth century CE	China
Petra	Sixth century B.C.E.	Jordan
Christ the Redeemer	Opened October 12, 1931	Brazil
Machu Picchu	c. 1450	Peru
Chichen Itza	c. 600	Mexico
Roman Colosseum	Completed 80 C.E.	Italy
Taj Mahal	Completed c. 1648	India
Great Pyramid (Honorary Candidate)	Completed c. 2560 B.C.E.	Egypt

USA Today’s New Seven Wonders

In November 2006, the American national newspaper, USA Today, in cooperation with the American television show, Good Morning America, revealed a list of New Seven Wonders as chosen by six judges. The wonders were announced one per day over a week on Good Morning America. An eighth wonder was chosen on November 24 from viewer feedback.^[7]

Number	Wonder	Location
1	Potala Palace	Lhasa, Tibet, China
2	Old City of Jerusalem	Jerusalem, Israel
3	Polar ice caps	Polar regions
4	Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument	Hawaii, United States
5	Internet	N/A
6	Maya ruins	Yucatán Peninsula, México
7	Great Migration of Serengeti and Masai Mara	Tanzania and Kenya
8	Grand Canyon (viewer-chosen eighth wonder)	Arizona, United States

Seven Natural Wonders of the World

Similar to the other lists of wonders, there is no consensus on a list of seven natural wonders of the world, as there has been debate over how large the list should be. One of the many lists was compiled by CNN:^[8]

• Grand Canyon
• Great Barrier Reef
• Harbour of Rio de Janeiro
• Mount Everest
• Aurora
• Parícutin volcano
• Victoria Falls

Seven wonders of the underwater world

The Seven Underwater Wonders of the World was a list drawn up by CEDAM International, an American-based non-profit group for divers, dedicated to ocean preservation and research. In 1989, CEDAM brought together a panel of marine scientists, including Dr. Eugenie Clark, to pick underwater areas which they considered to be worthy of protection. The results were announced at The National Aquarium in Washington DC by actor Lloyd Bridges, who played in a TV show titled Sea Hunt:^[9]

• Palau
• Belize Barrier Reef
• Great Barrier Reef
• Deep-Sea Vents
• Galápagos Islands
• Lake Baikal
• Northern Red Sea

Seven Wonders of the Industrial World

British author Deborah Cadbury wrote Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, a book telling the stories of seven great feats of engineering of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In 2003 the BBC made a seven-part documentary series on the book, with each episode dramatising the construction one of the wonders. The seven industrial wonders are:

• SS Great Eastern
• Bell Rock Lighthouse
• Brooklyn Bridge
• London sewerage system
• First Transcontinental Railroad
• Panama Canal
• Hoover Dam

Travel wonders of the world

Travel writer Howard Hillman is one of many such writers who has compiled lists of the top man-made^[10]
and natural^[11] tourist travel wonders of the world.

Man-made travel wonders

1. Giza pyramid complex
2. Great Wall of China
3. Taj Mahal
4. Machu Picchu
5. Bali
6. Angkor Wat
7. Forbidden City
8. Bagan Temples & Pagodas
9. Karnak Temple
10. Teotihuacán

Natural travel wonders

1. Serengeti Migration
2. Galápagos Islands
3. Grand Canyon
4. Iguazu Falls
5. Amazon Rainforest
6. Ngorongoro Crater
7. Great Barrier Reef
8. Victoria Falls
9. Bora Bora
10. Cappadocia

Notes

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Cox, Reg, and Neil Morris. The Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Chelsea House Publications, 2000. ISBN 0791060489.
• Cox, Reg, Neil Morris, and James Field. The Seven Wonders of the Medieval World. Chelsea House Publications, 2000. ISBN 0791060470.
• D’Epiro, Peter, and Mary Desmond Pinkowish. What Are the Seven Wonders of the World? and 100 Other Great Cultural Lists. Anchor, 1998. ISBN 0385490623.
• Freely, John. The Western Shores of Turkey: Discovering the Aegean and Mediterranean Coast. Tauris Parke Paperbacks, 2004. ISBN 978-1850436188
• Morris, Neil. The Seven Wonders of the Natural World. Chrysalis Books, 2002. ISBN 184138495X.
• Trebilco, Paul. The Early Christians in Ephesus from Paul to Ignatius. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2007. ISBN 0802807690

External links

All links retrieved January 26, 2023.

Seven Ancient Wonders

• «Eternal wonder of humanity’s first great achievements» by Jonathan Glancey, The Guardian.
• Parkin, Tim, ed. Researching Ancient Wonders: A Research Guide (U. of Canterbury, New Zealand)
• [https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/seven-wonders-of-the-ancient-world

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World] History.com

Other wonders

• Complete Listing of World Wonders Wonder Club
• Hillman Wonders of the World Howard Hillman’s Top 100 Wonders
• 7 Wonders of the World – The New, the Natural, and the Ancient The Planet D

The ancient Greeks were the first to chronicle the most magnificent of constructions with the ‘Seven Wonders of the Ancient World’. From the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the Colossus of Rhodes, these marvels of engineering and craftsmanship had an awe-inspiring effect on those that viewed them. Recently, there have been many attempts to update this list of wonders for the modern age. A wide variety of initiatives have been launched, including ‘wonders’ such as the CN Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Internet (kind of cheating if you ask us), and even natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon or the Amazon rainforest. Arguably the most well known when it comes to man-made constructions is the New7Wonders list, which was made public after extensive polling in 2007. We’ll take a look at the Seven Wonders of the World they chose, along with the one honorary member.

1. Chichen Itza

Location: Yucatán, Mexico | Year: AD 600 | Civilization: Maya civilization

Located on the Yucatán Peninsula, this Maya city is one of the finest examples of civilization in the Americas before Europeans arrived. Developed over the course of hundreds of years starting in the 7th century, Chichen Itza grew into one of the largest Maya cities. Though there are many other Maya sites on the Yucatán alone, none of them have captured the imagination quite like this one.

The most famous structure within the complex is El Castillo, also known as the Temple of Kukulcan. This pyramid is usually the image used to represent Chichen Itza as a whole with the rest of the city suspiciously absent. Still, the 30m high structure is iconic for a reason, so we used it too (sorry rest of the city).

2. Machu Picchu

Location: Cusco, Peru | Year: AD 1438 | Civilization: Inca

The second ‘wonder’ on this list created by pre-Columbian civilization – Machu Picchu is a remote, high altitude (2430m) Inca ruin. Though it is sometimes referred to as a lost city, it was more likely built as an estate for Inca emperor Pachacuti in the mid 15th century. After it was abandoned about 100 years later during the Spanish conquest, Machu Picchu wasn’t brought back into the public eye until 1911 thanks to American history Hiram Bingham.

The remnants of the old walls and sharp peaks that supply the backdrop make Machu Picchu a breathtaking locale. Its reputation as Peru’s and perhaps South America’s most iconic tourist destination has caused concern amongst preservationists. The large influx of people and the risk of natural disasters could do lasting harm to the landscape. In addition, much to the chagrin of authorities, many tourists enjoy exploring the lost civilization in the nude, because why not?

3. Christ the Redeemer

Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Year: AD 1931 | Civilization: Republic of Brazil

By far the newest construction on this list, Rio de Janeiro’s famous statue dates back less than one hundred years. This art deco statue of Jesus Christ – constructed between 1922 and 1931 – was created by French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by the Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, in collaboration with the French engineer Albert Caquot. From its prime location on the top of Corcovado mountain, Christ the Redeemer omnisciently looms over the city below.

The statue is a lasting symbol of the strong Christian faith in Brazil and has become the most famous landmark in the country. The statue has been vandalized and restored multiple times but it remains as dominant as ever in the Rio de Janeiro landscape.

4. Colosseum

Location: Rome, Italy | Year: AD 70 | Civilization: Roman Empire

With all the magnificent creations that ancient Rome is responsible for, it’d be criminal not to at least include one. Arguably the most well known is the Colosseum in Rome. As the largest and most famous amphitheatre in the world, the Colosseum is well known as the place of gladiators, public performances, and Russell Crowe. While its use as an entertainment venue ceased during the early Middle Ages, it remains an iconic feature in Rome’s skyline.

A surprising amount of the Colosseum is intact today, especially given how much of it was cannibalized for other purposes following the fall of the Empire. Earthquakes and stone-robbers have steadily chipped away at what was once an even more impressive structure. Still, it speaks to the sheer scale of the Colosseum that what remains today still draws an audible gasp from tourists as they venture inside.

5. Petra

Location: Ma’an Governorate, Jordan | Year: 312 BC | Civilization: Nabataeans

One of the oldest wonders on this list, Petra was founded around 300 BC as the capital of the Nabataeans (who were an ancient Arab people). Located on the slope of Jebel al-Madhbah in a basin amongst the mountains, Petra was discovered by the West in 1812 by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Because of the colour of the stone used to build it, Petra is sometimes known as the Rose City. Like Chichen Itza, Petra is commonly characterized by a single landmark – in this case, Al Khazneh (one of the more elaborate temples in the city).

As one of the most unique and iconic landmarks in the Arab World, Petra has become especially well know through various films, including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. However, while we are certainly not questioning that Petra merits a place on this list, it should be mentioned that the New7Wonders Foundation allegedly received over 14 million votes from Jordan for its inclusion. Suspiciously, Jordan has a population of less than 7 million. Still, this speaks just as much to the passion Jordanian’s have for their national treasure as it does the unscientific nature of the poll. Nevertheless Petra remains a stunning historical treasure worthy of inclusion on our list.

6. Taj Mahal

Location: Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India | Year: AD 1632 | Civilization: Mughal Empire

A relatively recent construction as far as this list is concerned; the Taj Mahal has become the most famous landmark in India and one of the most well known examples of Islamic architecture in the world. Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his favourite wife, the structure has an extremely elegant design despite its relatively morbid purpose.

During World War II, the Taj Mahal was disguised with large amounts of scaffolding to protect it from the attention of bombers. As such, the Taj Mahal remains largely intact today as it was in centuries past. Its heritage stands as a great example of the diversity in Indian cultures and past civilizations. Today, it is helping India by bringing in around 3 million visitors a year (plus foreign tourists have to pay higher fees than domestic sightseers).

7. Great Wall of China

Location: China | Year: 700 BC | Civilization: Ancient Chinese states

Where to begin? The Great Wall of China has been constructed, rebuilt, joined together, and presided over by different powers and regimes for centuries. In total, it goes on for longer than 21000km. So no, you are not going to be able to see it all. There are many different sections that cater to visitors and wall-walkers, many of them close to Beijing.

Built to protect China against nomadic invaders from the north, the Great Wall is the most impressive military fortification on Earth. While it might not be of much use today if Genghis Khan’s ancestors (of which there are many apparently) decide to invade, its sheer size and scale continues to wow visitors from all over the world.

Honorary: Giza Necropolis

Location: Giza, Egypt | Year: 2589 BC | Civilization: Ancient Egypt

The Giza Necropolis, usually just referred to as the Pyramid(s) of Giza, is the only remaining member of the original Seven Wonders of the World from ancient times. Because of this, Egyptians were not overly thrilled that it would competing against much newer creations such as the Sydney Opera House or Statue of Liberty. After much complaint and some less than flattering words about the New7Wonders founder, the Giza Necropolis was removed from the voting and given an honorary eighth spot on the list.

It’s certainly easy to see how this landmark has captured the minds of those who see it for millennia. From the three pyramid complexes known as the Great Pyramids to the Great Sphinx, you can truly say that the ‘Great’ isn’t hyperbole but is, if anything, an understatement. Today, it serves as an enduring memory of the Pharaohs that once ruled the land.

Last Word

There were plenty of other landmarks (13 losing finalists in fact) that weren’t chosen. These include the Eiffel Tower, Hagia Sophia, the Acropolis, and Stonehenge to name a few. Of course, these were decided by popular vote so all results have to be taken with a grain of salt. But what do you think? What’s your eighth wonder of the world?

Stay informed. Stay Current.