The Official New 7 Wonders of the World have been elected by more than 100 million votes to represent global heritage throughout history. The listing is in random order, as announced at the Declaration Ceremony on 07.07.07.
The Pyramid at Chichén Itzá (before 800 A.D.) Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Chichen Itza once served as the political and economic center of Mayan civilization. The city housed masterpieces like the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars, the Playing Field of the Prisoners and the pyramid of Kukulkan, which was the last Mayan temple.
Christ Redeemer (1931) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The 125-foot statue (including pedestal) is an art deco style design by Heitor da Silva Costa, carved by French sculptor Paul Landowski. The statue took five years to construct with the pedestal and chapel being ready to accommodate 150 people as of October 1931.
The Roman Colosseum (70 – 82 A.D.) Rome, Italy
The Roman Colosseum, also spelled, ““Coliseum,” was constructed as an amphitheater. The architect of the masonry and cut stone tiers of arches and half-columns of Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders is unknown. The Colosseum could hold 50,000 spectators and had 80 entrances. The base of the building covers six acres and is roughly the height of a 12-15 story building.
The Great Wall of China (220 B.C and 1368 – 1644 A.D.) China
Parts of the Great Wall date to more than 2500 years ago. Originally constructed to protect their territories from invasion, Emperor Qin Shi-huang ordered General Meng Tian to extend and connect the walls after 220 BC to dissuade the Huns. The Wall once served as a united defense system, but its functionality and purpose changed over time. No one can deny, however, its greatness. Thousands of people dedicated their lives to building and defending the historic wall.
Machu Picchu (1460-1470), Peru
Machu Picchu or Old Peak and Hoaynawhich, New Peak, overlooks the Urabumba River Canyon. About 43 miles from Cuzco, capital of the Incan Civilization, is the home of legends. In July 1911 Martain Bingham, with a topographer, biographer, and geology engineers found Machu Picchu. To this day the stones are fit together so tightly you’d have a hard time getting even a thin knife between them.
Petra (9 B.C. – 40 A.D.), Jordan
The rosy red mountains and mausoleums are one of the greatest wonders. No doubt Jordan’s greatest tourist attraction is a vast, unique city, carved into a sheer rock face. The Nabataens, an industrious Arab people settled there more than two millennia ago. Enter the city through a long narrow gorge flanked by high cliffs. The tomb of the king extols the engineering genius of the ancient people.
The Taj Mahal (1630 A.D.) Agra, India
The Taj Mahal of Agra, on the banks of the River Yamuna, conjures up appreciation for its beauty. The construction was a result of love. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan dedicated the monument in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. It’s said he fell in love with her at first sight. Translated “Crown Palace,” the wonder is of pure white marble, with exquisite ornamentation, gemstones, and beautiful surroundings.
The playing field at Chichen Itza was not for prisoners. Men trained and trained to be a part of the games. It was the winners who were beheaded, as it was a sign from the Gods to join them in the afterlife.
Great Wall of China is a very impressive building, Roman Colosseum instead is a great work of art.
:-)
Wow, I was looking for a complete descriptions of all the 7 wonders of the world. Well done, thanks you.
I have visited 3 of 7; petra seems so captivating and interesting to be the next on the list.
I love Taj Mahal, not because I’m from India but because I understand the universal language of love. Great work Hassan.
i guess not ..its not the symbol of love but the symbol of cruelty . i read it in the history books that while the construction of this building there was a famine in whole Hindustan cuz the king collected lots of food in agraah . and in the end what did the lover do , amputation ,,i mean what kind of love is it in which not u but others suffer?
I want to go to Petra ,Jordan. This place first time i see in Transformer movie. Amazing for me
really wonderful places and the pictures are really beautifull……
all the above are manmade features…….just wondering if its possible to include the natural ones as well
I wonder when a place from Pakistan will be added in this list
Inshallah Mohenjo Daro and various other historic sites will make the list one day…
I would be glad to see Pakistan featured in a list like this, but politics persuades people to draw strange conclusions about Pakistan and its people. They call it racism and it has no place in a modern world.
its so nice
but
it fill sad coz
the underground river is not added
as one of the 7 wonders
very wonderful indeed
great job explaining and i love the pictures
veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy nice
This is a good list. I would really like to go to the Taj Mahal. The only country I have not visited is Brazil. But I flew over it!
I have been to several of these, Petra, Machu Picchu and the Roman Colosseum. I can’t wait to see the rest.
Mashallah hasan sahab….I have been following your articles and you have been doing a great work..Your articles are working as an eye opener for many people..May allah bless you with good health and knowledge so that you continue with your works…
awesome stuff, like that
Our world truly is magnificent
Ive seen the first three and Machu Picchu, they were awesome. I was not super impressed by Christ the Redeemer. I’m not really sure if it belongs on this list. It is just one of those really famous places that everybody knows. From the bottom of the mountain Jesus doesn’t look very big. You just take a short train ride up the side of the mountain to the top. The view of the harbor is nice and you can see how big all the favelas are..
Our World is so Beautiful…
You said it!
Well put– but are they wonders of this world?
Yes they are and they have been elected by more than 100 million votes. There is going to be another declaration on 11.11.11 and we might see a different set of 7.
Interesting, but these have little merit as wonders. These even do not speak to human aspirations except in the negative.
I’d like to see anything more breathtakingly amazing and full of wonder than the two little machines, Spirit and Opportunity, which we, after centuries of struggle in learning the nature of our world, sent across an unimaginable void to land on an alien world http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/home/ . These rovers, extensions of our senses and ability to manipulate our world, provide humanity with a knowledge of the cosmos that is an enduring legacy of the best of our nature.
Even beyond that, two other machines, traveling for 34 years, have left our solar system, heading beyond the sun that have nourished us since we became human, all those millions of years ago.
Stone and iron age relics are certainly reminders that we have climbed out of the gutter of animalistic religiosity and bloodlust, but it takes four small machines to remind us of the wonders of our best aspirations.
Yes, yes, we should completely forget about the practices, architecture, culture and beliefs of our ancestors that are completely responsible for the way myself and even you live your life today. Disregarding our predecessors as dumb, inferior people who worshipped gods and built civilizations without any reason but “religiosity and bloodlust” is a gross interpretation of the development of human intelligence. Each and every one of these wonders (although I do disagree with a few personally) are a testament to advancing human innovation and craftsmanship, benchmarking some of the most amazing and dumbfounding achievements using the technology available during their time period. Sure, the motivation behind some of these relics may be inspired for personal gain, world domination or, heaven forbid, worship of some deity, but to say that a few hunks of metal gathering information in space are more wondrous and full of beauty than these staggering creations does not sit well with me. I have a great appreciation for the cosmos and find the photographs and information gathered in space to be absolutely stunning, but casting aside our past because of the “animalistic” intentions of our ancestors seems ridiculous.
Then again, we all are just a hunk of cells interacting with our environment with no meaning except to eat and reproduce, so maybe we should abandon all aspirations of beauty, art, faith, love and purpose and just accept our puny existence until we rot away. That’s what life is about, right?