The ancient Greeks had compiled a list of seven wonders but their list more or less only included structures around the Mediterranean region. The number seven was chosen because it represented perfection and plenty.
The ancient Seven Wonders of the World included Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria. To the Greeks, these were the most remarkable structures of their time.
Today only the Egyptian pyramids, which were also the oldest, survive from the original list of seven wonders.
Several lists were subsequently compiled to update the list of seven wonders, but each had its critics. New7Wonders Foundation tried to resolve the issue by conducting a global poll in which people could cast their vote by phone or through the Internet. On July 7, 2007, the results of the poll were released in Lisbon, Portugal. The Giza Pyramid was conferred the title of Honorary Candidate.
A surprise entry to the new list was Brazil’s statue of ‘Christ the Redeemer’. Built in 1931, this is by far the most modern of the other structures belonging to the list. The other six structures are at least three centuries old and were built with grave limitations of transport and engineering.
The other six wonders on the list are the Great Wall of China which stretches across the vast country through treacherous terrain, the Colosseum in Rome which staged gladiator contests, the delicate white marble Taj Mahal in India, the well-preserved sandstone city of Petra in Jordan, the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru and the ancient Mayan pyramid of Chichen Itza in Mexico.
You may or may not agree with the list of the New Seven Wonders Of The World, but what is beyond debate is that each of the seven structures, whether old or relatively new, is definitely worth visiting and should be a part of your holiday travel at some point in time.
All the wonders, except one, have been built before the advent of machines and they represent a glorious past when man relied purely on his skill and ingenuity to overcome incredible odds.
Max Jones has written about the brief history of each of the Seven Wonders of the World and when is the best time to visit them. He also provides great tips on other interesting Holiday Travel Destinations.
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