The 7 Wonders of the World (Old vs New) According to Experts
The 7 Wonders of the World (Old vs New) According to Experts: 1. Great Wall of China — Northern China, 2. Machu Picchu — Peru, 3. Chichén Itzá — Yucatán, Mexico, 4. Petra — Southwestern Jordan, 5. Christ the Redeemer — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 6. Colosseum — Rome, Italy, and 7. Taj Mahal — Agra, India
The original list of the seven wonders of the ancient world remains unseen by anyone. The Greek historian Herodotus and subsequently Callimachus are believed to have compiled this list over two millennia ago; however, their original texts on the subject have not endured. Our knowledge of the included sites, such as the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria, is derived solely from later writings by others.
The sole remaining wonder of the original seven is the Great Pyramid of Giza; the other six have either been entirely lost to history or exist only in remnants. Some individuals even doubt the existence of the most enigmatic of all – the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The ruins of the Temple of Artemis in Turkey are accessible for visitation, but portions of the Lighthouse of Alexandria are submerged beneath the Mediterranean Sea. By the 15th century, earthquakes had obliterated the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the penultimate surviving structure of the original seven wonders.
In 2001, a Swiss charity initiated a global vote to select seven new wonders, as only one of the original seven remains today. Over 100 million votes were tallied for a selection of 21 final contenders designated by a team of experts. Notable omissions encompassed remarkable edifices such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Stonehenge, and the Moai statues on Easter Island. The Great Pyramid of Giza was excluded this time. This is a compilation of the new seven wonders of the world.
The Old vs New 7 Wonders of the World
1. Great Wall of China — Northern China
See China’s Iconic Great Wall From Above
The Great Wall extends for 5,500 miles across northern China, comprising several walls rather than a singular structure, with some segments running parallel to one another. The Great Wall extends from the Korean Peninsula through Beijing and into the northern province of Gansu.
Sections of the wall are organic, comprising masonry elements such as stone, brick, wood, and dirt, alongside mountain ridges and rivers. Although sections of the wall were constructed as early as the 7th century B.C., the majority of the existing structure was erected during the Ming Dynasty. The wall was constructed to protect against northern nomadic groups, while also assisting different authorities in regulating trade and immigration.
2. Machu Picchu — Peru
Machu Picchu
The Inca were renowned for constructing an extensive network of highways traversing the mountains, deserts, and coastlines of South America. However, their most enduring architectural accomplishment may be the construction of Machu Picchu, a citadel located around 8,000 feet above sea level in the Andes in southern Peru. The site’s isolation resulted in a scarcity of European visitors, and it was finally rediscovered in the 19th century.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) reports that approximately 200 structures are located on the mountain crest linking the peaks of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. The Quechua designation translates to “ancient peak.”
It was probably constructed for Emperor Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, who reigned in the mid-15th century, but was later abandoned, maybe due to insufficient water supply. A recent DNA analysis revealed that the construction and maintenance of the site required labour from diverse workers.
3. Chichén Itzá — Yucatán, Mexico
Chichén Itzá: The Great Mayan City – The Seven Wonders of the Modern World
Chichén Itzá has posed an architectural enigma for archaeologists for years. The UNESCO World Heritage site was a significant metropolis throughout the Maya Late Classic period; nonetheless, it underwent transformation in the Postclassic period beginning around 900 A.D.
The Eagle and Jaguar Platforms, the Skull Platform, and the Temple of the Warriors exhibit considerable influence from the Toltecs of Tula in central Mexico. Historical records from both Tula and Chichén Itzá reference this deal. Chichén Itzá featured the Sacred Cenote, a huge sinkhole utilised by locals and the wealthy for the deposition of offerings.
The city has been partially maintained and reconstructed. This encompasses the Temple of Kukulcán, which currently exhibits an optical phenomenon annually during the spring equinox. A feathered snake descends the pyramid’s stairs.
4. Petra — Southwestern Jordan
Petra, Jordan
The ancient Nabateans constructed sections of their capital city directly into the cliff walls in southwestern Jordan. The capital was strategically located along prominent trade routes connecting the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, as well as Arabia, Egypt, Syria, and Phoenicia, beginning in the 4th century B.C.
The site thrived until the Romans subjugated the Nabateans in the early 2nd century A.D. Earthquakes adversely affected sections of the historic capital, resulting in the cessation of most habitation there around 551 A.D.
5. Christ the Redeemer — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Tour Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Walking Tour
The construction of the towering statue symbolising Rio de Janeiro, Cristo Redentor, was finalised in 1931, rendering it the most recently erected of the new seven wonders.
The statue was made by a French-Polish sculptor and Brazilian and French engineers. It rises about 100 feet atop a 26-foot pedestal, which is positioned on Corcovado Mountain within a national park in the city. The span of the figure extends 92 feet from arm to arm.
6. Colosseum — Rome, Italy
Rome, Italy: The Colosseum – Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide
The Colosseum endures while the remnants of old Rome lie in ruins. Emperor Vespasian initiated construction of the structure in 72 A.D., and his successor Titus concluded it eight years subsequently.
The colossal stadium hosted gladiatorial competitions, battle reenactments, and other animal hunts before an audience of up to 80,000 spectators. Intricate mechanisms in the subterranean structure of the Colosseum enabled it to be inundated for the purpose of staging naval conflicts.
7. Taj Mahal — Agra, India
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan commissioned an architectural masterpiece in commemoration of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, following her demise. The Taj Mahal was finalised in 1648 after 17 years of construction in Agra, with practically every elaborate feature of the mausoleum exemplifying symmetry, from the positioning of the four corner towers to its reflection in the pond of the adjacent garden.
The edifice was so exquisite that Jahan and Mahal’s son, Aurangzeb, interred him there with his mother at his demise. Currently, Jahan’s sarcophagus is positioned adjacent to his wife’s, representing a rare deviation from the remarkable symmetry of the tomb.