Do you know about the New Seven Wonders of the World?
In 2000, a Swiss foundation started a campaign to select the New Seven Wonders of the World, since the original list from the 2nd century BCE is outdated.
The term “New Wonders of the World” doesn’t refer to recently built structures, but rather to wonders that are different from the original Seven Wonders of the World.
These new wonders could be anything built up before the year 2000.
The original Seven Wonders of the World:
The original seven wonders, also referred to as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, were:
The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
The Colossus of Rhodes
The Lighthouse of Alexandria
Why are there only Seven Wonders?
There are only seven ancient wonders because the ancient Greeks believed the number seven symbolized perfection and they selected seven of the most impressive structures.
Which wonders made it to the new list?
The Great Wall of China:
The Great Wall of China is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World and was constructed around 2,500 years ago.
This wall is a vast military defence structure that was built over many centuries, from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD.
The Great Wall, spanning an impressive 20,000 kilometers along China’s northern border by successive Chinese empires.
Constructed by different rulers including Qin, Wei, Zhao, Qi, Yan and Zhongshan, its purpose was to protect the land from neighbouring kingdoms and later from northern nomadic invaders.
Petra, Jordan:
Petra is an ancient city, carved into rock, that was likely built more than 2,000 years ago by the Nabateans. The city was conquered by the Roman Empire in AD 106 and later an earthquake caused significant damage. The ruins were rediscovered in 1812 by a Swiss explorer.
The Colosseum, Italy:
The Colosseum, built between AD 70 and AD 80, was used for gladiator fights, animal hunts, and public executions and even had the ability to be flooded for sea battle reenactments.
After the Roman Empire fell, the Colosseum was repurposed as a housing complex. A large earthquake in 1349 caused more damage to the building and despite this, the Colosseum is still a very popular tourist attraction today.
Machu Picchu, Peru:
Machu Picchu often referred to as the “city of stone,” was built by the Incas in the 15th Century. The Incas carved the city out of the mountains and constructed all its buildings from stone. Today, Machu Picchu is located alone in the Andes Mountains in Peru.
Christ the Redeemer, Brazil:
Christ the Redeemer is the statue situated at the top of Corcovado Mountain overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
The statue depicts Jesus Christ with his arm stretched out over the city. At the time of its construction, Brazil was mainly a Catholic country.
Chichén Itzá, Mexico:
Chichén Itzá is an ancient city built by the Maya people over 1,500 years ago, and it played a key role as a political and economic center for them.
Taj Mahal, India:
The Taj Mahal is a beautiful landmark built by Emperor Shah Jahan over 16 years with the help of 20,000 workers. It was created in memory of his wife, Mumtaz and serves as her tomb.
