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Although the majority of people in the
world have heard of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only few
can successfully name all seven.
This list is thought to have been first created around the 2nd Century
B.C. by Greek historians. However, it wasn't
until the Middle Ages that the final
list of the Seven Wonders was compiled. It comprised of the seven
greatest monuments of the Ancient World and goes as follows: Great Pyramid
of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus,
Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus,
Colossus of Rhodes, Lighthouse of Alexandria. These seven structures were originally constructed by
their architects to represent religion, mythology, art, power or science. Unfortunately, all
by the Great Pyramid of Giza were destroyed long ago by either humans
or through natural disasters.
 Throughout history, people
have debated if the seven sites on the original list should be called
"wonders." As a result, various other lists have
been compiled and include a greater range of monuments throughout
the world. In a recent campaign, 100 million people from all around
the world voted to elect their choice for the New Seven
Wonders of the World. So what are the lucky seven structures that
were voted onto the new list by millions of people all over the world?
Let's take a brief look at each
of the New Seven Wonders of the World. After learning about them,
why don't you visit one of the wondrous places during this summer vacation with your
family?
* Great Wall of China: This 6,695-kilometer structure is the longest man-made structure in the
whole world. It was originally built to protect the various Chinese
dynasties from outside invasion.
* Petra, Jordan: This is an ancient city that was once the capital of the Arab kingdom of the Nabateans.
It was a center of trade during the Roman era
and is famous for its water tunnels and numerous stone structures.
 *
Statue of Christ Redeemer,
Brazil: This 38-meter tall statue of Christ stands atop Mt. Corcovado and overlooks Rio de Janeiro.
This huge statue was built in France starting in 1926, shipped to Brazil, and opened
to the public in 1931.
* Machu Picchu, Peru: This is a sanctuary built in on an
Andean mountaintop 2,438 meters
above sea level. Giant walls, palaces
and temples within this sanctuary are all perched in the clouds and
overlook a valley.
* Pyramid at Chichen Itza, Mexico: This is a step pyramid that was built
according to the solar calendar. It was placed
in a specific position so that
the shadows cast on the fall
and spring equinoxes are said to look
like a snake slithering down the steps.
 * Colosseum,
Italy: This is a huge amphitheater in Rome that
was built by A.D. 80 and could hold up to 50,000 people. It was used
to house sports events, mock battles, and various
other kinds of entertainment.
* Taj Mahal, India: This is a white marble mausoleum that was built
between 1632 and 1654 as a gift from the Emperor to his favorite wife. The architecture has Indian,
Persian and Islamic styles and houses the graves of some of the royalty from that time. |
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