7 Wonders of the World
7 wonders of the world: The world is filled with the most attractive and unique structures that are man-made, some are also natural. In which man-made designs or creations include churches, tombs, temples, monuments, mosques, buildings and cities also. All these structures had survived the best of time and they continue to leave many wonderstruck with their brilliance. There are so many structures in the world, but only seven are selected, which are considered to be the best. Because these seven wonders have unique architecture, ingenuity and craftsmanship. The new 7 wonders of the world are The Great Wall of China, The Petra, The Colosseum, The Chichen Itza, The Machu Picchu, The Taj Mahal and Christ the Redeemer.
Seven Wonders of the World
A campaign started in 2000 by the Swiss foundation to select the Seven new wonders of the world from a collection of 200 existing monuments. From that 200 existing sites or monuments, seven were selected and these are the Giza pyramid, The Great Wall of China, Petra, Colosseum, Chichen Itza, Machu Picchu, Taj Mahal, and Christ the Redeemer. The Great Pyramid of Giza was just considered as an honorary or great monument but not among the 7 wonders of the World. Let’s have a look at the new 7 wonders of the world in the below table-
7 Wonders of the World List
Let’s know more interesting facts about these new 7 wonders of the world.
1. The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall was one of the world’s largest or biggest building constructions ever. It is called a ‘Wall,’ because the structure actually characterises two parallel walls for lengthy stretches. The Great wall is the collaborative name given to the series of rampart systems built covering the borders of the state or country. There are also watchtowers and barracks on the wall. The motive of the Great Wall of China was to protect the Chinese states and mark the Chinese empires also. Also built to prevent invasion and raids from foreigners So many walls were built as early as the &th century BC, but the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) built the most known sections of the Great China Wall. The survey found that a continuous wall with all its branches count to be 21,196 km. In 1987 it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site and attracts worldwide visitors every year. There were so many scholars who said about the Great wall that the construction of walls for security purposes is not the reason but its,” Political Propaganda.”
2. The Petra
Petra is an archaeological, Geographical and historical city in the southern part of Jordan, it is located in a remote valley, settled among sandstone mountains and cliffs. Originally Petra is known for its inhabitants as Raqmu.
The Nabataeans, an Arab tribe, Made Petra their capital. At the time of Arab tribes, Petra flourished, also becoming a main and important trade centre, mainly for spices. The Nabataeans slender dwellings, temples and tombs into the sandstone which changed the colour with shifting sun. Arab tribes constructed a water system that allowed for farming & lush gardens. Due to the colour of the stone from which it is carved, Petra is also known as “Rose City.” Its water conduit system and rock-cut architecture continue to attract a large number of tourists worldwide. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site Since 1985. It is assumed that the area surrounded by Petra was inhabited as early as 7000 BC and a 1.2 km long gorge called Siq is access for the city. Which leads directly to the Khazneh. Petra was discovered by Johan Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812, until then it is unknown to the world.
3. The Colosseum
The Colosseum is situated in Rome, Italy. It was also known as the Flavian Amphitheater It is an oval-shaped amphitheatre. It was built in the first century by the order Vespasian, who was Emperor at that time. Work started in AD 72 by Vespasian and completed by his successor Titus in AC 80. It was built with concrete and sand. It was an engineering effort that the amphitheatre measures 189 by 156 meters (620 by 513 feet). And features like a complex system of vaults. It is the world’s largest amphitheatre and has the capacity to hold about 80,000 spectators, who watched a variety of events. At that time it was used for public spectacles and gladiatorial contests like mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, famous battle reenactment and mythological dramas. The Colosseum is the iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. Today, it is very popular and attracts people worldwide.
4. The Chichen Itza
The Chichen Itza is an archaeological site located in the Yucatan Peninsula that is in the Yucatan state in Mexico. It is a Mayan city, which was built by a Mayan people and is likely to have been one of the great cities. Which was a pre-Columbian city. The city flourished in the 9th & 10th centuries CE under the Mayan tribe Itza, who were mainly influenced by the Toltecs ( a number of important monuments & temples were built). It consists of main buildings like the EI Caracol (observatory of Chichen Itza), Temples of warriors, Grand Ballcourt, Venus platform etc. Among all these, the most notable is the stepped pyramid El Castillo which rises 24 m(79 feet) above the main plaza. It is a testament to the Mayan astronomical abilities, this characterises a total of 365 steps, meaning the number of days in the solar year. During the season of spring & autumn equinoxes, the setting sun casts the shadows on the pyramid which give the appearance of a serpent slithering down the north stairway, at the base is a stone snakehead. The Chichen Itza is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico by world tourists. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site designated in 1988.
5. The Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is located in Cuzco, the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a height of 7,970 feet mountain ridge. It is a 15th-century Inca citadel, It is the most familiar icon of Inca civilization. The world most archaeologists accept that site was constructed as an estate for the emperor of Inca Pachacuti around the year 1450 & abandoned a century later at the time of Spanish defeat. But the Spanish had no idea about its existence of it and it was getting international attention in 1911 when American historian Hiram Bingham discovered Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu was built with polished dry-stone walls. It is one of the few pre-Columbian ruins found undamaged. Without being affected by its relative isolation high in the Andes Mountains, it characterises agricultural terraces, residential areas, temples and plazas. Machu Picchu was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1983 and declared a Peruvian Historic Sanctuary in 1981.
6. The Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is known and famous the world over for its historic, beautiful architecture and the tale of love that led to its creation. Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the world’s most iconic monuments. Taj Mahal is located in the Indian city of Agra. It was constructed by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1632 as a treatment to his love for his departed wife Mumtaz Mahal. It is one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture. Construction of the Taj Mahal took time about 22 years and 20,000 workers to construct the complex, which also includes an immense garden with a reflecting pool. Apart from Housing Mumtaz’s tomb it also contains the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The Mausoleum was built with white marble, precious stones and ivory. The majestic central dome is surrounded by four smaller domes. Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. It was the world’s most liked site by tourists. It approximately attracts 7 to 8 billion people yearly.
7. Christ the Redeemer
Christ the Redeemer stands atop Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a colossal statue of Jesus. It is a very well-known work of art in Brazil. It is an Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ. It was built by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski in collaboration with French engineer Albert Caquot. The face is fashioned by a Romanian sculptor, it is located at the peak of the 700 m Corcovado mountain in Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro and its weight is around 635 metric tons. Its construction began in 1922 and was completed in 1931. Its origins date to just after World War I when the” tide of godlessness” was feared by some Brazilians. The monument stands 30 meters (98 feet) tall (not including its base, which is about 8 meters(26 feet)high) and its outstretched arms span is 28 meters (26 feet). Christ the Redeemer is the largest Art Deco sculpture in the world. It is made up of reinforced concrete and is covered in approx six million tiles. Due to lightning, the statue has been stuck and in 2014 the tip of Jesus’s right thumb was damaged during a storm.