Many centuries ago, the ancient Greeks created a list of the world's seven wonders. However their list was limited to the Mediterranean region. The number seven has particular significance because it represented perfection and plenty to the Greeks.
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.
In the last few decades, many have tried to compile new lists of seven wonders. Each list has been dogged by a certain amount of criticism and controversy. In 2007, The New7Wonders Foundation conducted a worldwide poll in which voters could cast their votes on the Internet or over the phone for their choice of structure. The Egyptian pyramids were named as an Honorary Candidate and the list of 'New Seven Wonders of the World' was released on July 7, 2007, in Lisbon.
An unexpected name cropped up in the new list - Brazil's statue of 'Christ the Redeemer'. The statue was built as late as 1931 while all the other six wonders predate it by at least three centuries.
The other six wonders include the Colosseum in Rome which is a spectacular amphitheatre, India's Taj Mahal built in white marble in memory of a beloved queen in Agra, the Great Wall of China which stretches across the country, the rose coloured sandstone city of Petra in Jordan, the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, and the ancient Mayan pyramid of Chichen Itza in Mexico.
Whether these new seven wonders and the pyramids of Egypt are your choice of the world's best structures or not, they are without doubt worth a visit and should at some point be a part of your holiday travel.
Almost all the wonders have survived many a war and weathered many a storm and remain a powerful symbol of man's skill and creativity before the advent of machines.
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.
In the last few decades, many have tried to compile new lists of seven wonders. Each list has been dogged by a certain amount of criticism and controversy. In 2007, The New7Wonders Foundation conducted a worldwide poll in which voters could cast their votes on the Internet or over the phone for their choice of structure. The Egyptian pyramids were named as an Honorary Candidate and the list of 'New Seven Wonders of the World' was released on July 7, 2007, in Lisbon.
An unexpected name cropped up in the new list - Brazil's statue of 'Christ the Redeemer'. The statue was built as late as 1931 while all the other six wonders predate it by at least three centuries.
The other six wonders include the Colosseum in Rome which is a spectacular amphitheatre, India's Taj Mahal built in white marble in memory of a beloved queen in Agra, the Great Wall of China which stretches across the country, the rose coloured sandstone city of Petra in Jordan, the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, and the ancient Mayan pyramid of Chichen Itza in Mexico.
Whether these new seven wonders and the pyramids of Egypt are your choice of the world's best structures or not, they are without doubt worth a visit and should at some point be a part of your holiday travel.
Almost all the wonders have survived many a war and weathered many a storm and remain a powerful symbol of man's skill and creativity before the advent of machines.
About the Author:
Max Jones has written about the brief history of each of the Modern Seven Wonders of the World and when is the best time to visit them. He also provides great tips on other Great Holiday Travel Destinations.
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