The first ‘seven wonders of the world’ list was made more than 2000 years ago, by adventurous Hellenic travelers who marveled at the world’s most incredible constructions.
In 2000, a Swiss-born Canadian filmmaker, Bernard Weber launched a campaign to determine the New Seven Wonders of the World. Given that the original list was compiled in the 2nd century BCE — and that only one entrant is still standing (the Pyramids of Giza)— it seemed time for an update.
He asked the public to cast their votes and after months of compiling answers, these are the impressive contenders that made the list in no particular order.
Meet the New Magnificient Seven
The Great Wall Of China
More like the massive wall of China.
Over 13,171 miles long and 25.6 feet tall, it’s no surprise that this massive structure is one of the 7 wonders of the world.
Dating back to the 7th century BCE, the wall began as a series of smaller walls in different parts of china built by each province to keep out invaders. However, in 220 BCE, China’s first Emperor Qin Shi Huang decided to unify all of China’s walls into one big edifice to keep out northern invaders.
Today, the wall is a part of the new wonders of the world.
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Chichén Itzá, Mexico
In the Mexican state of Yucatán lies Chichen Itza, a historic Mayan city built between the 9th and 12th centuries.
The Mayan people of Itzá, under strong influence from the Toltecs, built a number of important monuments and temples. One of the most notable is the stepped pyramid El Castillo, which translates to “The Castle”.
It is a huge step pyramid in the center of the city built as a devotional temple to the god Kukulkan. The temple has 365 steps, one for each day of the year.
During the spring and summer equinoxes, the afternoon sun casts triangular shadows down the pyramid’s north stairway that look like a feathered serpent slithering down its surface, heading towards a stone snake head at the base.
No wonder it is one of the new seven wonders of the world.
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Petra, Jordan
Also known as the Rose City for its golden hue, Petra is an ancient city in southern Jordan located in a remote valley, amongst sandstone mountains and cliffs. Scholars assume it is one of the places where Moses struck a rock and water gushed forth.
The Arab Nabataeans founded the city, and they carved stunning architecture and complex waterways out of surrounding rock faces. The faces changed colors as the sun shifted.
The Nabateans also established Petra as a successful trade hub, especially for spices. It remained so until the trade zine changed and the city slowly declined.
Undiscovered till 1812 by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, this wonder of the world is still a mystery to many scholars. 19th-century poet and scholar John William Burgon described Petra as “a rose-red city half as old as time.”
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Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
At the top of Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil stands the 30 meters tall monument of Christ the Redeemer.
Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski designed this iconic emblem in the 1920s. Brazilian and French engineers Heitor da Silva Costa and Albert Caquot completed it in 1931.
Christ the Redeemer is the largest Art Deco sculpture in the world. Built just after the end of the First World War, it was an overpowering symbol of Christianity and hope when the world was on its knees.
This is why it’s unsurprising that the statue made the list of the new seven wonders of the world.
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The Taj Mahal, India
India’s renowned Taj Mahal is a stunning white marble mausoleum on the bank of the Yamuna River in the city of Agra. Emperor Shah Jahān built it as a token of his love for his wife Mumtāz Maḥal who died in 1631 giving birth to their 14th child.
The mausoleum is made of white marble and semiprecious stones, surrounded by 42 acres of grounds. Gardens, a mosque, a guest house and a pool complete the complex.
It took 20,000 skilled workers 22 years to build the structure.
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Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu was a city of the Inca Empire. It is sometimes called the “lost city” because the Spanish never discovered the city when they conquered the Inca in the 1500s.
Surprisingly, it is one of the few pre-Columbian ruins that remains almost entirely intact, with remains of residences, agricultural terraces, plazas, and temples.
According to archaeologists, the castle was constructed around 1450 as a residence for the Inca monarch Pachacuti using polished drystone walls. After the Incas left the location, it remained hidden for thousands of years. At least, until American historian Hiram Bingham discovered it in 1911.
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The Colosseum, Rome, Italy
The enormous oval gladiator arena known as the Colosseum is located in the heart of Rome.
The greatest amphitheater ever created took eight years, from AD72 to AD80, to build out of sand and stone. It could fit 80,000 spectators within the enormous structure, organized in a circle around the main stage.
It was a space for dramatic and occasionally terrifying activities such as gladiatorial combat, classical plays, animal hunts, and executions. Some claim that they sometimes pumped the arena with water to simulate mock sea battles.
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The structure has been partially harmed by earthquakes and stone robbers throughout the years. However, it remains a recognizable reminder of Roman history that attracts thousands of tourists each year, so it makes sense that it would be included on the list of the new seven wonders of the world.
