Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
- Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
- Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Iraq
- Statue of Zues at Olympia, Greece
- Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus, Turkey
- Colossus of Rhodes, Greece
- Lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt
- Temple of Artimis at Ephesus, Egypt
The New Seven Wonders of the Modern World
- Great Wall of China
- Treasury of the Pharoah Tomb, Petra, Jordan
- Christ Redeemer, Brazil
- Machu Piccu, Peru
- Chichen Itza, Mexico
- The Roman Colosseum, Italy
- Taj Mahal, India
My New Seven Wonders of the Modern World
- Alhambra of Granada, Spain
- Moai Statues on Chile's Easter Island, Chile
- Inca Ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru
- Angkor Wat Temple, Cambodia
- Treasury of the Pharoah Tomb, Petra, Jordan
- Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan
- Stonehenge, United Kingdom
The Global Vote
As you may have heard, we now have seven new wonders of the world. Were you a part of this global vote? This project started back in 1999 by the Swiss-based New Open World Corporation (NOWC), and finally concluded just this past Saturday (07/07/2007). Over 100 million votes were cast (from those who have access to internet and telephones) to compose this new list of the Seven Wonders of the (Modern) World. The New Seven Wonders organization raised money to reconstruct the Giant Buddha statues destroyed in Afghanistan by the Taliban.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, all but one, the Great Pyramids of Giza, were destroyed by arson (Temple of Artemis), earthquakes (Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Lighthouse of Alexandria, Colossus of Rhodes), fires (Statue of Zeus at Olympia), and by man (Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus). Should we replace these great and phenomenal cultural artifacts with structures that exist today?
Some of the finalists of this worldwide poll included The Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and the Sydney Opera House. In my opinion, these artifacts are too known and too new to be considered as part of the Seven Wonders. The Seven Wonders should be just that; wonders. It should draw thought, uncertainty, imagination, and query. The artifacts should have some ancient history and ethos to it. In response to the newly chosen Seven Wonders of the World, I decided to create me own. Below you'll find my own choices as well as a brief history of the masterly crafted structures.
*I'm no history buff, so if you notice anything that is incorrect in my readings and research, feel free to let me know, and I'll be happy to correct it.
Reasoning of my choices
I choose my own New Seven Wonders of the World and here's why:
(And don't worry, it won't be a long history lesson, just some tidbits of facts and story.)
1. Alhambra of Granada, Spain
Since I have such a love for art, this stuck out to me because this structure is the last great period of Andalusian art. Surprisingly, I actually know a little about this art form (from a book I got from Borders for only 4 bucks!). Andalusian art is a replicated style in creating a new style- sort of a painted evolution of a type of art.
Historically, this was also an "alcazaba," "alcazar," and a "medina" wrapped into one. Meaning, a fortress, a palace and a city wrapped into one. The story goes that the Moors were ran out by Christians from their first home, salvaging here and naming this place from their first home.
2. Moai Statues on Chile's Easter Island, Chile
These are immense statues, some standing at a toppling 33 feet high and weighing an astonishing 83 tons. These statues were carved by the Polynesian colonizers from a single piece of volcanic rock (so, these statues weren't built in stages and put together in the end). Just under 400 statues are still visible today in Chile.
Many theories exist to explain the technique of transporting these enormous creatures. Some say they "walked" by the people rocking the statues back and forth. Others are they made ropes, slabs, and wheels to bring them all to its sacred place.
Island legend had it that the statues manifested the mana of the chiefs who were originals there. The "mana," or supernatural powers were believed that by concentrating on it, good things will happen; like rain would fall giving crops life to grow.
3. Inca Ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru
The location of the ruins is said to have been chosen due to the geological aspect, being surrounded by hills and mountains. At sunset, the silhouette of the mountain represents the Incan face looking up towards to the orange sky. The Huayna Picchu, the largest peak represents the pierced nose.
The Inca Ruins were inhabited for only 100 years before the Spanish conquest took over the Incan empire. Because of its vast location, this Incan dwelling remained veiled until the early 19th century when a historian stumbled upon it, revealing it to the rest of the world.
4. Angkor Wat Temple, Cambodia
Notice that the temple's name is just named after the location of the temple- the exact name is indefinite. The high temple represents Mount Meru being the home of the gods in Hindu mythology. Currently, it stands as a dedicated temple to Buddhists.
It's amazing that the structure still stands and still stands true and strong today. The arches in the walk ways were constructed using the corbel method. Meaning instead of the arch formation at the top that creates a stable stance, they added stones projecting towards the center more and more so with each layer, leaving the structure vulnerable to collapse after time.
5. Treasury of the Pharoah Tomb, Petra, Jordan
Also known poetically as "a rose-red city half as old as time," this structure truly is an astonishment. It's famous for the stone structures being carved from the mountain. This construction is actually mentioned in the Old Testament; however historians are still unclear of its meaning. Because of its secreted position, the Treasurey of the Pharaoh remained undiscovered until 1812.
It is the legacy left behind from the Nabataeans that belong to Petra, Jordan more than 2000 years ago. It has more than 800 distinct monuments counting tombs, baths, temples, streets, gateways and funeral halls.
6. Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan
You may recognize this beautiful temple in the 2000 film, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Japanese myth has it, if you survive the jump from the Kiyomizu Temple, your wish will be granted. Over 200 jumps were made, 85% of them survived. Although today, this practice is strictly prohibited, it leaves for a very beautiful and interesting tale.
Inside of the temple there lays a waterfall, Kiymoizu meaning "pure water." It is said if you drink from the water the drinker will be blessed with health, longevity, and success throughout life.
7. Stonehenge, United Kingdom
The Stonehenge is probably one of the most well known structures. They have appeared in books and movies, and some very colorful theories have been told to explain the existence; ie: aliens. Today, we believe that this formation was a ground for festivals and funerals of the Neolithic people.
The Stonehenge is dated back to about 3200, but due to the rebuilding of it, it's difficult to say the exact date of the erection. Not far from this sighting was the biggest Neolithic village ever found in Britain in January 2007. Archeologists believe that these are the minds that built the Stonehenge. Today, the exact date and purpose of the Stonehenge is still a mystery.