Modern Wonders Of The World

Since the Ancient Greeks first created the concept of the Seven Wonders of the World, people who love list-making have been writing their own versions. Usually the lists are created by an individual or a panel of experts, but a few years ago a man named Bernard Weber decided to make a new list of Seven Wonders based on a public poll.More than 10 million votes were cast, and the “New 7 Wonders” were chosen. The winners were announced on July 7, 2007—that’s 7/7/7.

• Colosseum 
• Great Wall of China 
• Chichen Itza
• Taj Mahal
• Machu Picchu
• Petra
• Christ the Redeemer

1.Coliseum, Italy

COLISEUM

The Coliseum in Rome is a stunning ruin—the remains of a gigantic stadium. Built in the capital of the Roman Empire, it could hold 50,000 spectators. Opened in A.D. 80 and used as a stadium for nearly 500 years, the Coliseum hosted brutal competitions for the “entertainment” of the Roman citizens. Gladiators wearing armor were pitted against one another in fights to the death. Specially trained gladiators, called beast fighters, would sometimes fight wild animals, such as lions, tigers, bears, or elephants. The floor of the arena was actually covered with sand to soak up the blood of the combatants. Made of stone blocks, concrete, bricks, and iron clamps, the oval-shaped Coliseum was 615 feet long, 510 feet wide, and 157 feet tall. There were four floors of seating, and each of the first three floors had 80 arches separated by half-columns.On the first floor, the columns were Doric which were used as entryways for spectators (each numbered with Roman numerals from I through LXXX),on the second, they were Ionic and on the third were Corinthian which were housed statues of the Roman gods and emperors made of marble, bronze, and gold.



2.Great Wall, China

GREAT WALL OF CHINA

Leaders in Ancient China were always worried about being invaded by their enemies to the north. So around 500 B.C., a few Chinese states started building defensive walls. When these Chinese states were unified in 221 B.C., Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered that the existing walls be joined. That was the beginning of the Great Wall of China. Building the Great Wall wasn’t easy. It took hundreds of thousands of workers, soldiers, and prisoners more than 2,000 years to build and re-build the wall that stands today. Stretching for about 4,000 miles from the Pacific Ocean at Shanhai Pass to Jiayu Pass in central China, the Great Wall is an average of 33 feet high and 15 feet wide. Some sections were constructed of large limestone and granite blocks,some were made from bricks and others were built from wood and dirt. The workers along the wall’s route used the best materials they could find nearby. They even sometimes used a mixture of sticky rice and egg whites to make the mortar that held the stones and bricks together.



3.Chichen Itza, Mexico

CHICHEN ITZA

At its peak from about A.D. 800 to 1200, Chichen Itza was a military, cultural, and religious center for all who influenced its architecture and life.Today, the city of Chichen Itza is a haunting ruin and archaeological site. Located just 100 miles inland from the beach resorts on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, Chichen Itza attracts 1.2 million visitors each year. Among its features are wide abandoned avenues, a stunning stepped pyramid, several temples, an ancient ball court, and stone masks of the long-nosed Mayan rain god Chaac carved into structures around the site.



4.Taj Mahal, India

TAJ MAHAL

In 1631, the city of Agra in northern India was the capital of the wealthy Mughal Empire, which ranged across most of modern-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. That year the Mughal emperor, whose name was Shah Jahan, suffered a terrible tragedy, his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died unexpectedly.In honor of Mumtaz Mahal the Taj Mahal was constructed.The complex took 22 years to build. Construction materials were brought to the site with the help of over 1,000 elephants. The complex includes a vast formal garden, a monumental entry gate, a mosque, and the tomb itself made of dazzling white marble. A giant dome sits atop the tomb, rising 144 feet high over the wide arches of its base.The Taj Mahal is celebrated both for its

magnificence when viewed from a distance and the lovely artistry and detail seen from close up. It is this combination of grand and fine details that earns the Taj Mahal the description, “Poetry in Stone.” Inside and out, complicated designs, patterns, and calligraphy were carved and inlaid into the Taj Mahal’s marble walls. Forty different kinds of precious and semi-precious stones originally adorned these inlays, though many of these gems have since been looted.

5.Machu Picchu

MACHU PICCHU

Machupicchu perches at 2430m above sea level located far up in the mountains of Peru. It “shelters a remarkably diverse array of micro climates, habitats and species of flora and fauna with a high degree of endemism. The property is part of a larger area unanimously considered of global significance for biodiversity conservation.”The Inca Empire performed the most extraordinary architecture works that still can be appreciated from the large number of ruins left over the mountain system that surrounds the Citadel of Machu Picchu. it was built in the classical inca style,with polished dry-stone walls. The lay of the land, the natural surroundings and the strategic location of Machu Picchu lend this monument a fusion of beauty, harmony and balance between the work of the ancient Peruvians and the whims of nature.


6.Petra

PETRA

On the slopes of Mount Hor in the Arabah section of Jordan you’ll find Petra. Petra is the most popular attractions in Jordan for tourists and also one of the world's most famous historical archeological sites. It is an ancient city located between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. The city is half man-made and half carved into the rock and had a water conduit system that is also one of the reasons the city is famous. The site is considered one of the most stunning architectural attractions in the world, with each building cut directly into the mountain wall. Both the interior and exterior artwork is astounding.It is often referred to as the Rose City because of the rose color of the rock from which the city was carved.
Petra is full of ancient tombs, temples and ruins ripe for modern-day discoverers.

7.Christ the Redeemer

CHRIST THE REDEEMER

Christ the Redeemer is Rio de Janeiro’s most renowned landmark and, with so many tourists visiting the statue daily, it’s only logical that they have created a number of ways for getting there. In order to maximise your experience of this spectacular attraction, read about the different ways to visit Christ the Redeemer and ensure that you pick the right one for you. The statue of Christ the Redeemer was built with money donated by locals. This genteel giant can be spotted from almost anywhere across the city, don’t miss a trip up Corcovado Mountain to see the statue up and close, as well as sprawling views of the urban jungle and waters of the Atlantic Ocean beyond.