In 2000 a Swiss foundation launched a campaign to determine the Seven Wonders of the World. In 2007, it was finally announced as more than 100 million people voted to declare the New Seven Wonders of the World.

1. THE SEVEN WONDERS OF
WORLD

2. IN 2000 A SWISS FOUNDATION LAUNCHED A
CAMPAIGN TO DETERMINE THE SEVEN WONDERS OF
THE WORLD. IN 2007, IT WAS FINALLY ANNOUNCED AS
MORE THAN 100 MILLION PEOPLE VOTED TO DECLARE
THE NEW SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD. THE
FOLLOWING LIST OF SEVEN WINNERS IS PRESENTED
WITHOUT RANKING, AND AIMS TO REPRESENT GLOBAL
HERITAGE:

3. 1. GREAT WALL OF CHINA:

4. THE WORD “GREAT” MIGHT BE SMALL TO EXPLAIN ONE
OF THE BIGGEST CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, THE “GREAT
WALL OF CHINA” WHICH IS ABOUT 5500 MILES THAT IS
8850 KM LONG: A DISPUTED CHINESE STUDY,
HOWEVER, CLAIMS THE LENGTH IS 13,170 MILES
(21,200 KM). ALTHOUGH CALLED A “WALL,” THE
STRUCTURE ACTUALLY FEATURES TWO PARALLEL
WALLS FOR LENGTHY STRETCHES. IT WAS BUILT FOR A
SECURITY PURPOSE TO PREVENT INVASIONS AND
RAIDS. INSTEAD, SCHOLARS HAVE NOTED THAT IT
SERVED MORE AS “POLITICAL PROPAGANDA.”

5. 2. CHICHÉN ITZÁ:

6. CHICHÉN ITZÁ IS A MAYAN CITY ON THE YUCATÁN
PENINSULA IN MEXICO, WHICH FLOURISHED IN THE 9TH
AND 10TH CENTURIES CE. AMONG THE MOST NOTABLE
IS THE STEPPED PYRAMID EL CASTILLO (“THE CASTLE”),
WHICH RISES 79 FEET (24 METERS) ABOVE THE MAIN
PLAZA. IT HAS 365 STEPS SAME LIKE THE DAYS OF A
SOLAR YEAR. DURING THE SPRING AND AUTUMNAL
EQUINOXES, THE SETTING SUN ROLLS SHADOWS ON A
PYRAMID THAT GIVES THE APPEARANCE OF A SNAKE
DESCENDING A NORTHERN LADDER; AT THE BOTTOM
IS A STONE SNAKE'S HEAD.

7. 3. PETRA

8. THE ANCIENT CITY OF PETRA, JORDAN, IS LOCATED IN A
REMOTE VALLEY, NESTLED AMONG SANDSTONE MOUNTAINS
AND CLIFFS. IT IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE PLACES
WHERE MOSES STRUCK THE ROCK AND WATER CAME OUT OF
IT. IN ADDITION THEY BUILT A WATER SYSTEM THAT
ALLOWED FOR CLEAN AND AGRICULTURAL GARDENS. AT ITS
PEAK, PETRA REPORTEDLY HAD 30,000 PEOPLE. THE CITY
BEGAN TO SHRINK, HOWEVER, AS TRADE ROUTES CHANGED.
A GREAT EARTHQUAKE IN 363 CE CAUSED A GREAT DEAL OF
TROUBLE, AND AFTER ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE IN 551, PETRA
WAS SLOWLY ABANDONED.

9. 4. MACHU PICCHU

10. THIS SITE IN PERU WAS DISCOVERED IN 1911 BY
HIRAM BINGHAM, WHO BELIEVED IT WAS
VILCABAMBA, A SECRET INCAN STRONGHOLD
USED DURING THE 16TH-CENTURY REBELLION
AGAINST SPANISH RULE. BINGHAM BELIVED
THIS PLACE WAS THE HOME OF “VIRGINS OF
THE SUN,” WOMEN WHO LIVED IN CONVENTS
UNDER A VOW OF CHASTITY. ONE THOUGHT IT
MIGHT HAVE BEEN A PLACE TO WALK, WHILE
OTHERS BELIEVE IT WAS A ROYAL REFUGE.

11. 5. CHRIST THE REDEEMER:

12. CHRIST THE REDEEMER, A COLOSSAL STATUE OF JESUS,
STANDS ATOP MOUNT CORCOVADO IN RIO DE JANEIRO. ITS
ORIGINS DATE TO JUST AFTER WORLD WAR I, WHEN SOME
BRAZILIANS FEARED A “TIDE OF GODLESSNESS.” THEY
PROPOSED A STATUE, WHICH WAS ULTIMATELY DESIGNED BY
HEITOR DA SILVA COSTA, CARLOS OSWALD, AND PAUL
LANDOWSKI. CONSTRUCTION WAS STARTED IN 1926 WHICH
WAS CONTINUED FOR 5 YEARS. THE RESULT WAS A 98 FEET
(30 METERS) TALL, INCLUDING ITS BASE THAT IS ABOUT 26
FEET (8 METERS) HIGH WHILE ITS ARMS ARE 92 FEET (28
METERS). IT IS THE LARGEST ART DECO SCULPTURE IN THE
WORLD.

13. 6. COLOSSEUM:

14. THIS IS LOCATED IN ROME WHICH WAS BUILT IN THE FIRST
CENTURY BY THE ORDER OF THE EMPEROR VESPASIAN. A
FEAT OF ENGINEERING, THE AMPHITHEATER MEASURES 620
BY 513 FEET (189 BY 156 METERS) AND FEATURES A
COMPLEX SYSTEM OF VAULTS. IT WAS CAPABLE OF
HOLDING 50,000 SPECTATORS, WHO WATCHED A VARIETY
OF EVENTS. PERHAPS MOST NOTABLE WERE GLADIATOR
FIGHTS, THOUGH MEN BATTLING ANIMALS WAS ALSO
COMMON. ACCORDING TO SOME ESTIMATES, ABOUT
500,000 PEOPLE DIED IN THE COLOSSEUM. ADDITIONALLY,
SO MANY ANIMALS WERE CAPTURED AND THEN KILLED
THERE THAT CERTAIN SPECIES REPORTEDLY BECAME

15. 7. TAJ MAHAL:

16. THIS MAUSOLEUM COMPLEX IN AGRA, INDIA, IS REGARDED AS
ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST ICONIC MONUMENTS AND IS
PERHAPS THE FINEST EXAMPLE OF MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE.
THIS WAS BUILT BY THE EMPEROR SHAH JAHAN IN THE
LOVING MEMORY OF HIS BELOVED WIFE “MUMTAZ” WHO DIED
IN 1631 GIVING BIRTH TO THEIR 14TH CHILD. IT TOOK
ABOUT 22 YEARS AND 20,000 WORKERS TO CONSTRUCT THE
COMPLEX, WHICH INCLUDES AN IMMENSE GARDEN WITH A
REFLECTING POOL. THE MAUSOLEUM IS MADE OF WHITE
MARBLE THAT FEATURES SEMIPRECIOUS STONES IN
GEOMETRIC AND FLORAL PATTERNS. ITS MAJESTIC CENTRAL
DOME IS SURROUNDED BY FOUR SMALLER DOMES. SHAH
JAHĀN WISHED TO HAVE HIS OWN MAUSOLEUM MADE OUT OF
BLACK MARBLE. HOWEVER, HE WAS DEPOSED BY ONE OF HIS