In 2007, one of the most important newspapers in the country asked its readers what the 7 architectonic marvels of Colombia were. The idea was to choose those places that had features so remarkable that they could appeal almost everyone, but that at the same time had some sort of historical, architectonic, or engineering meaning for the country and its people.

1. THE 7 MARVELS THAT
WILL MAKE YOU LOVE
COLOMBIA
By Kenny Slaught

2. The 7 marvels that will make you love
Colombia
Until very recently considered one of the most dangerous
countries in the world, Colombia has undergone a
transformation in the last decades that hardly any person would
be able to deny. Indeed the country still has some problems,
problems that are difficult and no one would like to ignore. But
many things have happened in this time, and Colombia has
become an important destination for anyone that wants to
enjoy a good and safe trip where he or she can know really
beautiful places and have the chance to meet very
interesting and welcoming people. The country has
astonishing natural places with which everyone falls in love
immediately after they see them. But it also has big and exciting
cities, small towns that give an idea of how life was lived in the
old days, a really diverse geography with really diverse fauna
and flora, and lots of other attractions that can seduce all types
of visitors.

3. The 7 marvels that will make you love
Colombia
In 2007, one of the most important newspapers in the
country asked its readers what the 7 architectonic marvels
of Colombia were. The idea was to choose those places
that had features so remarkable that they could appeal
almost everyone, but that at the same time had some sort
of historical, architectonic, or engineering meaning for the
country and its people. This was the final list of the 7
marvels that you must know in Colombia.

4. Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá
Located near Zipaquirá, a small town in the
Department of Cundinamarca, the Salt Cathedral of
Zipaquirá was built within the tunnels of a salt mine 200
meters underground in a Halite mountain. It is a
functioning Roman Catholic church and an important place
of pilgrimage that receives about 3000 visitors on
Sundays. However, it is not officially a cathedral, since it
does not have a bishop. So, the name ‘Salt Cathedral’ is
mostly used to attract tourists. But even so the Salt
Cathedral is seen as one of the most important
architectonic achievements in the country, a jewel of
modern architecture. It is part of a complex that includes a
Salt Park and a museum of mining, mineralogy, geology
and similar natural resources.

5. Las Lajas Sanctuary
Located in the city of Ipiales,
in the Department of Nariño,
Las Lajas Sanctuary is a basilica
church built inside the canyon of
the Guáitara River. The name of
the church comes from the name
of a sort of rock present in the
area. It was built in Gothic
Revival style between 1916 and
1949, with a magnificent bridge
that crosses over the river.
Visitors can also enjoy the view
of the waterfall near the church.Image courtesy of Andrew White at Flickr.com

6. San Agustín Archaeological Park
Located in the small town of San Agustín, in the
Department of Huila, this archaeological site was
declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. It is
considered the largest necropolis in the world, and the
archeological site with the largest collection of religious
monuments and megalithic sculptures in Latin America.

7. Military Architecture of Cartagena
Cartagena de Indias,
located in the
Department of Bolívar,
is perhaps the main
touristic attraction in the
country, and it is easy to
understand why. The city
has lots of colonial
houses, military and
religious buildings, and
plazas and parks that
come from the XVIth
century.
Image courtesy of Rafaela Ely at Flickr.com
And if that is not enough for you, you will probably be amazed by
the massive stone walls that surround its Old Town, which was
declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

8. Ciudad Perdida
Ciudad Perdida is the Spanish name for what could be
called Lost City in English, an archaeological site
located in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, in the
Department of Magdalena. It is believed to be some 650
years older than Machu Picchu, but it was rediscovered
only in 1972. However, members of local tribes such as the
Arhuaco, the Koguis and the Wiwas claim to have regularly
visited the site for generations before that, though they
decided to remain quiet about it. Ciudad Perdida was
probably the political and manufacturing center of the
region and it is calculated that between 2000 and 8000
people lived there, before being abandoned during the
Spanish conquest.

9. Tierradentro
Located in the
municipality of Inza, in
the Department of
Cauca, Tierradentro is a
National archaeological
park well known for its
remarkable pre-Columbian
underground chambers, or
hypogea, which date from
6th and 9th centuries AD.
Image courtesy of Frank Plamann at Flickr.com
The style found in the sculptures and the pictoric patterns is very
similar to the one that characterizes the San Agustín culture.
Tierradentro is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, though it is also
included in the 2012 World Monuments Watch list of 100 Most
Endangered Sites in the world.

10. The Christopher Columbus Theatre
Located in Bogotá, the capital city of the country, it is
the country National Theatre. It was built by Pietro
Cantini in the Neoclassical style in 1885. Its inauguration
took place on October 27, 1892 during the celebrations for
the fourth centenary of the discovery of America. It was
declared a National Monument on 11 August, 1975.