THE NEW SEVEN WONDERS

The original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is a list that has no doubt long frustrated intrepid travelers. Six of the seven structures on the list haven't existed for centuries, and must be forever imagined, never seen. (And one of the seven, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, may never have existed at all, according to some historians.)

Herodotus is believed to have started the original list, way back in the 5th century B.C., so it's no surprise that the architectural marvels he praised were not around for modern man to admire. But as of 7/7/07 travelers should take note: a new list is out, one that's modern in both origin and scope, and each of the structures on it can be viewed in person.

The new Seven Wonders of the World was compiled by popular vote over a six year period by a nonprofit group headed by Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber. In 1999 Weber began collecting suggestions from Internet users around the world. A list of over 200 nominations was narrowed down to 70, and then to 21, and finally to 7. The group reported more than 100 million votes, received via the Internet and cell phone messages, which, if true, makes this the largest poll ever conducted.

Not everyone has welcomed the list with open arms. Egyptian officials were not pleased that the Pyramids of Giza, the only original wonder that still exists, had to compete in the contest. Eventually the organizers decided to remove it from the voting and make it an honorary choice (making it a list of eight). And the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) did not support the contest, pointing out that the results reflected only the opinions of the cyber voters.

But for Warner and other organizers, the contest was a way to celebrate cultural diversity and history, and to encourage travel and communication. Half of the money raised during the contest will be used to fund the preservation and restoration of monuments around the world, including a giant Buddha statue destroyed by the Taliban in 2000 in Afghanistan.

The new list:

The Great Wall Of China

This 4,160-mile wall was built to protect China from invading Huns, Mongols, and other tribes, and to unite fortifications into one defense system. Begun in the 7^th century B.C., the barricade took hundreds of years to build, and ranks as the world's longest man-made structure-and is apparently the only one visible from space.

Petra Jordan

This ancient capital city was built around 9 B.C. during the reign of King Aretas IV and continued to flourish during the Roman Empire. It is now visible in its pink stone ruins and carved façade.

Christ Redeemer Statue, Brazil

Standing 125 feet tall atop the Corcovado Mountain high above Rio, this statue took five years to build. Constructed in France by sculptor Paul Landowski, it was shipped to Brazil in pieces, and then carried up the mountain by train, where it was reassembled.

Machu Picchu, Peru

This "city in the clouds" was built 8,000 feet above sea level in the 15^th century by Incan emperor Pachacutec. Abandoned by the Incas, the city remained unknown until it was rediscovered by an explorer in 1911.

Pyramid at Chichen Itza, Mexico

The center of Mayan civilization in its day, Chichen Itza is still visible in several structures, including the pyramid of Kukulkan.

Roman Colosseum, Italy

This giant, 50,000 seat amphitheater in the center of Rome was built over 2,000 years ago, and still influences the design of sports stadiums worldwide.

Taj Mahal, India

Built in 1630 by a grieving emperor, Shah Jahan, in honor of his dead wife, this marble structure combines Indian, Persian, and Islamic style of architecture.

The Seven Wonders of the Modern World

People have put together many lists of the seven ancient wonders of the world. But this “seven wonders” list celebrates monumental engineering and construction feats of the 20th century. It was chosen by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Empire State Building

 Finished in 1931, it towers 1,250 ft over New York City. Until the first tower of the World Trade Center was finished in 1972, it was the world's tallest building. 

Itaipu Dam

Built by Brazil and Paraguay on the Paraná River, the dam is the world's largest hydroelectric power plant. Completed in 1991, it took 16 years to build this series of dams whose length totals 7,744 m. It used 15 times more concrete than the Channel Tunnel.

CN Tower

 In 1976, the tower became the world's tallest freestanding structure. It looms about one-third of a mile high (1,815 ft) above Toronto, Canada. A glass floor on the observation deck lets you look 342 m down to the ground.

Panama Canal 

It took 34 years to create this 50-mile-long canal across the Isthmus of Panama. The amount of digging required and the size of its locks helped make it the most expensive project in American history at that time—and the most deadly: About 80,000 people died during construction (most from disease).

Channel Tunnel

 Known as the Channel, it links France and England. It is 31 mi long, and 23 of those miles are 150 ft beneath the seabed of the English Channel. High-speed trains whiz through its side-by-side tubes.

Golden Gate Bridge 

Connecting San Francisco and Marin County in 1937, for many years this was the longest suspension bridge in world. Experts thought that winds, ocean currents, and fog would make it impossible to build. It took about four years to complete the beautiful 1.2-mile-long bridge. It is held by 80,000 mi worth of steel wire, and the cables that link the two towers are 36.5 inches in diameter—the biggest ever made!

THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT 

WORLD

The Pyramids of Egypt

A group of three pyramids, Khufu, Khafra, and Menkaura located at Giza, Egypt, outside modern Cairo, is often called the first wonder of the world. The largest pyramid, built by Khufu (Cheops), a king of the fourth dynasty, had an original estimated height of 482 feet (now approximately 450 feet). The base has sides 755 feet long. It contains 2,300,000 blocks. The average weight of each block is 2.5 tons. Estimated date of construction is 2680 B.C. Of all the Ancient Wonders, the pyramids is the only one still standing.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Often listed as the second wonder, these gardens, which were located south of Baghdad, Iraq, were supposedly built by Nebuchadnezzar around 600 B.C. to please his queen, Amuhia. They are also associated with the mythical Assyrian queen, Semiramis. Archeologists think that the gardens were laid out atop a vaulted building, with provisions for raising water. The terraces were said to rise from 75 to 300 feet.

Statue of Zeus (Jupiter) at Olympia

Phidias (fifth century B.C.) built this 40-foot high statue in gold and ivory. All trace of it is lost, except for reproductions on coins. It was located in Olympia, Greece.

Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus

The temple was a beautiful marble structure, begun about 350 B.C., in honor of the goddess Artemis. The temple, with Ionic columns 60 feet high, was destroyed by invading Goths in A.D. 262. It was located in Ephesus, Turkey.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

This famous monument was erected in Bodium, Turkey, by Queen Artemisia in memory of her husband, King Mausolus of Caria in Asia Minor, who died in 353 B.C. Some remains of the structure are in the British Museum. This shrine is the source of the modern word “mausoleum,” which is a large above-ground tomb.

Colossus at Rhodes

This bronze statue of Helios (Apollo), about 105 feet high, was the work of the sculptor Chares. He worked on the statue for 12 years, finishing it in 280 B.C. It was destroyed during an earthquake in 224 B.C. Rhodes is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea.

Pharos of Alexandria

The seventh wonder was the Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria. Sostratus of Cnidus built the Pharos during the third century B.C. on the island of Pharos off the coast of Egypt. It was destroyed by an earthquake in the thirteenth century.

(See also: Seven New Wonders, The Seven Wonders of the Modern World.)

And also The Only one still standing.