19 Sep 09 Must-see Seven Wonders Of The World
Mankind has always been fascinated with lists and the ancient Greeks were no different. They created a list of the world's seven wonders but their list only considered the structures more or less around the Mediterranean region. To them, the number seven symbolized perfection and plenty.
The Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria were chosen by the Greeks as the Seven Wonders of the World.
Sadly, of these great structures, today only the Pyramid of Giza in Egypt survives. The incredible thing is that the Egyptian pyramids are also the oldest of all the wonders and are still standing strong.
Many attempts have been made to update the list of wonders but each one has been subject to debate. Every country wants a monument from their country to be listed among the world's wonders to boost their tourism. So each new list has been subject to debate and controversy. A global poll was conducted by The New7Wonders Foundation in which anybody could vote for their choice of structures. The Giza Pyramid was retained as an Honorary Candidate and the 'New Seven Wonders of the World' list was announced on July 7, 2007.
The new list of seven wonders includes Brazil's massive statue of Christ The Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. It was built at least 3 centuries after the other marvels in 1931 and its inclusion in the list of wonders has naturally led to more debate.
The other six wonders on the new list comprise the Inca ruins of isolated Machu Picchu, the spectacular Mayan pyramid of Chichen Itza in Mexico, the Great Wall of China that stretched across the country, the famous Colosseum in Rome, India's white marble Taj Mahal in Agra and Jordan's rose-coloured sandstone city in Petra.
Whether these new seven wonders and the pyramids of Egypt are your choice of the world's best structures or not, they are without doubt worth a visit and should at some point be a part of your holiday travel.
Almost all the wonders have survived many a war and weathered many a storm and remain a powerful symbol of man's skill and creativity before the advent of machines.
Max Jones has written about the brief history of each of the New Seven Wonders of the World and when is the best time to visit them. He also provides great Holiday Travel Tips on other interesting destinations.
Tags: Chichen Itza, Christ the Redeemer, Colosseum, holiday, holiday travel, Machu Picchu, modern seven wonders of the world, Petra, Pyramid of Giza, seven wonders of the world, Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, Travel & Leisure
