Seven New Wonders

The new seven wonders (Not be confused with the ancient seven wonders) is an initiative started in 2000 as a Millennium project to choose the new seven Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments.

The ‘new’ seven wonders were selected in 2007 by internet and phone from countries around the globe.

Below is how it stands now;

Wonder	Location	Year
Giza Necropolis (honorary title) أهرامات الجيزة	Giza, Egypt	2589 BC
Great Wall of China 万里长城 Wànlǐ Chángchéng	China	700 BC
Petra البتراء Al-Batrā	Ma’an Governorate, Jordan	312 BC
Colosseum Colosseo	Rome, Italy	AD 70
Chichen Itza Chi’ch’èen Ìitsha’	Yucatán, Mexico	AD 600
Machu Picchu Machu Picchu	Cuzco, Peru	AD 1438
Taj Mahal ताज महल تاج محل	Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India	AD 1632
Christ the Redeemer Cristo Redentor	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	AD 1926

The Giza Necropolis is the only ancient wonder to remain in the new seven wonders list.

There were many reasons why the New seven wonders organisation launched. 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.) So for this day and age, the 2007 list generated is the most agreed wonder list to date. An unbiased vote from continent to continent stating what they value in importance as a world wonder.

I studied Ancient History and Modern History many years ago in School – well before the ‘New’ seven wonders. It does not surprise me to see that Giza is still there. In total, there were roughly 80 pyramids built in Egypt. The Giza Necropolis is an archaeological site on the Giza Plateau , on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. This complex of ancient monuments includes the three pyramid complexes known as the Great Pyramids, the massive sculpture known as the Great Sphinx, several cemeteries, a workers’ village and an industrial complex. It is by far the oldest of the ancient Wonders and the only one still in existence dating back 2589 years before Christ. This is a monument that truly makes scholars wonder in awe at its creation.

The modern wonders don’t amaze quite the same way the ancient ones do. When you look at civilizations, cultures and resources available at the time these monuments were built, it’s hard to believe that they were built in preparation for death. Even with a belief in the afterlife, its amazing so many workers would have given their lives for their pharaoh, their king, in preparation for their own death. So much organisation and so time consuming. So much effort to build a giant coffin wouldn’t you think?. I believe they must have served another purpose. There are plenty of theories but at the end of the day, that is still why it is at the top of the list. It really does make you wonder !

So whether it’s a giant set of tombs, a big security fence to keep Rabbits and Mongolians out, even a fancy place of worship, each of the seven new wonders have an amazing story to tell 🙂