Seven Wonders of the world

ByM.Muthuselvam

7 Wonders of The World

Seven Wonders of the World

The Hagia SophiaThe Great Pyramid of GizaThe Great Wall of ChinaThe Eiffel TowerThe ColloseumThe Leaning tower ofThe Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

It Means Crown Palace

At about the same time the pilgrims were landing at Plymouth Rock, the Taj Mahal was built. That was almost 400 years ago.

It took over ten years to build. More than twenty thousand people and one thousand elephants helped build it.

The Taj Mahal is in Agra near the capital of India.

Shah Jahan was the emperor of India from 1628 to 1658. He deeply loved his wife Mumtaz Mahal. She died in 1631 when she was giving birth to their fourteenth child.

The emperor was so heartbroken that he decided to build a massive tomb in honor of their love. The two of them were buried together inside the Taj Mahal.

Since Shah Jahan loved his wife so much, he used only the finest marble. He also made sure that beautiful gems decorated her tomb.

The Taj Mahal is one of the wonders of the world.

It is also a great tribute to love.

• The architects are: Ustad Ahmad Lahaui, Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan.

• It is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".

• The construction began around 1632.The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later.

LOCATION• It is located in the bank of river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar pradesh.

• The base structure is essentially a large, multi-chambered cube with chamfered corners, forming an unequal octagon that is approximately 55 metres (180 ft) on each of the four long sides.

• On each of these sides, a vaulted archway, frames the with two similarly shaped, arched balconies stacked on either side.

• Four minarets(40m) frame the tomb, one at each corner of the plinth facing the chamfered corners.

CONSTRUCTIONThe Taj Mahal was built on a parcel of land to the south of the walled city of Agra.An area of roughly three acres was excavated, filled with dirt to reduce seepage, and leveled at 50 meters (160 ft) above riverbank.Wells were dug and filled with stone and rubble to form the footings of the tomb

1,000 elephants, thousands of horses, bullocks and men are used for construction. Water was drawn from the river by a series of purrs, an animal-powered rope and bucket mechanism, into a large storage tank and raised to a large distribution tank.Approximately about 32 million Rupees at that time.28 precious and semi-precious stones are used.

CONSTRUCTION

THREATSGeneral ideas of threats by people: Environmental pollution. Which is causing acid rain.Main threat is: Decrease in level of Yamuna at 5feet/year The results of threat:  In 2010, cracks appeared in parts of the tomb.  The minarets which surround the monument were

showing signs of tilting.  Some engineers predict that the tomb may collapse

within 5 years.

REASON? This is all due to rotting of wood. The foundation is surrounded by wood. Wood(ebony, teak) has life of infinite

when it is in pure water. It has a life of 40-50 years in air. About 5 years in moisture. The great engineers of that time never

thought of these perennial rivers will dry up.

So, they planned the Taj Mahal based on this assumption.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

• Making the river free from pollution.• Construction of dam.• Artificial supply of water.• Reduction of use of underground water.

Though these are possible but they are not feasible because of their negative impacts

Using Hydrogels Could Solve This Problem

HOW AND WHY?

These hydrogels expand by absorbing water and can retain water.

When these are kept along the wood they can increase the ground level of water also.

So these can protect the wood from rotting. This may be the best solution.

Show the TAJ MAHAL to next generations as the TAJ MAHAL not in pictures

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia means Holy Wisdom/Holy Trinity

Hagia Sophia

Description

- Covered by a central dome- Sometimes considered the 8th wonder of the world- Hagia Sophia means Holy Wisdom/Holy Trinity- 31 x 56 meters- The interior is covered with polychrome marbles, colorful mosaics and brick- The exterior is simply brick, stone, massive vaults and domes- Walls were extremely sensitive and unstable, especially the dome. - Used for Byzantine imperial ceremonies and was the main Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople

history-Now known as the Ayasogya

Museum-Built in 352-37 A.D.-Former Eastern Orthodox church in Istanbul-Nothing remains of the first church that was built on the same site-Collapsed multiple times due to earthquakes -The second was built by Constantius II but was burned down and rebuilt-In404 A.D. – was destroyed by mobs set into action when emperor Arcadius sent archbishop John Chrysostom into exile for his criticism of the empress-In 415 A.D. – Emperor Theodosius II rebuilt the church -Attacked once again in 532 A.D.

- The dome collapsed after an earthquake in 558, its replacement in 563.- Partial collapse in 989

- During the Latin Occupation (1204-1261) the church became a Roman Catholic cathedral

- In 1453, Sultan Mohammed declared Eastern Christianity’s cornerstone a mosque after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks - All mosaics and paintings were covered by plaster because of Islamic code - Instead, the walls were decorated with calligraphy and wood carvings

- Remained a mosque until the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century- Then finally changed to the Ayasofya Museum in 1935 under President Kemal Ataturk - Now, The Hagia Sophia is one of the most advanced monuments since the fall of Rome

The great Pyramid of

Piza

• The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops in Greek) is the only surviving wonder of the Ancient times. It was built in the 26th century BC. There are actually three pyramids located there, along with the Great Sphinx of Giza and the biggest is The Great Pyramid of Khufu. This architectural marvel is found in the city of Giza, a necropolis of ancient Memphis, and today part of Greater Cairo, Egypt.

King Khufu was the second pharaoh of the fourth dynasty of rulers in Egypt. It took about 20 years to build the pyramid of Khufu. He was buried alone in this massive tomb. The Pyramids of Ancient Egypt were built as tombs for Kings and it was the exclusive privilege to have a Pyramid tomb. His wives may have been buried nearby in smaller mastabas.

• The exact number of stones was originally estimated at 2,300,000 stone blocks weighing from 2-30 tons each, with some weighing up to 70 tons.

• The pyramid base covers an area of 13 square acres.

• The estimated total weight of the structure is 6.5 million tons.

With 146.7 m high, the Great Pyramid stood as the tallest structure in the world until the French built the Eiffel Tower

in 1889 . Today it stands at 137 m high, having lost 9.7 m from the top.

Here's how the Great Pyramid compares to some modern structures.

Thales• Thales was one of the Seven Wise men of Greece. His fame as

a mathematician rests upon his suppose discovery of seven geometrical propositions.

• Thales travelled extensively to the older centers of civilization when he was a young man.

• Naturally, Thales' visit to Egypt was not complete without a sightseeing trip to the desert plateau of Giza, to see the three pyramids and the Sphinx half-buried in the sand nearby. In 6oo BC the pyramids were about 2000 years old. Thales hired guides and took a Greek friend along….

• Thales figured out a way to measure the height of the pyramid. He measured the length of the pyramid's base and the height of his pole. Then at the same time of the day he measured the length pyramid's shadow and the length of the pole's shadow. This yields him the following data to work with:

• height of the pole (A): 2m• shadow of the pole (B): 1.63m• length of the pyramid base: 230m• shadow of the pyramid: 65m

HOW HIGH IS THE PYRAMID?

• From this he calculated:

• Knowing A,B and C he was now able to apply the intercept theorem to calculate:

Triangles - Thales Theorem or Basic Proportionality Theorem

The line drawn parallel to a side of a triangle intersecting other two sides at distinct points divides them in same ratio.

WallOr

Snake

The Great wall of China

The Great Wall of China is the world’s largest military structure. It was built as a defense to stop invaders from northern areas.

Those “invaders” were mostly from China’s neighbor to the north, Mongolia.

The Great Wall is actually a series of walls built and rebuilt by different dynasties over 1,000 years. The Great Wall has a total length of over 1500 miles.

A second wall, further south from the Great Wall measures about 342 miles long. What purpose do you think that wall served?

What is the Great Wall?

During the Zhou Dynasty, southern tribes frequently attacked northern border states within China. The northern states eventually built their own walls for defense purposes. These walls were different than the Great Wall that you see today.

Qin (pronounced “Chin”) was the first emperor of China and is considered the first person who actually thought about and considered a “Great Wall.” His “Great Wall” was different than the wall you see today.

He was a relentless tyrant who’s dynasty eventually fell to peasant uprising.

Who Built The Great Wall?

First Emperor Qin Shi Huang

It is estimated that over 3 million people (70% of China’s population at the time) were involved in the construction of the wall.

Who Built The Great Wall?

A section of the Qin Wall built using the tamped-earth process.

According to historical records, the Qin Great Wall was built in 10 years or about 25 miles a month.

In modern dollars, the estimated cost to build the Qin Great Wall would be $260 billion.

Who Built The Great Wall?

The major contribution of the Han Dynasty to the Great Wall was the watchtowers. This was the place where guards could be on the look-out for invaders.

A section of the Han Wall built using water, gravel, and willow reeds.

Who Built The Great Wall?

Facts…Different dynasties contributed to the Wall’s design. The dynasties mentioned are not the only ones that contributed to the design.

Today, the Wall is split into four sections for the benefit of travelers.

The Great Wall is the longest man-made structure in the world.

The Chinese invented the wheel-barrow and used it to help build the wall.

The Eifffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower was originally built as the entrance arch for the World's Fair in 1889.It is named after Gustave Eiffel, whose company was in charge of the project.The Eiffel Tower is 320 metres (1050 feet) in height and was the tallest man made structure in the world for 41 years before being surpassed by the Chrysler Building in New York.The Eiffel Tower is made of iron and weighs around 10000 tonnes with which 1000 locomotives can be made.Around 50 tonnes of paint are added to the Eiffel Tower every 7 years to protect it from rust.

Gustave Eiffel

December 15, 1832 – December 27, 1923

French Architect & Engineer

Had 3 Daughters & 2 Sons with his wife Marie Gaudelet

Eiffel as a reference to the Eifel mountains

Later did meteorology and aerodynamics

Important dates of the 19th century eiffel tower

1887 - Construction Started31 March 1889 - Construction Finished as “World’s Tallest” & Open to Public 10 September 1889 - Thomas Edison Visited the Eiffel Tower1925- “Sold” for Scrap Metal TWICE1930- Lost “World’s Tallest Structure” Title Due to Chrysler Building in NYC1940-1944 – Eiffel’s Dance with Hitler

Adventurous people have always existed though…

The Colloseum

The Design• Largest amphitheater in the Roman World• Perimeter = 545 m. across• Built out of travertine with iron clamps to hold the

blocks

Who Built It• Begun in AD 70,

finished by AD 80

• Also known as the Flavian Amphitheater

• Begun by emperor Vespasian, finished by his son, Titus

Daily Shows• Morning – Wild Animal Hunts also known

as Venationes • Midday – Public Executions• Afternoon –Gladiatorial Contests

Who watched the shows• Women were not encouraged to attend, but

Romans would sometimes take their children to the fights so they could learn good moral behavior (how to die like a Roman)

• Upper class did not usually attend public executions

The Leaning tower of

pisa

History (cont’d): the construction

Construction began in 1173 and continued off and on until 1372.

Political crises caused breaks. Used multiple architects. First began tilt in 1178 with 3rd floor.

So… What happened Engineering was often

trial and error due to lack of technology.

The foundation was poorly constructed and was only about 3 meters thick.

Built on an ancient riverbed just 6ft above sea level, made up of weak sand and clay.

The first lean of the tower was South.

After trying to even the floors, it leaned North.

This is an over exaggerated picture of the plan to make it straight

The soil compacted and settled due to the length of construction

Without the break the tower would have fallen.

It was built of limestone, which can handle more stress than most stone.

Attempts to Straighten the Tower

Mussolini drilled and filed holes in the base with concrete, this made it tilt worse. (1934)

Became unstable forcing the Italy government hired several engineers to stabilize it. (1964)

Was forced to close in 1990 due to increasing tilt.

Later, it was stabilized by removing 40 cubic meters of soild from the raised end.

Reopened to the public in 2001.

Why is it still leaning?

Engineers decided not to straighten the tower for tourists.

Instead, they gave it the relatively stable tilt of 13 degrees.

It is believed to stand for at least another 300 years.