The Seven Wonders Of The World

The Colossus at Rhodes Located on the island of Rhodes

(off the coast of modern Turkey), the Colossus at Rhodes was a giant statue, about 110 feet tall, of the Greek sun-god

Helios. Although finished in 282 BCE, this Wonder of the Ancient World only stood for 56 years,

when it was toppled by an earthquake. Huge chunks of the

former statue stayed on the beaches of Rhodes for 900

years, drawing people around the world to marvel at how man

could create something so enormous.

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Great Pyramid at GizaThe Great Pyramid of Giza, located

about ten miles southwest of Cairo, was built as a burial site for

Egyptian pharaoh Khufu in the 26th century BCE. Standing at 481 feet high, the Great Pyramid was not

only the largest pyramid ever built, it remained one of the tallest

structures in the world until the late 19th century. Impressing visitors with its massiveness and beauty,

it's no surprise that the Great Pyramid at Giza was considered one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the

World. Amazingly, the Great Pyramid has withstood the test of

time, standing for over 4,500 years; it is the only Ancient Wonder to have survived to the present.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

According to legend, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, considered one of the seven

Ancient Wonders of the World, were built in the 6th

century BCE by King Nebuchadrezzar II for his homesick

wife, Amytis. As a Persian princess, Amytis missed the

wooded mountains of her youth and thus Nebuchadrezzar built her an oasis in the desert, a building

covered with exotic trees and plants, tiered so that it resembled

a mountain.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria

The famed Lighthouse of Alexandria, called Pharos, was built around 250 BCE to help mariners navigate the harbor of Alexandria in Egypt. It was

truly a marvel of engineering, standing at least 400 feet tall, making it one of the tallest structures in the ancient world. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was also solidly built, standing tall for over 1,500 years, until it was finally toppled by earthquakes

around 1375 CE.

The Mausoleum at

HalicarnassusThe Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was a large and

ornate mausoleum built both to honor and hold the remains of Mausolus of Caria. When Mausolus died in 353 BCE, his wife Artemisia ordered the construction

of this vast structure in their capital city, Halicarnassus (now called Bodrum) in modern

Turkey.  Ultimately, both Mausolus and Artemisia were buried inside.

The Mausoleum, considered one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, retained its

grandeur for nearly 1,800 years, until earthquakes in the 15th century destroyed part of the structure

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was a 40-foot-high, ivory and gold,

seated statue of the god Zeus, king of all the Greek gods. Located in the sanctuary of Olympia on the Greek

Peloponnese Peninsula, the Statue of Zeus stood proudly for over 800

years, overseeing the ancient Olympic Games and being acclaimed as one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

The Temple of Artemis, sometimes called the

Artemisium, was a huge, beautiful place of worship, that was built

around 550 BCE in the rich, port city of Ephesus (located in

what is now western Turkey). When the beautiful

monument was burned down 200 years later by the arsonist

Herostratus in 356 BCE, the Temple of Artemis was built again,

just as large but even more intricately decorated. It was this second version of the Temple of

Artemis that was awarded a place among the Seven Ancient

Wonders of the World.

The New 7 Wonders The New 7 Wonders Foundation is a private

organization established in 2001, which is dedicated to investing in good causes related with the monument preservation and reconstruction around the world.

This organization prepared a global contest on Internet whose goal was to find the New Seven Wonders of the World. This election was made through a global vote on its website. Finally, on July 07, 2007 the election's results were announced and these are the proclaimed New Seven Wonders of the World:

Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China is a

series of stone and earthen fortifications in China, built,

rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC

and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the

Chinese Empire during the rule of successive dynasties.

Taj Mahal, India The Taj Mahal is standing majestically on the right bank of River Yamuna at a point where it takes a sharp turn and flows

eastwards; the Taj Mahal is synonymous of love and romance. The Taj Mahal

complex is organized in a rectangle, measuring

approximately 310 x 550 meters. It comprises a number of buildings and structures, all

functioning together as the funerary monument for Mumtaz

Mahal.

Roman Colosseum, Italy Rome was a center of learning,

trade and commerce for ages and has contributed significantly

in the development of these areas. The origination of the

word “Coliseum”, probably come from colossal statue of Nero which once stood near the

stadium.

The discussion of Rome would be unfinished without the

description of so the much talked Roman Colosseum. But non doubt the architecture and

the concept is definitely a matter of appreciation and pride.

Inca Trail in Peru Machu Picchu is located on a

remote secondary road in nearly impassable terrain high above the Urubamba River, Machu

Picchu sits nearly 2438 meters (8000 feet) above sea level, on

top of a ridge between two peaks of different size. The name

"Machu Picchu" comes simply from its geography. It literally

means "old peak", just as "Huaynapicchu" is "young peak".

The more accurate translation relates, however, to the concept of size, with Machu Picchu as the "bigger peak" and Huaynapicchu,

the "smaller peak".

Petra, Jordan Petra is approximately at 3-5

hours to the south of modern Amman, approximately 2 hours

to the north of Aqaba, on the edges of the mountain desert of

the Wadi Araba. The city is surrounded by the highest hills of rust by colored sandstone

that gives a natural protection to the city against the invaders.

Chichen Itza, Mexico The famous Mayan pyramids of

Chichen Itza (chee-chehn eet-sah) in Maya literally means:

"Mouth of the well of the Itza", the name Chichen Itza is a Mayan word: CHI (mouth),

CHEN (well) and ITZA (of the Itza tribe), it is located a 75

miles east of Merida, the Capital of the State of Yucatan, Mexico. This archaeological site

is rated among the most important of the Maya culture

and covers an area of approximately six square miles.

Christ the Redeemer,Brazil

The statue of Christ the Redeemer is located at the top

of Corcovado Mountain. The entire monument of statue of Christ the Redeemer is 38m

high with the statue accounting for 30m and overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro is one of

the tallest statues in the world; the span from finger tip to

fingertip is 28m and there is a small chapel housed in the

base.