Greeks centuries ago have started the tradition of listing seven of the world’s wonders. Yes, this list that has been numerously altered is older than Jesus Christ. The first list of wonders is more known as the Wonders of the Ancient World. This is an appropriate title because almost all of the sites in the list come from places that you probably have only heard from myths and ancient history. Plus, only one site from the list survived calamities and still stands today. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Mausoleum of Mausolos at Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria all exist only in drawings or text descriptions. The six are already in ruins. The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt is the only wonder that got passed the ancient times.

During the Middle Ages, people have gone far in the field of architecture and were able to put up yet another seven marvelous structures. The next list include England’s Stonehenge, Rome’s Colosseum, the Taj Mahal in India, the Great Wall of China, The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, Turkey’s Hagia Sophia and Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa. Many lists came to follow this one, but most of them include these sites as well. Splendor and distinctiveness in architecture placed these seven in the Wonders of the Medieval World.

Most recently, another group who conveniently call themselves The New 7 Wonders Organization came up with a new list. International voting through the internet, text messaging and phone calls the world took part in naming the new 7 Wonders. The list includes familiar places; sites that have already been included in previous lists. Unsurprisingly, the Great Wall, Colosseum and Taj Mahal made the list. South America has a lot to be proud of as three of the New 7 Wonders come from Peru, Mexico and Brazil. The Machu Picchu of Peru, with a combination of long mountain ranges and amazing architectural ruins, should undeniably be on the list. Mexico’s Chichen Itza also is another remnant of a great South American civilization. Brazil’s monument of Christ the Redeemer also makes the list. This tall statue of Christ with arms wide spread stands on a mountain. Petra in Jordan concludes the list of New 7 Wonders. As with the others, it has exemplary architecture and history.

There are many other lists. There is the Natural Wonders of the World, Wonders of the Industrial World etc. It is inevitable to come up with new lists because it is impossible to sum all of the world’s wonders in a list of seven sites. There are so many structures, places and sceneries that we are yet to unearth and discover. There are other wonders that we will never see again. We never know when an earthquake will bring a building to rubbles. It is always good to acknowledge these structures and appreciate them for their grandeur and beauty while it still stands.

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Tags: Greece, Italy, Mexico, Peru, South America, Travel   Posted Travel |