Wonders of the world – Then and Now
Identifying the wonders of the world is something that started right from the ancient times. In the ancient world, there were a number of wonders, and all of these were manmade attractions.
From the beginning of the 19th century, for a period more than 125 years, some of the best engineering marvels were identified. These are known to most people as the 7 wonders of the world. These are wonders because they are much more than what they are, they stand in testament to the human spirit and innovation.
Seven Wonders of the Ancient world –
The idea for identifying the seven wonders of the world was conceptualized extremely early, during the time of Herodotus ( 484 B C – 425 B C ) and Callimachus ( 305 B C – 240 B C ). As analyzed at that time, the seven wonders of the world were inclusive of the Lighthouse of Alexandria Colossus of Rhodes Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Great Pyramid of Giza. Of this, only the Great Pyramid of Giza is remaining.
The rest of the wonders were ravaged by natural disasters such as earthquakes, as well as fires. The list of wonders was evolved from several lists that were compiled in ancient Greece.
The New Seven Wonders of the World . . .
The new 7 wonders campaign was seen first in year 2000, when Bernard Weber, a Swiss author, aviator and film producer choose the new seven wonders of the world via a global voting campaign.
The foundation declared that 50 pc of revenue from the project for preservation and restoration of monuments. The organizers were clear that far from the ancient wonders of the world being replaced, the campaign would lead to increased awareness of cultural heritage as well as the caring for historical landmarks.
New Open World Corporation in year 2001 began the procedure for selecting the New Seven Wonders. On 2006, Jan 1, the criteria were analyzed, and 21 finalists were announced out of close to two hundred nominations from all over the world. The Great Pyramid of Giza was one of the original ancient wonders of the world, so it was given the honorary position as a wonder. There were seven sites that were selected via votes worldwide, via internet and phone polling, as well as SMS voting. It was on July 7 t h, 2007 (7/07/07) that the final seven lists were announced finally. The list of top man made wonders were inclusive of India’s Taj Mahal, The Colosseum in Rome, Mexico’s Chichen Itza pyramid, Peru’s Machu Picchu, Brazil’s statue of Christ the Redeemer, Petra in Jordan and The Great Wall of China. Not that the list was accepted universally. The UNESCO issued a notice saying they had no association with this list.
www.bestwondersoftheworld.com is your single halt destination for all queries related to travel and the wonders of the world. We have a great number of resources. The author is a surveyor.