The 7 modern Wonders of the World

1. Wonders of the World
Good Tastes Club
October 2012

2. The concept of 7 wonders
• The first list of 7 wonders was made by Greek historian Antipater
of Sidon early 2nd century BC.
• Later additions were made by Philo of Byzantium, Callimachus (3rd
Century BC) and Herodotus (5th Century BC)
• 7 was considered a “perfect” number and hence that was the
number chosen
• All of them were around the Mediterranean and were in the
“known world” of Romans and Greeks of the time.

3. Ancient Wonders
• Great Pyramid of Giza
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
• Statue of Zeus at Olympia
• Tomb of Mausolos at Halicarnassus
• Colossus of Rhodes
• Lighthouse of Alexandria / Ishtar Gate of Babylon

4. Location of the Ancient Wonders

5. The New 7Wonders Foundation
•
Formed in 2001 with an aim of monument conservation and reconstruction
•
Based in Switzerland they launched an international poll to select the “New 7
Wonders of the World”
•
A controversy arose on The Great Pyramid given its stature and antiquity
•
To appease the people of Egypt and many others the Great Pyramid was given
the title of honorary Wonder of the World and excluded from the poll
•
On 07/07/07 they announced the top 7 as polled by voters around the world and
declared the New 7 Wonders of World in a live televised event in Portugal

6. New 7 Wonders
• Taj Mahal
• The Great Wall of China
• Petra, Jordan
• Colloseum, Italy
• Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
• Chichen Itza, Mexico
• Machu Pichu, Peru

7. Location- New 7 Wonders

8. Great Pyramids of Giza
•
Man fears time yet time fears the Pyramids of Giza – Arabic saying
•
The 3 Pyramids were constructed by 3 Pharaoh's one after the other as their final
resting place. The tombs are intended to carry the Pharaoh’s to the after life.
•
In descending order of time and size they are Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure
•
These pyramids are made of limestone and granite blocks being arranged in a
symmetrical manner with no mortar or cement to hold these blocks together
•
Some of the stones used for the Pyramids were transported from quarries more
than 800 kms away
•
These structures date back to 2500 BC so they are 4500 years old, standing the
test of time itself as the Pharoah’s intended it to be

11. The Great Pyramid of Khufu
•
The oldest and the largest Pyramid is the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu also known as Cheops.
•
It stands today at 450 feet in height after years of erosion and is believed to have been at 480 feet
when completed
•
The face of the Pyramid was covered in a cover stone forming a smooth outer surface which has
now eroded to reveal the inner structure
•
The total weight of this tomb is estimated to be at 5.9 M tons and took 20 years to build.
•
Its estimated that over 2.3 M blocks of limestone was moved to make this Pyramid
•
This alone is the ancient wonder of the world and not the other 2 Pyramids adjoining it
•
It remained the tallest man made structure on Earth for a staggering 3,800 years !

13. Taj Mahal

14. Fast Facts – Taj Mahal
•
Built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, it was started in
1632 with the main tomb being finished in 1648 and the full complex was completed in 1653
•
The tomb is the finest example of Mughal architecture that combines Persian, Turkish and Indian
elements
•
It’s a multi chambered cube with emphasis on symmetry across various facets of the entire
complex like gardens, mosques and not just the main tomb.
•
The marble dome on top sits at a height of 140 feet and is accentuated by the smaller domes and
towers around it.
•
There are 4 minarets which are of 130 feet each and have stairway access all the way to the top
which is now closed to the public
•
The Taj Mahal endures across the world as the greatest symbol of love

17. Great Wall of China

18. Fast facts – Great Wall of China
•
Started by the Qin dynasty Emperor Qin Shi Huang in 220 BC to 206 BC to protect the borders of the recently
united Chinese empire
•
Wall building was not new to China but Qin Shi Huang propagated it as a defense mechanism and destroyed walls
within the borders building over the ones on the border of North China
•
The Ming dynasty revived this concept in the 14th century after sometime of neglect to protect itself from the
Mongols across the North border of China.
•
Transportation of materials was expensive so the Wall was made of rocks near mountains and rammed earth near
the plains.
•
Over the years watch towers were added to monitor the enemy as well to impose duties along the Silk Route and
other border controls
•
The total length of the wall is estimated to be 21,000 Kms including all its branches
•
At its widest point its 30 feet wide and 26 feet tall though many parts of it is now under disrepair, eroded as well
as destroyed for construction
•
The section around Beijing is among the best preserved and a popular tourist attraction

21. Petra

22. Fast Facts – Petra
•
Rose or Red city was built by the Nabateans around 300 BC who were the early pre-Islam Arabs
•
The word Nabat referred to “cutting stone” which these people were experts in
•
Petra is located in a valley with rainfall only 3 months in the year but the Nabateans became
experts in building water cisterns, wells and water ducts which was one of the keys to the success
of the city
•
It lay on the way to an important land route connecting Gaza, Damascus, Aqaba on the Red Sea
and across the desert route to the Persian Gulf
•
The locals worshipped a God called Dushara and with passing time Petra fell into the hands of the
Greco-Romans, Christians and Muslims as can bee seen from tombs reflecting its times
•
Eventually the discovery of newer sea routes led to the decline and abandonment of Petra but was
hidden to the larger world as well as natural elements and hence relatively well preserved

26. Colloseum

27. Fast Facts – Colosseum
•
Started construction by the Emperor Vespasian in AD 72 it was completed in AD 80 under Titus
•
It’s the largest Roman amphitheater ever built and sits in central Rome with a capacity of seating
50,000 people
•
Originally called the Amphitheatre Flavium after the family name of the constructors
•
It was used for gladiatorial contests and games with 9000 animals being killed on the day it
opened
•
Through the ages the Colosseum became a Church, cemetery, workshop, quarry to now - one of
the main tourist attraction in Europe
•
The entire structure is built on an area of 6 acres with the outer walls being 160 feet high and the
elliptical building is 615 feet long and 500 feet wide. There are 80 entrances to the builiding with
numbered staircases as well. Tickets were issued directing people to the right section of seating
•
The arena itself is 280 feet long and 180 feet wide

30. Chichen Itza

31. Fast Facts - Chichen Itza
•
The largest city of the Mayan people it flourished between 600 AD to 1200 AD
•
The name means “At the well of Itza” referring to natural wells that made
habitation comfortable and the name of an ethnic group that grew to dominance
•
Its located at the eastern tip of the Yucatan peninsula with the architecture
showing Mayan as well as other central Mexican influences indicating a cultural
diffusion in the city
•
It’s a vast complex with some of the main attractions being the Castillo, Temple of
Thousand Warriors, Cenote Segrado and the Great Ball Court
•
Overriding themes around the structure are of the Serpent God and Jaguar God
both which were highly revered by the Mayans

35. Christ the Redeemer

36. Fast Facts - Christ the Redeemer
• Situated in Rio de Janeiro its made of reinforced concrete and
soapstone. The statue towers at a height of 130 feet and is
synonymous with Rio and Brazil
• Statue is on top of the Corcovado mountain which is at a height of
2300 feet above sea level overlooking the city giving the Christ an
even greater aura
• It was constructed from 1922 to 1931 and Christ with open arms is a
symbol of peace
• Being one of the newest wonders the cost of the statue's
construction came from residents in Rio as donations

40. Machu Pichu

41. Fast Facts – Machu Pichu
• Machu Pichu is the pre-eminent site of the Inca civilisation located in Peru
on a mountain ridge at a height of 8,000 feet above sea level
• It was an estate for the Inca King Pachacuti and built it in 1400 and
abandoned it 100 years later
• The city is spread across 300 sq kms and was unknown to the outside
world till early 20th century hence neither destroyed nor looted.
• The site houses over 140 structures including temples, parks and
residences across 2 different sections namely Urban and Agricultural
• The site is highly endangered with restrictions on tourist visits as well a no
fly zone to preserve Machu Pichu while restoration work continues

46. Some others
• Angkor Wat, Cambodia
• Hagia Sophia, Turkey
• Sydney Opera House
• Eiffel Tower
• Statue of Liberty
• Alhambra, Spain
• Acropolis of Athens
• Kremlin

47. Thank You