Voters had a short-list of 21 architecturally (and some archaeologically) significant sites to choose from including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the statues on Easter Island, Britain’s Stonehenge, the Acropolis in Athens, the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia and the Statue of Liberty in New York. This is what the world chose:
The Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru
The rose city of Petra in Jordan
The Taj Mahal in India
The ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico
The Colosseum in Rome
The Great Wall of China
The statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro
I think this was a great idea! I don't necessarily agree will all of the choices but this event will no doubt recreate an interest in not only these 7 sites specifically, but antiquity in general. It was about time too. The old 7 wonders of the world, originally chosen in 200 B.C., are really outdated and only the Great Pyramid of Giza remains. Now everyone can see and enjoy the new 7 but please don't touch! We don't want to lose them as well.
P.S. For those of you who don't remember what the previous 7 wonders were, here they are: The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (modern Turkey), The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (also Turkey), The Colossus of Rhodes, The Lighthouse of Alexandria and the Pyramid of Giza.
11 comments:
great post - i love the pics..
this makes me wanna get out there and become a bit more touristy.
i wonder if i can see 7 wonders in 7 years. or less.
time and finances will tell.
I thought they were going to keep the Pyramids at Giza as honorary wonders, and people had to choose the remaining six. Egypt must be furious. I've never heard of that Mayan city - thought the Aztec city of Teotihuacán would be more famous/noteworthy. Good mix of Occidental and Oriental culture, though.
On another note, Africa is once again prominently absent.
I remember reading about this ages ago, and hearing about it on the news again just recently. I was wondering what the new ones were!
I don't agree with the statue of Christ the Redeemer. I mean, it's just a statue. I really think the Cambodian temple should have been in there.
I remember seeing that Machu Picchu place in one of those outdoorsy magazines, Getaway I think (I must have been at the dentist or something). It looks interesting and I'd love to visit it but it really looks like an awful lot of walking...
Re Leon's comment: I thought the Mali city of Timbuktu was one of the options too? Too bad that one didn't get in there...
I think I voted for Angkor Wat and Stonehenge. I was nonplussed at teh Christ statue to be honest.
But all in all it was an admirable idea
I am also not impressed with Christ the Redeemer making the top 7 but what can you do? I was also hoping for Angkor Wat - It really should have been included. Maybe we need more than seven wonders...
I have been to one!
I probably won't see anymore anytime soon. By then there will be a new seven probably...not unless....you
Hire me as an assistant.
I'll carry your stuff, do whatever.
What do you think?
No Epcot Center? Curious.
Wreckless, you will be my first choice for site slave...
Epcot! LOL!
I will gladly accept whenever and wherever. You are also tagged if you want to be.
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