modern seven wonders of the world

8/13/2019 Modern Seven Wonders of the World

1/5

Modern Seven Wonders of The World

In 2001 the Swiss corporation New7Wonders Foundation began an initiative to choose theNew Seven Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments for profitChichen Itza, Yucatan (Mexico)

One of the top tourist hotspots in the world, Chichen Itza is the most famous temple city builtin Yucatan, Mexico by the Maya civilization. This impressive archaeological site served asthe political and economic center of the Mayan civilization. "Chichen Itza" literally means"At the mouth of the well of the Itza" and consists of numerous splendid stone architecturesof which the magnificient Kukulkan Pyramid occupies the centrestage. Known locally as El

Castillo (the castle), the Kukulkan Pyramid has recently been voted as one of the new sevenwonders of the world and is actually a temple dedicated to Kukulkan, the Plumed Serpent.

Every year on the fall and spring equinox, during the rising and setting of the sun, the side ofthe building casts a shadow which appears as a plumed snake along the steps of the structure.

Machu Picchu, Cuzco (Peru)A marvellous Latin-American construction, the Machu Picchu is an ancient fortress city ofthe Incas situated in the Andes Mountains, south-central Peru. Also known as "The Lost Cityof the Incas", the construction of Machu Picchu began around 1430 AD during the gloriousdays of the Inca Empire but was abandoned in the 16th century at the time of Spanishinvasion. The site was rediscovered by U.S. explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911. The

architecture has been constructed with polished dry-stone walls and consists of severalbuildings, primary of which are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of theThree Windows.

Colosseum, Rome (Italy)The Colosseum of Rome is considered to be one of the greatest pieces of Roman architecture.A marvellous specimen of Roman engineering, the Colosseum is an elliptical amphitheatresituated in the centre of Rome. The biggest amphitheatre ever to be built in Rome, was

primarily used for gladiatorial contests, royal speeches and dramatic performances. Theconstruction of the Colosseum began under the emperor Vespasian and ended during the

regin of Titus. Some changes were, however, made later during the rule of EmperorDomitian. Made of travertine stone and iron clamps, the Colosseum today attracts millions ofvisitors in Rome annually. In recent years it has become a sign of the international campaignagainst capital punishment as well as a symbol of Roman Christianity. Every Good Friday,the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession around the various levels of theamphitheatre. The image of this magnificient sttructure can also be found on the Italianversion of the five-cent euro coin.


2/5

Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)Undoubtedly a modern marvel, "Christ the Redeemer" ("O Cristo Redentor" in Portuguese) isa statue of Jesus Christ that weighs 635 tons, stands 98 ft (30 m) wide and 120 ft (38 m) highwith its pedestal. Constructed of reinforced concrete and soapstone, this wonderful piece ofarchitecture is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the top of the Corcovado mountain (2,300ft) in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. It was in 1921 that the

Catholic Circle of Rio proposed for the construction of the statue which recieved acceptance.The statue was designed by Heitor da Silva Costa, a local engineer, and sculpted by Frenchsculptor Paul Landowski. The whole structure took nine years to be completed, from 1922 to1931, and was opened on October 12, 1931. The cost of construction was $250,000, whichcame from donations by Brazilian Catholics, collected by the Catholic Circle of Rio. Thestatue depicts Jesus Christ with his head bent and arms stretched wide open, a stance thatreminds of the crucifixio that the messiah underwent to propagate his message of peace to us.It is a significant symbol of Brazil's Christianity.

Petra, Jordan

The most popular spot of Jordan, the Petra is an ancient rock city that contains about 800magnificient rock structures including a mausoleum, a two-storeyed temple, a shrine, a

palace, general dwellings and a royal treasury - the "Khazneh el-Farun" - which is the mostpopular of all the bulidings. This beautiful city was carved out of rocks and inhabited by theNabataeans more than 500 years before Christ's birth. These industrious Arab people turned itinto an important business center and Petra quickly became an important trade route linkingthe Asian countries with the south Arabian nations Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. The citywas later under the domination of the Crusaders which ended with the Muslim conquest. But

then Petra was completely abandoned and rediscovered only in 1812 by Swiss explorerJohann Ludwig Burckhardt.

Taj Mahal, Agra (India)One of the most popular Indian tourist spots and a world attraction, the Taj Mahal is amausoleum located in Agra, India. Constructed of pure-white marble, this exquisite piece ofIslamic arcitecture was created under the orders of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan whodedicated it to his departed wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The building of this structure began in1632, and took 22 years to complete. This typical Muslim style under the orders of theMughal emperor Shah Jahan who dedicated it to his departed wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The

domed memorial is flanked by two red sandstone buildings, a mosque on one side and anidentical building on another. It contains the sarcophagus of Mumtaz Mahal as well as ShahJahan. The entire process of construction involved more than 20,000 workers and the marbleand semi-precious stones required for the walls were specially fetched from Rajasthan,Persia, Russia, Afghanistan, Tibet, China, and the Indian Ocean. The structure was designed

by Muslim architects Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad AhmadLahauri, who is thought as the main designer.


3/5


4/5


5/5

modern seven wonders of the world

Documents