The New Seven Wonders

The New Seven Wonders

We all know the difficulties of old days to travel around places. People had quite tough times in travel and collecting data to travel. Just imagine traveling by walk or on camels or horses for 100s of miles without a proper place to rest. Of course our generation is blessed to have a large number of hotels and lodges wherever we go. We have aero planes, trains, buses, cars, bikes and what not. Here are the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

You can visit the links below to take virtual tours or view still images of the new 7 wonders of the world.

The number seven was chosen because the Greeks believed it to be the representation of perfection and plenty.

·         Chichen Itza, Mexico

·         Christ the Redeemer, Brazil

·         The Great Wall, China   

·         Machu Picchu, Peru   

·         The Roman Colosseum, Italy  

·         The Taj Mahal, India  

·          Petra, Jordan

Quick Facts:

Chichen Itza -  Mexico:

Chichen Itza, is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization. It is  located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula , Mexico.
This site exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, like ‘Mexicanised’ and reminiscent of styles, which is present in Central Mexico and Puuc Styled , which is present in the Puuc Maya of the northern lowlands. The presence of central Mexican style is due to the result of cultural diffusion, and not due to the direct migration or conquest from central Mexico.

The ruins of Chichen Itza are federal property, and the site’s stewardship is maintained by Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History, INAH). The land under the monuments, however, is privately-owned by the Barbachano family.

Christ the Redeemer -  Brazil

Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is considered the largest art deco statue in the world. The statue stands 39.6 metres tall, including its 9.5 metre pedestal, and 30 metres wide. It weighs 635 tons and is located at Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park, at  the peak of 700 metres overlooking the city. It is one of the tallest of its kind in the world.
A symbol of Catholicism, the statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone. The designs considered for the "Statue of the Christ" included a representation of the Christian cross, a statue of Jesus with a globe in his hands, and a pedestal symbolizing the world.  

The Great Wall - China

The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empiere during various successive dynasties.
The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. The most comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has recently concluded that the entire Great Wall, with all of its branches, stretches for 8,851.8 km . This is made up of 6,259.6 km of sections of actual wall, 359.7 km of trenches and 2,232.5 km of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.

Machu Picchu -  Peru
 Machu Picchu , meaning “ Old Peak”,  is the Lost City of the Incas, located on 8000 ft above sea level and nestled on the highest peak of the Andes Mountains, in modern Peru, South America. It lies 43 miles northwest of Cuzco at the top of a ridge, hiding it from the Urabamba gorge below. Its mountain peaks, at around 6,270 meters above sea level.
This ‘Sacred Valley’ is famous for its spectacular views and photographic scenaries, a place of unforgettable sunrises and magical moonlit nights This is one of the world's archaeological jewels and South America's major travel destinations. This is situated in the middle of tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting, and was rediscovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, a professor from Yale. This Lost City is famous for the Inca architecture and is fascinating both for its history and for the natural beauty that surrounds it.

The Roman Colosseum -  Italy
The Roman Colosseum is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome Italy. It is  the largest ever built in the Roman Empire.  It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture  and Roman engineering.
Its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian’s reign (81–96). Capable of seating 50,000 spectators,  the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles.
The Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and its breakthrough achievements in earthquake engineering. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church as each Good Friday, the Pope leads a torchlit “Way of the Cross” procession that starts in the area around Colosseum.
The Colosseum is depicted on the Italian version of the five cent Euro coin.

The Taj Mahal -  India  

The Taj Mahal  is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
The Taj Mahal, is considered the finest example of Mughal Architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian and Islamic architectural styles.In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the Jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."
While the white domed marble mausoleum is its most familiar component, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. Building began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, and employed thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauru.  Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer.

Petra -  Jordan
Petra is a historic and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that has rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Its been established around 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans , it is a symbol of Jordan as well as it's most visited tourism attraction. It lies on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007 and a World Heritage Site since 1985. Petra was chosen by the BBC as one of "the 10 places you have to see before you die"
UNESCO has described it as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage."

Wishing you a very Safe and Happy Journey!!