Here’s a look at the Seven Wonders of the World.

An earthquake toppled the Colossus of Rhodes a mere half-century after it was built. Only the Great Pyramid of Egypt, built centuries before the others, still stands today, and some only stood a short period of time before being destroyed. In the 6th century A.D., the final item became the Lighthouse at Alexandria.Īnother interesting fact is that the majority of the Seven Wonders of the World didn’t exist at the same time.

Other lists contain the Palace of Cyrus where the king of Persia lived in the seventh spot. Originally, the Walls of the City of Babylon filled the final spot. Most agreed on six of the seven places on the list, but the final spot changed through the years. That means no Great Wall of China or Stonehenge on the list since they were unaware they existed. Naturally, since Greeks wrote the lists, they were heavy on Greek culture. And while we think of the 7 Wonders of the World as one list, there actually are two lists created by Greek writers Antipater of Sidon and Philon of Byzantium. Will we choose any more Wonders of the World? What would you put on the list? Stonehenge? The Statue of Liberty? How about the Sydney Opera House? There’s no shortage of amazing structures to choose from.You may be asking yourself questions such as: What are the Seven wonders of the world? Are there 8 wonders of the world? Where did they come from? The Greeks loved to make lists of the great works of art and architecture around the world. Christ the Redeemer stands at 98 feet tall, not including its 26-foot base. Built just after World War I, this statue is the youngest of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The Christ the Redeemer statue rounds out the list. Today, visitors walk along the wall, high in the air. Some estimate it to be 13,170 miles long! Built during the Ming Dynasty, it is the longest human-made structure ever built. The Great Wall of China runs at least 5,500 miles. However, the structure is still open to visitors. It’s been struck by lightning twice and hurt by earthquake and fire. However, you won’t see any of that at the Colosseum today. It once held over 50,000 cheering Romans. This is where Romans watched wild beast hunts, gladiator games, and mock sea battles. After many years of damage, it was repaired in the late-19th Century. The building’s name means “Crown of the Palaces.” Builders spent 22 years building the structure on orders from Shah Jahan. India’s Taj Mahal has over three million visitors each year. Once a great trading city, Petra is now a center for tourism. The city’s sandstone structures, including the famous Treasury, still stand today. Like Machu Picchu, most of Petra was cut from stone. The ancient city of Petra stands in modern-day Jordan. The city also holds America’s largest ball court, where the Mayas played an old form of basketball. There were 365 days on the Mayan Calendar, too! The steps were meant to match that. Does that number sound familiar? You probably know there are 365 days on a solar calendar. It’s home to El Castillo, a pyramid with 365 steps. People still visit the city in what’s today called Mexico. The Mayas built Chichen Itza in the 7th Century. Today, the city sits alone in the Andes Mountains of Peru. What are the (new) Seven Wonders of the World So, What are the Seven Wonders of the world. The Incas may have used Machu Picchu in many ways, including as a royal get-away. They cut the city from the mountains and made all of its buildings from stone. Machu Picchu is also called the “city of stone.” It was built by the Incas in the 15th Century. Do you want to know more about these Wonders? They are Machu Picchu, Chichen Itza, Petra, the Taj Mahal, the Roman Colosseum, the Great Wall of China, and Christ the Redeemer. After 600 million votes, the Seven New Wonders of the World were named in 2007. Finally, the new Wonders needed to be well- preserved. They also needed artistic or architectural value.

The new Wonders could be anything built before the year 2000. New Wonders of the World? Does that mean they were built in the last few years? No, it just means they’re different from the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. So we were excited to hear there would be seven new Wonders of the World. We spend most of our time learning about them. We even call some ancient structures Wonders of the World.Īs you probably know, we’re pretty into WONDERs here in Wonderopolis. What’s the greatest thing you’ve ever seen? Has a building, statue, or city ever put you at a loss for words? People have built amazing things during our time on Earth.