The Seven Wonders of the Modern World were announced on July 7, 2007 after an arduous vote in which more than 100 million votes were collected . This worldwide competition was organized by the New Open World Corporation. The owner of this company is Bernard Weber.
But why would an eccentric Swiss millionaire organize such a macro-project? According to him, his only desire was to promote great artistic works. To be a candidate in the project on the seven wonders of the Modern World, some conditions had to be met: Only structures built before the year 2000 and still standing would be admitted, to differentiate them from the seven wonders of the Ancient World.
Of the seven wonders of the Ancient World, many lists have been made throughout history. It was in the 17th century that they settled permanently after the painter Maerten van Heemskrerck painted the seven paintings in the collection. The seven wonders of the Ancient World were grandiose structures, but of the seven, only the Pyramids of Giza remained standing. The other six wonderful works were: the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, the statue of Zeus in Olympia, the Mausoleum of Halicamaso, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
The point is that Mr. Weber thought it would be interesting to find the seven wonders of the Modern World and that all of them could be visited. The Egyptians, proud possessors of the only standing wonder of the Ancient World, did not like the idea very much.
The initial list of candidates was provided by the foundation itself. In addition, a good handful of popular candidacies arrived and some countries also proposed their most famous monuments. Voting was done through a web page where an email had to be registered or via SMS. A first selection was made of the 21 most voted and during the last months of voting only these monuments could be voted on.
Finally, after collecting more than one hundred million votes, in a great gala held in Lisbon and broadcast to more than 180 countries, the seven wonders of the Modern World were unveiled.
The seven wonders of the modern world
Machu Pichu
Machu Pichu, in Peru, was the winner of this great contest and it is not surprising. The first of the seven wonders of the Modern World is an Inca city that still preserves more than 170 buildings. As if this were not enough, these ruins are located in the Andes, almost 2,500 meters above sea level. Getting there is already an adventure full of incredible landscapes. Seeing it for the first time, in the distance, at the summit, is a special experience and visiting it, one of the great pleasures of life.
Chichen Itza
The honorable second place went to Chichén Itza, in Mexico. Located in the Yucatan peninsula, the second wonder of the Modern World is the most important archaeological site of the Mayan Civilization. It is estimated that the city was founded five hundred years before Christ and what is still preserved is absolutely impressive: The Pyramid of Kukulcán stands out, with dimensions beyond imagination and a design impossible to compare with any infrastructure.
Rome Coliseum
The bronze went to the Colosseum in Rome. This great Roman amphitheater with more than two thousand years old is, with honors, the third wonder of the Modern World. Explain why it is too much. Those who have not yet had the pleasure of seeing it, dream of doing so: Imagine Caesar, sitting on his throne before more than 50,000 people, deciding, finger up or finger down, the fate of the gladiators.
The Colosseum was started in the wake of Nero’s extravagance and the rebellion of the Jews in Palestine against the Roman government. Nero, after the great fire in Rome in 64 AD, built a huge palace to his liking, the Golden House, right in the center of the city. In 68 AD, before the military uprisings, he committed suicide and the empire was involved in civil wars. The eventual winner Vespasian – emperor from AD 69 to 79 – decided to prop up his unstable regime by building an amphitheater or palace for the people, from the spoils of the Jewish War, on the site of the lake in the gardens of the Palace of Nero, The Coliseum was built a great political gesture for the inhabitants of the city. It was the largest amphitheater in the Roman world capable of holding about 50,000 spectators.
Christ the Redeemer of Rio de Janeiro
At the top of Cerro de Corcovado, at more than 700 meters, is the huge 30-meter-high statue of Jesus of Nazareth with open arms. From its promontory, it watches over the City of Rio attentively, in addition to enjoying spectacular views over the city. It is also one of the emblems, not only of Rio, but also of Brazil, and one of the most visited monuments by tourists.
The Great Wall of China
Fifth place goes to the Great Wall of China, a 7,000-kilometer fortification . Its construction began 400 years before Christ and ended in the seventeenth century. Although its magnitude is enormous, it is not true that it can be seen from the moon, it is just a myth. Only some parts of the Great Wall are properly preserved. To visit it, it is best to travel to Pekin, from where there are several restored areas to enjoy this authentic jewel of the Modern World.
Petra
The sixth place goes to Petra in Jordan. It is estimated that the capital of the Nabatean kingdom was built around the 5th century BC. The world discovered it thanks to a Swiss explorer in 1812. This wonder of the Modern World is a huge archaeological site nestled in a narrow valley, where buildings carved directly into the rock such as the Treasury and the Monastery stand out.
Taj Mahal
The seventh wonder of the Modern World is the Taj Mahal in Adra. North India is home to one of the most beautiful funerary monuments in the world. It is a walled complex of more than 17 hectares, in which the mausoleum and its large white marble dome stand out. It is a masterful blend of Mongolian architecture, with Islamic, Persian and Indian influences. For its construction, in the middle of the seventeenth century, it took more than 20,000 people and almost 20 years.
Several of the jewels that adorn our geography were close to becoming one of the wonders of the Modern World: The Alhambra in Granada won a very honorable thirteenth place; the Sagrada Familia of Barcelona the sixteenth place; France and its Eiffel Tower brushed glory with eighth place; New York’s famous Statue of Liberty rose to 15th place in the fight to become a wonder of the Modern World.
