7 Wonders Of The Modern World
The Pyramid at Chichen Itza (before 800 AD) Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Chichen Itza, is the shrine of the most famous Mayan tribe, which is used by the Mayans at the time as the center of political and economic activities.Variations of the building which are as varied as the pyramid Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall with thousands of giant pillars still visible today. Pyramid is said to be a pyramid last and greatest of all Mayan temples tribe. At the city’s heart ,the Temple of Kukulkan —which rises to a height of 79 feet (24 meters). Each of its four sides has 91 steps—one step for each day of the year, with the 365th day represented by the platform on the top.
Christ Redeemer (1931) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Jesus statue is about 105-foot-tall (38-meter-tall) , stood on top of Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Designed by Heitor da Silva Costa a Brazilian, and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski. This is one of the most famous monuments in the world.This statue took five years to build and was inaugurated on October 12, 1931. This statue has become a symbol of the city and the warmth of the Brazilian people, who receive visitors with open arms.
The Roman Colosseum (70-82 A.D.) Rome, Italy
This giant arena in the middle of downtown Rome, was built to celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire. The design concept is still used today, and virtually every modern sports stadium some 2,000 years later still follow the design stage. Once held up to 50,000 spectators who came to watch gory games involving gladiators, wild animals, and prisoners.
Construction began around A.D. 70 under Emperor Vespasian.
The Taj Mahal (1630 A.D.) Agra, India
A vast tomb was built on the orders of Shah Jahan, the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, to commemorate his beloved wife. Made of white marble and surrounded by beautiful gardens. Taj Mahal is considered as the jewel of Muslim art in India's most perfect. Emperor himself allegedly imprisoned and ultimately could only see the Taj Mahal from the little window in his cell. Construction began in 1632 and took about 15 years to complete. The opulent, domed mausoleum, which stands in formal walled gardens, is generally regarded as finest example of Mughal art and architecture. It includes four minarets, each more than 13 stories tall.Shah Jahan was deposed and put under house arrest by one of his sons soon after the Taj Mahal’s completion.
The Great Wall of China (220 BC and 1368-1644 AD) China
China Great Wall was built to connect the existing forts into a single entity defense system and make it easier to continue to attack the Mongol tribes out of China's. This is the largest man-made that ever existed, this monument has been built and is still a debate that this monument is the only monument visible from outer space.Many thousands of people died to build this colossal construction. Constructed between the fifth century B.C. and the 16th century, the Great Wall is the world’s longest human-made structure, stretching some 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers). The best known section was built around 200 B.C. by the first emperor of China.
Petra (9 B.C. - 40 A.D.), Jordan
At the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the capital of Nabataean kingdom with its king is the Aretas IV (9 BC to 40 AD). Very high water technology, available on the Nabataeans, the city was built with great tunnel constructions and water troughs giant. In this building there is a theater, the Greek-Roman model that has room for 4000 spectators ,138-foot-tall (42-meter-tall) temple. Today, the Palace Tomb of Petra, with tinggai 42 meters are examples of Middle Eastern culture is amazing. Perched on the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to A.D. 40).
Petra is famous for its many stone structures such as a carved with classical facades into rose-colored rock. The desert site wasn’t known to the West until Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt came across it in 1812.
Machu Picchu (1460-1470), Peru
In the 15th century, the Inca emperor Pachacútec build a city in the clouds on the mountain known as Machu Picchu ("old mountain"). This remarkable building is situated in the middle of the Andes Plateau, deep in the Amazon jungle and above the Urubamba River. The building was probably abandoned by the Incas because of outbreaks of smallpox and, after the Spanish conquered the Inca Empire, the city remained 'lost' for over three centuries. Rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911.
7 Wonders Of The Ancient World
The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt 2500 BC Approximate - Egyptians
The Egyptian pharaoh Khufu built the Great Pyramid in about 2560 B.C. to serve as his tomb. The pyramid is the oldest structure on the original list of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which was compiled by Greek scholars about 2,200 years ago. It is also the only remaining survivor from the original list. The Great Pyramid is the largest of three Pyramids at Giza, bordering modern-day Cairo. Although weathering has caused the structure to stand a few feet shorter today, the pyramid was about 480 feet (145 meters) high when it was first built. It is thought to have been the planet’s tallest human-made structure for more than four millennia.
The Colossus of Rhodes, Greece 292-280 BC - Hellenistic Civilization - Destroyed 224 BC Earthquake
In contrast to the pyramids, the colossus was the shortest lived of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Completed in 282 B.C. after taking 12 years to build, the Colossus of Rhodes was felled by an earthquake that snapped the statue off at the knees a mere 56 years later.
The towering figure—made of stone and iron with an outer skin of bronze—represented the Greek sun god Helios, the island’s patron god. It looked out from Mandráki Harbor on the Mediterranean island of Ródos (Rhodes), although it is no longer believed to have straddled the harbor entrance as often shown in illustrations.
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt 292-280 BC - Hellenistic Civilization - Destroyed 224 BC Earthquake
The lighthouse was the only ancient wonder that had a practical use, serving as a beacon for ships in the dangerous waters off the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, now called El Iskandarîya.
Constructed on the small island of Pharos between 285 and 247 B.C., the building was the world’s tallest for many centuries. Its estimated height was 384 feet (117 meters)—equivalent to a modern 40-story building—though some people believe it was significantly taller.
The lighthouse was operated using fire at night and polished bronze mirrors that reflected the sun during the day. It’s said the light could be seen for more than 35 miles (50 kilometers) out to sea.
The huge structure towered over the Mediterranean coast for more than 1,500 years before being seriously damaged by earthquakes in A.D. 1303 and 1323.
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece 435 BC - Greeks - Destroyed Fire
The massive gold statue of the king of the Greek gods was built in honor of the original Olympic games, which began in the ancient city of Olympia.
The statue, completed by the classical sculptor Phidias around 432 B.C., sat on a jewel-encrusted wooden throne inside a temple overlooking the city. The 40-foot-tall (12-meter-tall) figure held a scepter in one hand and a small statue of the goddess of victory, Nike, in the other—both made from ivory and precious metals.
The temple was closed when the Olympics were banned as a pagan practice in A.D. 391, after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
The statue was eventually destroyed, although historians debate whether it perished with the temple or was moved to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in Turkey and burned in a fire.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Iraq 600 BC - Babylonians - Destroyed Earthquake
The hanging gardens are said to have stood on the banks of the Euphrates River in modern-day Iraq, although there’s some doubt as to whether they ever really existed.
The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II supposedly created the terraced gardens around 600 B.C. at his royal palace in the Mesopotamian desert. It is said the gardens were made to please the king’s wife, who missed the lush greenery of her homeland in the Medes, in what is now northern Iran.
Archaeologists have yet to agree on the likely site of the hanging gardens, but findings in the region that could be its remains include the foundations of a palace and a nearby vaulted building with an irrigation well.
The most detailed descriptions of the gardens come from Greek historians. There is no mention of them in ancient Babylonian records.
The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Turkey , 315 BC - Hellenized Carians - Destroyed Earthquake
The famous tomb at Halicarnassus—now the city of Bodrum—was built between 370 and 350 B.C. for King Mausolus of Caria, a region in the southwest of modern Turkey. Legend says that the king’s grieving wife Artemisia II had the tomb constructed as a memorial to their love.
Mausolus was a satrap, or governor, in the Persian Empire, and his fabled tomb is the source of the word “mausoleum.” The structure measured 120 feet (40 meters) long and 140 feet (45 meters) tall.
The tomb was most admired for its architectural beauty and splendor. The central burial chamber was decorated in gold, while the exterior was adorned with ornate stone friezes and sculptures created by four Greek artists.
The mausoleum stood intact until the early 15th century, when Christian Crusaders dismantled it for building material for a new castle. Some of the sculptures and frieze sections survived and can be seen today at the British Museum in London, England.
The Temple of Artemis, Turkey 550 BC - Anatolians - Destroyed Fire 356 BC
The great marble temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis was completed around 550 B.C. at Ephesus, near the modern-day town of Selçuk in Turkey.
In addition to its 120 columns, each standing 60 feet (20 meters) high, the temple was said to have held many exquisite artworks, including bronze statues of the Amazons, a mythical race of female warriors.
A man named Herostratus reportedly burned down the temple in 356 B.C. in an attempt to immortalize his name. After being restored, the temple was destroyed by the Goths in A.D. 262 and again by the Christians in A.D. 401 on the orders of Saint John Chrysostom, then archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul).
Today the temple’s foundations have been excavated and some of its columns re-erected.
