The New 7 Wonders of the World

The world is an amazing place with extraordinary beauty found in both manmade and natural structures. There are definitely many more wonders that would take your breath away.

These are the officially recognised ones as presented and voted for worldwide, from a selection presented by The New7wonders Foundation that was formed in 2001, looking to replace the ancient wonders of the World.

1. Taj Mahal: Agra, India

This immense mausoleum was built on the orders of Shah Jahan, the fifth Muslim Mughal emperor, to honour the memory of his beloved wife. Built using ivory white marble and standing in formally laid-out walled gardens, the Taj Mahal is regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India. The complex lies on 42 acres of land and was built at a cost of 32 million rupees then. Today, that would be the equivalent of sh 83.386trillion.

2.Christ The Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This statue of Jesus stands some 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Designed by Brazilian Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski, it is one of the world’s best-known monuments. That its subject is a revered symbol of Christian faith makes it even more popular. The statue took five years to construct and was inaugurated on October 12, 1931. It has become a symbol of the city.

Lightning does strike the same place twice. On February 10, 2008, the statue’s fingers were slightly damaged, as well as the head and eyebrows, while on January 17, 2014, a finger on the right hand was dislodged when lightning struck the statue during a storm. It was renovated on both occasions.

3. Machu Picchu, Peru

In the 15th century, the Incan Emperor Pachacútec built a city in the clouds on the mountain known as Machu Picchu (“old mountain”). This extraordinary settlement lies halfway up the Andes Plateau, 2430km above sea level, deep in the Amazon jungle and above the Urubamba River. Most archaeologists believe that it was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472); it is the most familiar icon of Inca civilization.

It was probably abandoned by the Incas, after only being occupied for a century, because of a smallpox outbreak and, after the Spanish defeated the Incan Empire, the city remained ‘lost’ for over three centuries. It was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911.

4. Chichén Itzá

Chichén Itzá, the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization. Its various structures, the pyramid of Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars, and the Playing Field of the Prisoners, can still be seen today and are demonstrative of an extraordinary commitment to architectural space and composition. The pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temples.

5. The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

Also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, it was built, completed and modified during the reign of the emperors of the Flavian Dynasty (Vespasian, Titus and Domitian respectively). This great amphitheater (estimated to hold between 50,000-80,000 spectators) in the centre of Rome was built to celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire. Its design concept still stands to this very day, and almost every modern sports stadium some 2,000 years later still bears the irresistible imprint of the Colosseum’s original design.

Today, through films and history books, we are even more aware of the cruel fights and games that took place in this arena, all for the joy of the spectators.

6. Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China was built to link existing fortifications into a united defense system and better keep invading Mongol tribes out of China. It is the largest man-made monument ever to have been built.

At 8,850km (about 700km short of the distance one would cover travelling from Kenya to South Africa, and back), the wall stretched from Dandong in the East, to Lop Lake in the West. However, about 2,000km of wall have vanished, while in some places the wall has diminished by 5 metres or more.

7. Petra, Jordan

On the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to 40 A.D.). Masters of water technology, the Nabataeans provided their city with great tunnel constructions and water chambers.

A theatre, modelled on Greek-Roman prototypes, had space for an audience of 4,000. Today, the Palace Tombs of Petra, with the 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple facade on the El-Deir Monastery, are impressive examples of Middle Eastern culture.

Also called Rose City because of the colour of stone that it was carved from, it lies on the slope of Jebel al-Madhbah, identified by some as the Biblical Mount Hor).