New 7 World Wonders
Winners
WINNER—One of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Great Wall of China:
The 4,160-mile barricade running from east to west is the world's
longest man-made structure. The construction of the wall took place
over hundreds of years, beginning in the seventh century B.C.
WINNER—One of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Petra, Jordan: This
ancient city in southwestern Jordan, built on a terrace around Wadi
Musa, or Valley of Moses, was the capital of the Arab kingdom of the
Nabateans. The city is famous for water tunnels and stone structures
carved in the rock.
WINNER—One of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Christ Redeemer
Statue, Brazil: The outstretched arms of the 125-foot statue of the
Christ the Redeemer overlooks Rio de Janeiro from atop 2,343-foot Mount
Corcovado.
WINNER—One of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Machu Picchu, Peru:
Built by the Incan Empire in the 15th century, Machu Picchu's walls,
palaces, temples and dwellings are perched in the clouds at 8,000 feet
above sea level in the Andes.
WINNER—One of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Pyramid at Chichen
Itza, Mexico: This pyramid was part of a sacred site in an important
Mayan center on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Built according to the
solar calendar, shadows at the fall and spring equinoxes are said to
look like a snake crawling down the steps, similar to the carved
serpent at the top.
WINNER—One of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Colosseum, Italy: The
50,000-seat amphitheater in Rome was inaugurated in A.D. 80 and served
as the backdrop for thousands of gladiators who dueled to the death.
WINNER—One of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Taj Mahal, India: The
white marble-domed mausoleum in Agra combines Indian, Persian and
Islamic styles and was built by a 17th century Mogul emperor for his
favorite wife, who died in childbirth.
Finalists
FINALIST—The New Seven Wonders of the World. Acropolis, Greece: This
set-in-stone wonder attracts millions of visitors each year to its
famed Parthenon and statues of Greek gods and goddesses.
FINALIST—The New Seven Wonders of the World. Alhambra, Spain: The
palace and citadel—once the residence of the Moorish caliphs who
governed southern Spain—feature mosaics, arabesques and mocarabe, or
honeycomb work.
FINALIST—The New Seven Wonders of the World. Angkor, Cambodia: The
archaeological site in Siem Reap was the capital of the Khmer
(Cambodian) empire from the ninth to 15th centuries. The 12th century
ruins include Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.
FINALIST—The New Seven Wonders of the World. Easter Island, Chile:
Hundreds of massive stone busts, or Moais, are all that remains from
the prehistoric culture that crafted them between 400 and 1,000 years
ago as an homage to deceased ancestors.
FINALIST—The New Seven Wonders of the World. Eiffel Tower, France: The
985-foot tower, built in 1889 for the International Exposition,
symbolizes Paris. The open-lattice iron icon is the City of Light's
tallest structure.
FINALIST—The New Seven Wonders of the World. Hagia Sophia, Turkey: Also
called the Church of Holy Wisdom, the soaring cathedral was built in
537 A.D. at Constantinople, today's Istanbul. In 1453, Constantinople
fell to the Ottomans and the church became a mosque. Not until the
landmark became a museum in 1935 were the Christian mosaics revealed.
FINALIST—The New Seven Wonders of the World. Kiyomizu Temple, Japan:
Kyoto's Kiyomizu-dera, which means Clear Water Temple, was founded by a
Buddhist sect in 798 and rebuilt in 1633 after a fire. A drink from its
waterfall is believed to confer health, longevity and success.
FINALIST—The New Seven Wonders of the World. Kremlin and St. Basil's
Cathedral, Russia: Domes with golden cupolas surrounded by red brick
walls are at the heart of Moscow's Kremlin. The Cathedral of St. Basil
the Blessed on adjacent Red Square features nine towers of different
colors.
FINALIST—The New Seven Wonders of the World. Neuschwanstein Castle,
Germany: The inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland,
Neuschwanstein is a creation of 'Mad King' Ludwig II of Bavaria.
Perched on a peak in the Alps, the gray granite castle rises to towers,
turrets and pinnacles.
FINALIST—The New Seven Wonders of the World. Statue of Liberty, New
York: A gift of the French government, the 305-foot statue in New York
Harbor has welcomed immigrants and symbolized freedom since 1886.
FINALIST—The New Seven Wonders of the World. Stonehenge, Britain: How
and why this circular monument of massive rocks was created between
3,000 and 1,600 B.C. is unknown, but some experts say the stones were
aligned as part of a sun-worshipping culture or astronomical calendar.
FINALIST—The New Seven Wonders of the World. Sydney Opera House,
Australia: With a roof resembling a ship in full sail, the opera house
is situated on Bennelong Point reaching into Sydney's harbor. It was
designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and opened by Queen Elizabeth
II in 1973.
FINALIST—The New Seven Wonders of the World. Timbuktu, Mali: Two of
West Africa's oldest mosques, the Djingareyber, or Great Mosque, and
the Sankore mosque built during the 14th and early 15th centuries can
still be seen here in the northern Sahara Desert. Founded about A.D.
1,100, Timbuktu was a flourishing caravan center and a leading
spiritual and intellectual center.
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