Seven NEW Wonders of the World

[RedCydranth]

Chances are, in the history books we read in school, we came across the phrase, "Seven ancient wonders of the world". These were seven of the greatest architectural structures in existance before the modern era. Of those ancient structures, only one remains still in tact, the rest are just legends.

The old Seven wonders were: The Pyramids of Giza, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, The Colossus of Rhodes and The Pharos of Alexandria. Only the Pyramids of Giza remain today.

A group of people have organized a list of architectural greatnesses, both old and new, to possibly become the seven new wonders of the world. They are asking us normal people of the world to vote which of the candidates we feel are the new "Seven Wonders of the World". After we all vote, on July 7, 2007 (7-7-07), in Lisbon Portugal, they will release the seven modern wonders of the world.

Here are the candidates for the New Wonders of the World.

The Acropolis of Athens
One of the most famous historic structures still in existance, the Acropolis represents the first steps of Democracy and an era of time which fascinates millions across the planet. It has been one of the most mimicked structured architecturally in history.

Alhambra of Spain
One of the relics of the Moors. An old castle turned into a private residence by Muhammed I of the Moorish Dynasty. It is commonly one of the most visited attractions in all of Europe.

Angkor of Cambodia
Built in the 12th Century, this is the tallest religous structure in existance. Its ornate towers and structures has captivated the travellers of south-east Asia. Its moats, walls and architectural designs are unrivaled in the area.

Pyramid of Chichen Itza of Yucatan, Mexico
The most famous structure of the ancient Mayan Empire, its one of the most reckognized structures on the planet. It served as the economic center of the entire Mayan civilization and still is a huge center of economics in Mexico.

Christ Redeemer of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
This structure, built in 1931, is a 38 meter tall statue of Jesus Christ placed atop a hill in Rio De Janeiro. It has since become a gathering place for tourists and is one of the nation's most reckognized features.

Roman Colosseum of Rome, Italy
Built in the first century, this ancient structure still stands, for the most part, and is the most poplular site in all of Italy. The colosseum held epic fights between man and beast or pitted men against each other in duels to the death to please the Roman Emperor.

Statues of Easter Island, Chile
The mysterious Moai statues that are present on the island have baffled scientists and archaeologists for years. The hundreds of 25 meter high Moai statues are scattered all over the island and are still mystifying all who gaze upon them.

The Eiffel Tower of Paris, France
A modern structure which has undergone numerous usages since its creation in 1887. It has become a symbol for the city, the nation and the entire culture of the French. Quite possibly the most famous structure in the modern era. When constructed it was the tallest structure on the planet.

Great Wall of China
This series of walls stretches across the nation of China and took hundreds of years to complete. It is the largest man made structure and is visible from space. It is a symbol of the Dynasties of old China and its history is rich with tales.

Hagia Sophia of Istanbul, Turkey
Built at the peak of the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Justinian, it was one of the greatest symbols of religion in the area. Once an Islamic mosque, now it serves both Christians and Muslims alike and is revered by both religions as a holy structure.

Kiyomizu Temple of Kyoto, Japan
Originally laid out in 789 A.D it has become the most renowned landmark in Japan, aside from Mount Fuji. The Kiyomizu has been home to Shoguns and and emperors for over a millenium. Although it has been rebuilt and remodeled many times over its long history, it still remains one of the most popular buildings in Japanese history.

The Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral of Moscow, Russia
The building has one of the most unique looks to it and is one of the most famous political structures in the world. Serving as the office of the Russian President, the Kremlin is still in full function. Its most famous feature is its "onion domes" that are perched upon the towers.

Maccu Piccu of Peru
One of the amazing stories of exploration to date, the city of Maccu Piccu was once part of the Incan empire and remained unfound until 1911. Its citizens still followed many of the ancient practices of the Incans. It remained unfound because of its height in the Andes mountains. Architecturally one of the greatest feats of its era, a city built so high in the mountains is still veiwed as a great feat.

Neuschwanstein Castle of Schwangau, Germany
Built in the 1800s, this castle served no military or governmental use. Instead it was built to serve the fantasies of its designers. It was built to look as ornate and beautiful as possible. It has become one of Germany's most sought after landmarks and is a famous structure in Europe.

Petra of Jordan
A city built on the edge of a desert, it was an economic hotbed in the first century. The city had extravagant water transporting systems consisting of tunnels and chambers. A theater that could hold 4,000 people modelled after the Greek theaters of the time as well as tombs and the Hellenistic temple built into the rocks of the area. One of the most well preserved cities from the early era.

The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
One of the original seven wonders of the world, the Pyramids served as tombs for Pharaohs built years before their birth. The fact they are still standing is an amazing feat and shows how perfect the architecture and design of these structures has persevered time. Many mysteries remain about how these structures were exactly built.

The Statue of Liberty of New York City, United States of America
The world famous symbol for America sits on Staten Island by New York City. Seen as a symbol for freedom, democracy and equality, the structure has welcomed immagrants since 1886 when it was donated to the United States by the French Government. Some historians claim it is remarkably similar in structure to the Colossus of Rhodes.

Stonehenge of United Kingdom
The circle of 50 ton stones has been a mystery for as long as anyone can remember. Nothing is known of how the stones reached the area, who built them and why. However this remarkable feat of engineering has been heralded for centuries by historians and is one of the most studied structures in human history.

The Sydney Opera House of Sydney, Australia
This is the most recent building in candidacy for the Wonders of the world, but it is nominated for a reason. It has been seen as one of the most remarkable structures built in recent history. The building itself is a work of art and has become a symbol of Australia. One of the most creative structures built.

The Taj Mahal of Agra, India
This Mausoleum was built to house the Shah Jahan's wife and is made out of pure white marble. Its classic indian architecture and the large manmade pond in front of it serves as an icon for India. One of the most beautiful structures in the continent, the Taj Mahal is one of the most featured buildings in the world.

Timbuktu of Mali
A famous city from the old Mali empire. It thrived ff the salt trade with Egypt to the east. It was one of the first recorded cities which had universities and a center of both commerce, learning and wealth. It has been one of Africa's most treasured gems for centuries.

That is all the candidates. If you want to vote for the Seven New Wonders, please go to http://www.new7wonders.com.

If not, it would be interesting to hear which seven you feel are the new Seven Wonders of the World.
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[Tony Stark]

I voted, but I only really liked a few of them.

The ones I really care for are:

Stonehenge - This is just an amazing and crazy structure. The fact that it has stood for so long and has been a mystery for so long makes me love it. It is definitely one of the best candidates on the list. Plus it is an actual wonder of the world.

The Great Wall of China - It is visible from space and is a generally awesome structure. It is someone every one recognizes and everyone fawns over. Plus, it's old and it is an actual amazing structure and symbol of human will. Unlike the statue of Liberty, Christ Redeemer or Eifel Tower. Which seem to pale in comparison to the Great Wall.

The Kremlin - This is just a cool structure and one of the few landmarks from foreign countries I recognized as a kid. I have to admit, there's no real reason I like the Kremlin, I just think it's cool.

The Taj Mahal - Similar reasons to the Kremlin, it's generally just a cool structure that everyone sees. Way cooler looking that most of the other buildings, besides maybe that phat castle in Germany, which I hestiantly voted for (I say hesitantly because I've never heard of it before).
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[Cedric]

I'm biased towards the structures that also have nice natural surroundings.

The Great Wall is a shoe in. How can anyone not vote that in as one of the greatest wonders ever? As Brecht mentioned, recognition alone is enough for it to qualify. But the amount of effort needed to make the structure is very staggering. Perhaps its greatest testament to fame is the wall's transcendence from a defensive structure to a symbol that spans throughout generations. I've played games like Skies of Arcadia and Illusion of Gaia that have the Great Wall (or something similar) in them. It's on everything from television to tourist pamphlets. There is probably literature out there that has their own Great Wall too.

Stonehenge is in as well. Again, it's one of the most recognized symbols in the world, and Brecht already mentioned the endurance the structure has over the course of time. Some people may think that the architecture is simplistic compared to the other structures, but not many of the other candidates have been around as long as Stonehenge has.

It is a long shot, but I hope Kiyomizu Temple gets in there too. It's an outstanding structure and from pictures I've seen, the surrounding greenery of the location is very appealing. It's too bad that it suffers from low recognition from everyone that isn't an Anime fan, Japanese, or into Japanese culture.

Machu Picchu doesn't have a good shot of making it only because there isn't much left. I'm thinking that the 7 winners will have a majority of its structure intact unless it's widely recognizable. It's too bad though because the premise alone is interesting. It's a 15th century city built atop of a lush mountain practically untouched by the outside world.

Neuschwanstein Castle looks great! This is the first time ever hearing of the structure, but it's everything I've envisioned a castle should ideally look like. It towers over an amazing landscape, and it's surrounded by nothing but green nature.
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[kuwaizair]

Oh wow, this would be hard. I say we have those new ones and a newer, newer. The latter would include The Statue of Liberty.

The Easter Island would need to be in, and Stone Henge for the same reasons. Its just difficult because, as I said some of these structers are newer than others.
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[Calvin]

Great Wall of China--A virtual certainty, really. I'd be very surprised if the Great Wall of China didn't make it. At the very least its got to be one of the top 5 most recognized and reknowned structures to have ever been built in human history. The fact that it was made so long ago and is still standing today, and can be seen from space, is a testament to how monumental an undertaking this was. If this can't make it, than nothing will.

Pyramids of Giza--They were in the first 7 wonders of the world, and justly deserve to be in the second round. The fact that they exist in the first place is incredible, let alone that they've withstood the test of time and remain in good shape.

Colossuem--A symbol of the greatest city of its time in the greatest empire of its time. Its been featured in countless movies, plays, and books in modern times, and I've no doubt it recieved similar attention from the moment it was built. I don't see how it wouldn't be included.

Stonehenge--Stonehenge is not as ornate as any of the other wonders on the list, but is perhaps more mysterious and awe-inspiring than any of them. It deserves to be in simply because of how difficult it would have been to build it in those times, as well as because it has captivated the imaginations of millions of people.

Eiffel Tower--The Eiffel tower certainly deserves to be in as one of the most reckognizable structures in the world. It isn't nearly as old as the other things on this list, but I think it is no less amazing. The Eiffel Tower has become an intergral part of Paris, a cultural center for western civilization.

Taj Mahal--A structure that has become a symbol for India, representing a sixth of the world's population. It is breathtaking to look at.

Sydney Opera House--Another structure that isn't that old, but is no less amazing. The thing is huge, and is one of the greatest places ever built.
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[Tonberry]

My choices would be The Pyramids of Giza, The Great Wall of China, Stonehenge, The Taj Mahal, Angkor, The Hagia Sophia, and Neuschwanstein Castle. My decisions were combinations of the ones that I believed were the hardest to build and of the ones I found the most visually pleasing.

[RedCydranth]

Well, I registered and actually voted for seven of the wonders. Here's what I voted and why.

Acropolis - The Acropolis is the home to the Parthenon and the last remnants of the ancirnt Greek culture. The original 7 wonders all were in the area of Greece, Jordan and Egypt and I felt that this one pays good hommage to that. Also, as a symbol of democracy and architecture we still see today, this truly is a Wonder of the World.

Colusseum - For some reason when I think of the Wonders of the World, I think or structures that are not only beautiful but have lasted the test of time. Even though the colossus of Rhodes only stood for less than a century, I think of structures that should last a bit longer than the p[ast 100 years or so. Also, the Colusseum is a testament to the civilization that shaped the Wetern Hemisphere's history, the Roman Empire.

Great Wall of China - This truly is one of the wonders of the world, anyone who thinks otherwise should spend just twenty minutes looking at all that went into the construction, the historical impact and the beauty of the structures itself. If after reading everything that went into the building of this immaculate wall, I doubt anone will say this is not worthy of being titled a Wonder of the World.

Machu Picchu - Dispite its delapidated state, this truly is a magnificent place in our world. The fact that it remained unseen by westerners and explorers for so long is truly amazing, but if you lok at pictures of the place you'll be captivated by the natural beauty of the Andes and the Incan civilization that has been captured there centuries after it was conquered. Machu Picchu is one of my personal favorite places in the world and someday would love to see it first hand.

Pyramids of Giza - It was a wonder before and there's no reason for it to not be one now. In fact there's even more reason for it to be heralded a Wonder now. The fact that it has withstood 2 World Wars, the rise and fall of 5 Empires in its area (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman) and nature for over 4500 years. Truly an amazing feat, but even more amazing considering its worth to the region and what it represents. Truly a Wonder of the World.

Stonehenge - This puts the word Wonder in the phrase Wonders of the World. Seriously. Nobody knows jack about this place yet its still there thousands of years later. We have no clue it it as a druidic chapel, a stargazing site or just some alien's idea of a joke. All viable hypothesises none of which can fuly be tossed out. Wonder indeed.

Taj Mahal - Not as ancient as the others I selected, but I chose it because of its beauty. I think the fact it has been made purely from white marble is gorgeous. Also, I have always lives the architecture of the structure and the sad tale behind the man who had it built is truly a great story.

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I regret though because many of the other candidates I feel deserve great recognition. Why must there be Seven? Timbuktu, Angkor, Chichen Itza and Petra are all amazing and deserve an iconic status. I felt bad not selecting them.

As far as The Sydney Opera House, Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and Christ Redemer are concerned, they've not really been anything significant in a nation's history. Okay culturally France would be different wthout the Eiffel Tower but the rest of these places have been there for well over 300 years minimum. The structures here are less than 150 years old. Who knows if they'll stand the test of time? Who knows if the next war won't wipe them out? When i think of the phrase Wonder of the World, I think of a building or set of buildings that have served both a functional purpose as well as become an icon of a civilization. These structures are too new to be in the Wonders of the world. If they want to make them "Modern Marvels of the World" by all means.

But this has captivated me and come 7-7-07 I'll be eagerly awaiting the results.
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[Rune hunter]

I voted for the following:

1)Great Wall of China=This structure is HUGE and a history marvel. Its one of the symbols of a sixth of the population of the worl.

2)Taj Mahal=once again a symbol of a sixth of the world population. Not to mention it has such a romantic history

3)Christ the Redeemer=am a christian so I may be a little biased. Heh still it is a great statue.

4)Stonehendge=i think even with our modern technology it might be fairly hard to replicate this monument. So think how hard it would have been for its original builders.

5)Easter Island=these statues have a mysterious and awe inspiring aura.

6)Angkor=simply spectacular

7)Pyramid of Giza=they deserve to be part of the new seven wonder for the simple reason they have stood the test of time.

[Kain]

modern seven wonder of the world. this is interesting topic. i salute you [b]Moon Knight[b] for starting this topic. sorry i just notice this topic today. well this my vote for my new seven wonder of the wonder.

1) Great wall of china
2) Pyramids of Giza
3) Stonehenge
4) Colusseum
5) Machu Picchu
6) Taj Mahal
7) Acropolis
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[Sparhawk]

I don't see why there must only be seven. We as a civilization have grown over the years, and there are many structures that we can think of that deserve to be on this list. Also, what does age have to do with greatness? Just because the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, and Sydney Opera House are more new than the rest doesn't make them any less amazing. What is really important to ask is whether we as a society in general will remember these structures as they start to decay and become destroyed. Also, should we really come up with a new list at all? I mean, just because certain structures aren't standing anymore doesn't mean they don't deserve recognition. I think that these structures should be added on. This is kind of revisionist history. We shouldn't forget our past, but we should embrace or future at the same time.
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[Vzar Méir]

Despite that ADAM said, I voted for... :

The Kremlin : A beautiful structure that I'm dreaming to see with my own eyes someday. I've not considered anything else to make my opinion.

The Christ statue : Once again, a very beautiful thing. But here, there is also a natural setting as great as it. The picture we can see on the website reminds me a movie, but I don't know which one. Still, no one cares about it XD

The Great Wall of China : For this one, it's not the beauty — where is it ? — but this is its... euh... "staggerness". How could they make this several centuries ago ? It's like the pyramids. Incredible.

Stonehenge : Well, esoteric choice, I guess XD

The statues of Easter Island : The mystery within these statues, that's all. I didn't look at the date and their aren't really pretty.

Eiffel Tower : What a patriotic choice... Look, in fact, the tower is just the only one I saw. Quite impressive, especially below... "And if it collapses ?" Weird question, no answer...

Petra : Why ? Because of the hydraulic systems into it, of course ! Yeah, it's weak, yeah... But I had to choose the last... So there it is.
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[Sage]

Here are my votes:

• Great Wall of China
  
• Stone Henge
  
• Easter Island statues
  
• Angkor
  
• Pyramids at Giza
  
• Machu Picchu
  
• Chichen Itza

Part of calling these things "wonders" for me is the actual wondering aspect. Things that were made recently and involve nothing interesting from my point of view certainly didn't make it onto my list. These include the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty to name a couple. That greatly influenced my votes, along with the sheer amount of work that had to go into these things.

The Great Wall is a huge accomplishment spanning many, many years so it definitely deserves to be put in that list. How exactly the pyramids at Giza were made to such exact specifications is still not quite known. Plus, they are the only ancient wonder to survive so they deserve to remain on the list. The Moai are a big mystery, as is Stonehenge, and mystery comes with "wonder." Never mind the fact that I'm of Scottish descent. ;)

Machu Picchu, Angkor, and Chichen Itza just seem cool to me. The first must have been quite the place to live and the fact that it remained "lost" for centuries adds some mystery to it.
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[little fish]

[Tullaryx]

The Great Wall of China - There's little debate, or should be none actually, about whether this massive structure should be included in the new list of the Seven Great Wonders of the World. It could be seen from space and traverses over mountains and rough terrain. The wall itself measures over a thousand-miles of wall from simple earthen walls to great brick and stone walls with ramparts and walkways that could accomodate cavalry and chariots. Again, the bloody thing could be seen in space.

Stonehenge - The mystery surrounding its creating and what purpose the structure was meant for still continues to stir debate amongst historians, archaeologists and conspiracy theorists to this day. No one has come up with a definite theory as to how 50 ton blocks of granite that comprises Stonehenge was quarried, moved and then lifted into position. The level of technology as historians and paleontologists have unearthed about the people living in that region of the British Isles shows the Celtic tribes to have nothing that could accomplish the job that is Stonehenge.

The Pyramids at Giza - The only one from the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that still stands and probably continue to stand long after the rest in the new list have disappeared. I don't subscribe to the Stargate theory that these massive tombs were created by extra-terrestrial means. The technology and technique used by the Egyptians have been proven and thats where the wonder for me comes in. The amount of manpower to have taken to erect the three tombs would've been bigger than some of the modern armies of today. I can't see any nation this day and age being able to pull off the same project even though the technology nowadays would make it easier.

Statues of Easter Island - Like Stonehenge, these statues I'd put as one of the new seven wonders due to their size and how they were moved and put into position. Records have shown that the people who lived on Easter Island weren't numerous to begin with. It must've taken the whole population to carve then move these multi-ton stone statues into place.

Macchu Piccu - I put this Incan seat of civilization high up on the Andes on the same level as the Pyramids of Giza. The city itself (fortunate enough to have visited) is still very much intact and shows the city to have definite streets and districts. It's location several thousand feet above sea-level also makes it a marvel since the thin air that high up would've made working such heavy stones very difficult to say the least.

Chichen Itza - As massive and enormous the Pyramids at Giza are the Mayan temple city of Chichen Itza dwarfs anything the Egyptians have made. Even though the temple pyramids of Chichen Itza don't compare in height to Giza's they are numerous and large and comprises a group of temples that pretty much makes up the city. In time as resonance imaging improves the areas of Chichen Itza which remain buried may finally be mapped and the theory that the city itself was one massive structure could replace the Giza Pyramids as the largest temple structures ever built.

Angkor Wat - I would classify angkor Wat on the same level as I gauge the Pyramids at Giza and Chichen Itza. It's massive size and then it's location makes its contruction such a wonder. Like Chichen Itza's temple-pyramids, Angkor Wat's structure has been carved and decorated with intricate and detailed bas-reliefs and statues. The fact that it still stands today very much intact makes it a marvel of engineering construction.

Here's some of the wonders that I feel should've been included in the debate.

Tenochtitlan - The capital of the Aztec Empire and built mostly as an artificial island. At it's height it was one of the largest cities in the world.
Circus Maximus Hippodrome - This structure built at the height of the Roman Empire is even bigger than the Colosseum. What it lacked in height that the Colosseum had it more than made up in being able to seat 250,000 spectator and some have said even more.
Roman Aqueducts system - Just to show how much a wonder these structures were, during the 1500 years since the collapse of the Roman Empire the Western world had no consistent means to transport water from remote locations into it's cities. Only with the advent of the Industrial Revolution at the tail end of the 19th century did people begin to construct such aqueduct systems once again and they did so usingthe proven techniques used by the Roman engineers.
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[Gil-galad]

Pyramids at Giza - At the time the original 7 wonders of the world were created these massive structures were already ancient. I mean for 3000 years people have traveled to Egypt and looked at them in awe of the size and grandeur. I mean that is how you can tell something has stood the test of time-- if you can looked back 2200 years at the time when the list was made, and see that these structures were already considered very old by the Greeks. It just... I have no words to describe just how powerful these structures are. They definitely deserve to be part of the new list.

Colloseum in Rome - If the Pantheon was on the list-- it would definitely be in over this. I suppose the Colloseum really is the symbol of the most influential civilization in western history. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing this wonder in person, but I will vote for it, just for the fact that it represents Rome-- a civilization to which we owe much of our heritage to.

Great Wall of China - Would have been on the ancient list had the Greeks ever traveled to China, that's for sure. It got missed out the last time around-- so there's is no way I can over look it this time around.

Hagia Sophia - Shows the the power of Rome really extended much longer then the 600s AD in Byzantium. Too bad the glory of Rome pretty much remained within the city walls. That, however, does not detract for the simply awesome beauty of this enormous domes building. It's absolutely gorgeous and very well preserved for it's age.

Neuschwanstein Castle - Probably the most gorgeous castle in all of Europe. I had it as a desktop on my computer for a while. I would regret it greatly later on if I did not have some form of European castle go on my ballot, so this is definitely one of my choices.

Stonehenge - As mysterious as it is beautiful-- it's probably one of the most baffling structures on the planet. Who built it? Why did they build it? How did they build it? Even when they built it? All of these questions have theories, but I doubt any conclusive evidence will ever be found.

The last choice is very difficult for me. Statue of Liberty, The Kremlin, Eifel Tower, and Alhambra were all close runner-ups for this spot. However, I had to go with...

Kiyomizu Temple - I doubt it will be chosen as one of the world wonders, however it is an amazing example of eastern asian architecture at it's best. Not only is the building absolutely gorgeous, its beautiful green surroundings are also fantastic.

Others that I'm surprised were not on the ballot:

Empire State Building, Pantheon, The Louvre.
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