21 Finalist Candidates New Seven Wonders

The 21 Finalist Candidates for the New Seven Wonders Reviewed

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The Acropolis of Athens (450 - 330 B.C.) Athens, Greece

There are many acropoleis in the world. Rome, Jerusalem, Athens, Thebes, Corinth etc all have acropoleis, but the word if plainly used; means the Acropolis of Athens; because it is that much associated to decisive historical events that shaped the destiny of Europe.

Alhambra (12th century) Granada, Spain

Not even an inch is spared from artworks, arches were made only for aesthetics, walls covered with expensive and enchanting ceramics and ornate plasters, coverings made of wooden frames carved so beautifully. As in the case of typical Muslim palaces walls are adorned of calligraphy depicting poems.

Angkor (12th century) Cambodia

Once there was a culture based on Hindu mythologies that spanned from Afghanistan in the west and up to the Indonesian Peninsula in the east. The real name of this temple or the town hosted it is not known (Angkor derived from Nokor the corrupt form of the word Nagar in Sanskrit meaning city)

The Pyramid at Chichén Itzá (before 800 A.D.) Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

The Chichen Itza monuments are the creation of the Maya Civilization that existed in this are during 600 AD. The whole monuments are located in the northern center of the Yucatan Peninsula and managed by National Institute of Anthropology and History Mexico (INAH)

Christ Redeemer (1931) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

One wonder overlooking another world wonder is rarity in itself; it is the place where the ‘Carnival’ is held when people simply live in sheer abandon in the spirit of festival for a whole season, forgetting everything except merry making!

The Roman Colosseum (70 - 82 A.D.) Rome, Italy

It was Vespacin the Roman Emperor who constructed this elliptical (with perfect oval shape) theatre. Titus Flavius Vespacianus, (69-79) was the founder of the Flavian dynasty the theatre is named as Flavian Amphitheatre after his family name.

Statues of Easter Island (10th - 16th Century) Easter Island, Chile

From where did these inhabitants come why did they built so many gigantic statues (these statues are known as Moais), how did those people bring these stones to this remote island, what technology they used for the transportation?

The Eiffel Tower (1887 - 89) Paris, France

Gustav Eiffel was a dejected man when his design was rejected by the committee and there were few buyers for his work on which he had poured out his heart. Most scoffed it off as ugly and lacking aesthetics!

The Great Wall of China (220 B.C and 1368 - 1644 A.D.) China

The idea of this great wall arose when Ming Emperor was defeated by the Mongols in the war of Tumu in 1449. By that time construction methods improved and instead of rammed earth used by previous emperors Ming used bricks and stone. Enemies of all sorts were kept at bay and Ming was able to rule his land in peace for a considerable period of time!

The Hagia Sophia (532 - 537 A.D.) Istanbul, Turkey

In Istanbul Turkey there stands the most beautiful building the ‘Aya Sofya’ with many old names by which it was known and many old roles it had made to play in the centuries that passed after its construction. It in its course has been burned down to ashes, crumbled down in earth quakes and got vandalized by rioters but each time it literally rose from its ashes to be the most beautiful human construction ever happened.

Kiyomizu Temple (749 - 1855) Kyoto, Japan

This temple of Kiyomizu belonged to the Hosso-Sect of the Buddhist religion founded by a Chinese monk by name Doshi, This sect was a comparatively small one in number of followers but one of the oldest Buddhist sects in Japan.

The Kremlin and Red Square (1156 - 1850) Moscow, Russia

From the beginning of the 12^th century Kremlin has been the nerve center of Russia, with a brief spell when Peter the Great shifted his capital to Peter’s burg alone Kremlin was deprived of that status. When Russia emerged as the capital of world’s communism, Kremlin had the role of managing that ideology world wide!

Machu Picchu (1460-1470), Peru

As these works are done on mountain slopes and more than hundred steps to connect them; all cut in stone. Remnants of fountains used to irrigate garden-plants, and vents for the disposal of waste and storm-water; all made of stones!

Neuschwanstein Castle (1869 -1884) Schwangau, Germany

King Ludwig 2 (who was crowned at the age of 19) a fan of Richard Wagner built this hill palace as a tribute to his favorite artist Richard Wagner (1813 -1883, the world famous German composer known for his operas but Ludwig had not actually seen his performance). Seven weeks after the death of Ludwig 2 the palace was left open to the public.

Petra (9 B.C. - 40 A.D.), Jordan

Petra City was capital of the Nabataeans; a tribe engaged in trading and lived in Jordan and southern part of Arabia. These Nabataeans were pre Islamic tribes and were experts in trade as well as water supply-techniques. They were smart enough to create a perennial stream of water for the use of this city located in the arid desert.

The Pyramids of Giza (2600 - 2500 B.C), Egypt

If these pyramids are monuments for the dead royal family members where these royal families lived (their palaces must be far grander than their dead member’s cove) but there is not even a trace of those palaces left.

The Statue of Liberty (1886) New York City, U.S.A.

This colossal statue is situated in the Liberty Island (14.71 acre islet in the New York port (this uninhabited islet was formerly known as Bedloe’s Island) in the mouth of River Hudson accessible only by ferry service. Those who take a ticket to the ferry can roam in the island to pass time without any fee.

Stonehenge (3000 B.C. - 1600 B.C.) Amesbury, United Kingdom

It is believed that these formations pertain to about 3000 BC involving massive human labor not less than 30 million man-hours. It is also found that the work was completed in three phases with more than one interruption in between. One of the stoppages took more than 1000 years.

Sydney Opera House (1954 - 73) Sydney, Australia

The entire complex looks like a gigantic house-boat floating in the sea spreading its masts. The design is so unique that the structure can be distinguished from any distance as there is something similar to it found nowhere else in the world.

The Taj Mahal (1630 A.D.) Agra, India

The Taj is an architectural marvel formed of the fusion between Indian, Persian, Turkish and the Islamic styles. Its construction started on 1632 took 16 long years when it was finally completed in 1648!

Timbuktu (12th century) Mali

Timbuktu; the ‘center of significant written culture of Africa’ is -located in Tombouctau District, Mali- was a torch spreading light all around; it was at a time when rest of the world groped amidst the gloom that encircled.