The art of architecture has been honored globally in many ways, including international prizes, global heritage designations, museum exhibitions and monumental lists like the Seven Wonders.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were compiled by ancient Greek observers representing the ambitious architectural and artistic achievements of the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions. These include the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos of Alexandria).
The New Seven Wonders of the World were chosen through a global campaign, from roughly 200 existing man-made monuments. The final list included the Great Wall of China, Petra, Christ the Redeemer, Machu Picchu, Chichén Itzá, the Colosseum and the Taj Mahal.
Both the historic and the modern lists of Seven Wonders honor architecture, engineering and human creativity from regions around the globe.
From ruins to revival: Ancient vs new Seven Wonders of the World
When speaking of World Heritage, it is difficult to overlook the Seven Wonders of the World. Both the ancient and modern lists have become major tourist destinations, attracting visitors from different parts of the world. They attract millions of tourists each year, though the exact number varies by location.
Origin
The concept of the ancient list of Seven Wonders captured human minds around the 3rd to 2nd centuries BCE. A Greek engineer named Philo, in the third century BCE, created a list of seven theamata (things to be seen), later known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Though Philo’s list was revised over time, as other sites were added and removed, his version remained standardized.
By contrast, the new Seven Wonders of the World were chosen through a public campaign in 2001, which gathered around 100 million votes. Canadian-Swiss filmmaker Bernard Weber led the campaign, organized by the New 7 Wonders Foundation. The foundation invited people to nominate existing man-made monuments.
How the Seven Wonders lists were chosen
The selection of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World was more a scholarly tradition than a formal contest.
Greek travelers and historians noticed the magnificent artistic structures as they passed through lands conquered by Alexander the Great, such as Egypt, Persia and Babylon. They carefully noted them in travel guides, artwork and poems. This served as a must-see itinerary for the ancient tourists. Interestingly, number seven was chosen since the ancient Greeks and Babylonians considered it a sacred number. Greek scholars selected these Seven Wonders based on scale, artistry and fame within their known world.
Out of 200, the list of the new Seven Wonders of the World narrowed to 77, then to 21 finalists. Finally, the New 7 Wonders Foundation announced the seven winners on July 7, 2007, at a ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal.
Survival status
The Great Pyramid of Giza (also known as the Pyramid of Khufu) is the only monument that survives from the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The others, including 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 Lighthouse of Alexandria, were destroyed by natural disasters or human actions over centuries.
The existence of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon remains a debatable topic due to a lack of archaeological evidence and Babylonian texts. According to a report published by National Geographic, no such site has been located in Babylon, and archaeologists are still researching whether it ever existed.
On the other hand, all of the seven new wonders still exist and stand intact. Announced in 2007, these seven wonders continue to be known as global landmarks and have been visited by tourists every year from around the globe.
Reports state that a new campaign is underway for the 7 Contemporary Wonders of the World. It will focus on structures built from 1801 to the present day.
