Time is fleeting. Civilizations are changing, leaving behind a grandiose architectural heritage. Unfortunately, everything is subject to destruction, especially what was built by human hands. That is why the ancient seven wonders of the world, the description of which is known to every culturally enlightened person, for the most part have not survived to our time. They were replaced by others that still exist. The seven wonders of the world of our time were chosen long enough and scrupulously. The result of this work was seven grandiose architectural structures, famous throughout the world.
Definition of concept
What are the wonders of the world, and why did they get such a proud name? Why were they singled out among all the monumental works of the ancient world and modernity? And they are named so due to the fact that they are above the category of time. These monuments of architectural thought are admired now in the same way as they were admired in antiquity. They are legendary.
Until recently, there were ancient sevenwonders of the world. The Pyramid of Cheops is the only one that has survived to this day. Others, such as the Hanging Gardens or the statue of Zeus, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, did not survive. They are known only from manuscripts, essays by contemporaries, and paintings recreated from descriptions.
How the new list was chosen
Thus, it was necessary to elect new seven wonders of the world. Architectural monuments withstood a real competition (it was held by an independent organization "New Open World Corporation"). All modern means were involved, including the votes received both on the Internet and via SMS messages. 90 million people around the world voted for the monument that they considered the most worthy to bear such an honorary title. Thus, among several dozen applicants in 2007, seven wonders of the world of our time were chosen. We will describe each of them in more detail below. In the meantime, I would like to list those who were only a step away from the highest award. Thus, Red Square in Moscow, the building of the Opera House in Sydney, Stonehenge, the Eiffel Tower and the Acropolis in Greek Athens participated in the final.
It is noteworthy that the pyramids of Giza were also finalists of the competition, but the Egyptian authorities refused to participate in it. Most likely, they do not consider it possible for these architectural monuments to be included in the new seven wonders of the world, because they already appear in the ancient ones.
Great Wall of China
There are many legends and beliefs about how the Great Wall of China was built. So, until now, many are sure that the people who worked on its construction are buried rightinside the structure, this is not the case. Although it is true that more than a million people died during construction.
So, the construction of the Great Wall of China dates back to the 3rd century BC. The emperors of the Qin Dynasty conceived its construction. The construction had many goals, the main of which were:
- protecting land from nomadic tribes;
- inadmissibility of assimilation of foreigners with the Chinese nation;
Thus began construction, which dragged on for centuries. The rulers changed: some treated the construction with disdain (the Manchu Qing dynasty), while others, on the contrary, carefully watched the construction.
It should be said that a significant part of the wall collapsed because it was not properly monitored. Only the site near Beijing was lucky - for a long time it served as a kind of gateway to the capital. Nevertheless, in the late 1980s, large-scale restoration work began, and in 1997 the Wall was included in the seven wonders of the world of our time.
Why did she get such an honorary title? This is the longest architectural structure in the world: the total length is 8851.8 kilometers. How was the Great Wall of China built, that they were able to reach such an unprecedented size? The process went on for millennia, systematically. However, it is worth saying that this is not a solid structure. There are gaps along the Wall. This is what allowed the great Genghis Khan to conquer China and rule it for 12 years. Dozens ofmillions of tourists visit this modern wonder of the world.
Rio: Christ statue
Completely on the other side of the planet, in Rio de Janeiro stands the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer. He rises above the city, arms outstretched, as if embracing all the residents and guests of the city of millions.
The monument was built in honor of the centenary of the independence of Brazil. A truly picturesque place was chosen for its construction: Mount Corcovado, from which, at a glance, you can see the whole of Rio, with its Sugar Loaf peak, famous beaches.
The whole country was collected for the construction: the magazine "O Cruzeiro" announced a subscription, the funds from which went to the construction of the monument. The project was entrusted to Silva Coste, although other options were proposed before him: for example, the arms of Christ, spread out like a crucifix, were proposed by K. Oswald, the artist.
Brazil at that time was a poor, non-industrial country, so it was impossible to implement such a large-scale project. France came to the rescue - it was there that the statue of Christ the Redeemer was made in detail. And then it was already transported to Brazil. The parts were delivered to the construction site by a small railway, which is still in operation. Millions of tourists annually climb one of the most famous structures of our time.
Taj Mahal
In Agra, India, on the banks of the Jamna, the greatest palace-mausoleum of the Taj Mahal is located. This is the tomb of the wife of the great descendant of Tamerlane, Shah Jahan. The woman's name was Mumtaz Mahal, she passed awayduring childbirth.
The Taj Mahal in India is the pinnacle of the Mughal architectural style. It included a synthesis of the art of the Indians, Persians and Arabs. The most famous element of the structure is a huge snow-white dome. The mausoleum itself is made of white marble. It is a five-domed palace, which contains the tombs of both the Shah himself and his wife. It is noteworthy that the four minarets located at the edges are slightly inclined - this protects the tombs from destruction in case of earthquakes, which are not uncommon in India. A park with picturesque fountains and a lake adjoins the mausoleum itself. The Taj Mahal was built in 1653. 20,000 builders completed such a massive project in 22 years.
The mausoleum itself, thanks to numerous visitors, brings considerable funds to the treasury of India.
Chichen Itza
The legendary Mayan city is located on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. This is not an ordinary city - it served as the capital, political and religious center. Chichen Itza was built in the 7th century AD. Most of the buildings belong to the Mayan culture, some of them were erected by the Toltecs. At the end of the 12th century, there were no inhabitants left in Chichen Itza at all. This is one of the mysteries that has not yet been explained: either the Spaniards, who destroyed the Mayans during the invasion of Mexico, were responsible for everything, or everything happened naturally due to the decline in the economic situation of the capital.
On the territory of the ancient city, several architecturalstructures. However, the most remarkable of them is the Chichen Itza pyramid. This is a kind of focus of the legendary knowledge of the Maya, their religious beliefs, the center of the cult. 24 meters high, the pyramid has four faces, on which 9 steps are made. The stairs located on each side of the pyramid have 91 steps. If you add up their number, you get 364 plus one, leading to a small temple crowning the pyramid. It turns out 365 - the number of days in a year.
The balustrade along the edges of the stairs is the body of a snake, whose head is at the base of the pyramid. On the days of the equinox, it seems that the snake is moving. And in the fall down, and up in the spring.
Ritual temples are located at the top of the pyramid and inside it. They were probably used for sacrifices.
Colosseum
The new seven wonders of the world of our time include European monuments. This is the famous Roman Colosseum. Its appearance is partly connected with the despotic rule of Nero. He, having committed suicide, left behind a grandiose palace with a lake in the very center of Rome. Vespasian, who came to power, decided to forever erase the cruel Nero from the memory of the people. It was decided to give the chic palace to imperial institutions, and to build a huge amphitheater on the site of the lake. And so the Colosseum was born. Initially, after the construction in 80, it was called the Flavian Amphitheater. The building received its modern name only in the 8th century, most likely because of its impressive size.
It was originally used for entertainmentpeople with gladiator fights, baiting of animals, etc. It even celebrated the 1000th anniversary of Rome. However, in the Middle Ages, due to the invasion of barbarian tribes, the Colosseum was partially destroyed; a powerful earthquake of the 14th century played an important role in this process. After the grandiose structure is taken away brick by brick for construction purposes.
Only in the 18th century did Pope Benedict XIV begin to protect the Colosseum as an important piece of architecture. Now it is a symbol of Rome, which is visited by a great number of tourists from all over the world.
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a unique city in South America, located at an altitude of almost 2,500 thousand meters above sea level. The Spanish conquerors were unable to reach it, which is why the architecture of the ancient city remained untouched.
Machu Picchu was discovered only at the very beginning of the 20th century by a professor at Yale University. It is noteworthy that very little is known about the city, they do not know anything about the population, or about the purpose of construction, and so on. One thing is clear: Machu Picchu has a very clear structure and layout.
Currently under guard. UNESCO has limited the number of daily visitors to 2,500.
Petra - the pearl of Jordan
City in the rock - this is how you can characterize another wonder of the world of the modern world, Jordanian Petra. The path to the city lies through natural gorges, which are the city walls. In ancient times, Petra was of great importance - it lay on the trade route between Damascus and the Red Sea region, as well as Gaza and the Persianbay. Trade city and lived.
The inhabitants of Petra were able not only to skillfully process stone, but also to collect water. In fact, the city has become an artificial oasis in the middle of the desert.
The main tourist attraction is Al-Khazneh. According to scientists, this is a temple-mausoleum. There are many legends associated with the building. According to some, this is the place where the pharaoh hid his we alth during the time of Moses, according to others, this is the repository of the loot looted by robbers.
Tourists around the world know Petra and its main temple from the movie about the adventures of Indiana Jones.
