7 wonders of the world list where they are located. Seven wonders of the world. Ancient world. Temple. Gardens of Babylon. Rodossky. Lighthouse. Statue of Christ in Brazil

Everyone has definitely heard about the legendary 7 wonders of the world - the greatest creations of mankind - in childhood, even if not everyone can remember them in order. And although most of the monuments from the history textbook will no longer be able to be seen, people have managed to compile, to the delight of tourists, many other, alternative, lists of outstanding attractions that have survived to this day.

Ancient wonders of the world

The first attempts to highlight the exceptional achievements of mankind in the list of wonders of the world took shape in the written heritage of ancient Greek authors, starting from the Hellenistic era. The “selection” of the main monuments of all times occurred gradually.

Thus, Herodotus was one of the first to compile a historical list of “miracles”: in his “History” we talk about three grandiose structures on the island of Samos - a mountain tunnel, a dam and the temple of Hera.

Soon other thinkers expanded the list to seven attractions: seven in ancient Greece was considered a holy number and was an indispensable attribute of the solar gods and myths about them.

The classic “7 Wonders of the World” of the Ancient World, familiar to many from the school curriculum, are historically associated with the empire of Alexander the Great - the second half of the 4th century BC. e. Of these, two attractions were ancient Egyptian, four were located in the territories Ancient Greece and one - in Mesopotamia (or more precisely - in Babylon).

The Pyramid of Cheops is the oldest, the first wonder of the world and the only one that has survived to this day. Part of the pyramid complex in Giza - the main attraction of Egypt.

Legendary Babylonian Hanging Gardens Semiramis, the second wonder of the world, supposedly existed from the end of the 7th century BC. e. until the 1st century BC e., destroyed due to floods.

The temple statue of Zeus at Olympia, reaching about 12-17 meters including the pedestal, was made of ivory, ebony and gold, and stood for about nine centuries: from 435 BC. e. until the 5th century - burned down in a fire.

The ruins of the fourth wonder of the world, Artemis in Ephesus (from the 6th to the 4th or 3rd centuries BC), are now part of the Turkish city of Selcuk (near Izmir).

Of the lost landmarks, the most enduring was the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Unusual for the mid-4th century BC. e. The architectural monument existed for 19 centuries: it was destroyed by an earthquake, then partially dismantled for building materials. The ruins of the mausoleum can be seen in Bodrum, Turkey, which is the current name for the city with the historical location of the fifth wonder of the world.

Earthquakes caused the death of two more ancient wonders: the bronze statue of the Colossus on the island of Rhodes (lasted only 65 years, destroyed in the same 3rd century BC) and the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt (the seventh wonder of the world, collapsed in the 14th century).

Panorama Google Maps"At the foot of the Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu)"

New seven wonders of the world

The list of new wonders of the world, each of which continues to amaze tourists, was compiled in the first decade of the 21st century, in 2001-2007. Currently, this is the most famous of such ratings and therefore, along with the list World Heritage UNESCO, the main must-see landmark for tourists actively traveling around the world. It was compiled by a specially created non-profit foundation The New 7 Wonders of the world based on international voting using the Internet and other means of communication. Some 100 million votes were taken as part of the selection of attractions, but since the conditions allowed for multiple votes, the list began to be questioned almost immediately after publication.

One of the undisputed leaders of the list is the Great Wall of China. It stretches across the north of the country for almost 9 thousand kilometers, and taking into account the ruins - more than 20 thousand kilometers. China's most famous landmark blends seamlessly into the landscape and is a truly impressive sight. Several areas are open to tourists. The most popular is Badaling, connected by transport to Beijing.

The ancient Colosseum is an iconic landmark of Rome, its signature silhouette. This amphitheater, a masterpiece of architectural thought from the 1st century AD, was declared a wonder of the world almost immediately after its creation by the Roman poet Martial, his contemporary.

The symbol of Rio de Janeiro - the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Mount Corcovado - blesses the city, extending its arms over it from above. At night, the illuminated figure of Christ is clearly visible from almost any part of the city, however best view it appears from Mount Pan de Azúcar. In the list of the new 7 wonders of the world, the statue erected in honor of the centenary of Brazilian independence is the youngest attraction, its age is less than a hundred years.

Lost in the middle of the desert in Jordan, Petra, the capital of the ancient kingdoms of Idumea and Nabatea, opened to Europeans only in the 19th century. The main attractions of Petra, the “city of stone”, are the crypts carved into the red sandstone rocks and the rock temple of El Deir.

The pearl of Muslim architectural art in India is the Taj Mahal mausoleum-mosque in Agra, built in the 17th century by the will of the padishah Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. It is not surprising that today the Taj Mahal is considered not just an outstanding architectural and spiritual monument, but also a symbol of love. Every year, the marble complex becomes a place of pilgrimage for millions of people from all over the world.

The lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu, is located in what is now Peru. This sixth new wonder of the world was created as a sacred mountain refuge when the Incas ruled Pachacutec in the mid-15th century. However, the high mountain city remained inhabited for less than a century - until the invasion of the Spaniards, who, however, never reached it. The worldwide discovery of the Incan “city among the clouds” occurred only in 1911. Many mysteries of Machu Picchu remain unsolved; they still haunt researchers.

Completes the list modern miracles light is the legacy of the Mayans, another lost civilization of America. The sacred city of Chichen Itza in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula was founded around the 7th century AD; the Toltecs who captured it later contributed to the architecture of the complex. It is not known exactly why such a developed city was deserted at the end of the 12th century. The complex of surviving Chichen Itza monuments includes pyramid temples, gaming “stadiums,” ruins of colonnades, a sacrificial well, and an observatory.

Time is fleeting. Civilizations change, 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 everyone culturally, for the most part have not survived to our time. They were replaced by others that still existed. The seven wonders of the world of our time were chosen long and scrupulously. The result of this work was seven grandiose architectural structures that became famous throughout the world.

Definition of the concept

What are the wonders of the world, and why did they receive such a proud name? Why were they singled out among all the monumental works? ancient world and modernity? And they are named so due to the fact that they are located above the category of time. These monuments of architectural thought are admired now in the same way as they were admired in ancient times. There are legends about them.

Until recently, there were the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. The Pyramid of Cheops is the only one of them that has survived to this day. Others, such as the Hanging Gardens or Alexandrian lighthouse, did not survive. They are known only from manuscripts, essays by contemporaries and paintings recreated from descriptions.

How the new list was elected

Thus, it was necessary to choose new seven wonders of the world. Architectural monuments passed a real competition (it was held by the independent organization “New Open World Corporation”). All modern means were used, including votes being received over the Internet and via SMS messages. 90 million people around the world gave their vote to the monument they considered most worthy of being so worn. honorary title. Thus, among several dozen applicants in 2007, the seven wonders of the world of our time were chosen. We will talk about each of them in more detail below. For now, I would like to list those who were only one step away from the highest award. Thus, the finals included Red Square in Moscow, the Stonehenge building, the Eiffel Tower and the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

It is noteworthy that the Giza Pyramids were also finalists in 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.

the great Wall of China

There are many legends and beliefs about how they built it. So, many people are still sure that the people who worked on its construction are buried right inside the structure - this is not so. 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. Its construction was conceived by the emperors. The construction pursued many goals, the main of which were:

• protection of lands from nomadic tribes;
• the inadmissibility of assimilation of foreigners into the Chinese nation;

Thus began construction, which dragged on for centuries. Rulers changed: some treated the building with disdain (the Manchu Qing dynasty), others, on the contrary, carefully monitored the construction.

It should be said that a significant part of the wall collapsed because it was not properly maintained. 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 eighties of the 20th century, large-scale restoration work began, and in 1997 the Wall was included in the seven wonders of the world of our time.

Why was she awarded such an honorary title? This is the longest architectural structure in the world: its total length is 8851.8 kilometers. How was the Great Wall of China built that it was able to reach such unprecedented dimensions? The process went on for millennia, systematically. However, it is worth saying that this is not a solid structure. There are gaps throughout the Wall. This is what allowed the great Genghis Khan to conquer China and rule there for 12 years. Every year tens of millions 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, with his arms outstretched, as if hugging all the residents and guests of the multimillion-dollar city.

The monument was built in honor of the centenary of Brazilian independence. For its construction it was truly chosen beautiful place: Mount Corcovado, from which you can see the whole of Rio, with its peak “ Sugarloaf", famous beaches.

The whole country raised funds for the construction: the magazine “O Cruzeiro” announced a subscription, the proceeds of which were used for the construction of the monument. The project was entrusted to Silva Costa, although other options had been proposed before him: for example, the outstretched arms of Christ, like a crucifix, were proposed by K. Oswald, an artist.

Brazil at that time was a poor, unindustrial 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 transported to Brazil. The parts were delivered to the construction site via a small railway, which is still in operation today. Millions of tourists annually climb one of the most famous structures of our time.

Taj Mahal

In Indian Agra, on the banks of the Jumna, the greatest palace-mausoleum, 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 died during childbirth.

The Taj Mahal in India is the pinnacle of the Mughal architectural style. It included a synthesis of the art of Indians, Persians and Arabs. The most famous element of the structure is the huge snow-white dome. The mausoleum itself is made of white marble. It is a five-domed palace containing the tombs of both the Shah himself and his wife. It is noteworthy that the four minarets located along the edges are slightly inclined - this protects the tombs from destruction in case of earthquakes, which are not uncommon in India. Adjacent to the mausoleum itself is a park with picturesque fountains and a lake. The Taj Mahal was built in 1653. 20 thousand builders completed such a large-scale project in 22 years.

The mausoleum itself, thanks to its numerous visitors, brings considerable funds into the Indian treasury.

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 cult center. Chichen Itza was built in the 7th century AD. Most of the buildings belong to the Mayan culture, some of them were built by the Toltecs. At the end of the 12th century, there were no inhabitants left in Chichen Itza. One of the mysteries is connected with this, which has not yet been explained: either the Spaniards were the culprits, who destroyed the Mayans during the invasion of Mexico, or everything happened naturally due to the decline in the economic situation of the capital.

Several architectural structures were found on the territory of the ancient city at different times. However, the most remarkable of them is the Chichen Itza pyramid. This is a kind of center of legendary Mayan knowledge, their religious beliefs, a cult center. The 24-meter high has four sides with 9 steps each. The staircases located on each side of the pyramid have 91 steps. If you add up their number, you get 364 plus one leading to the small temple that crowns the pyramid. It turns out 365 - the number of days in a year.

The balustrade along the edges of the stairs represents the body of a snake, the head of which is located at the base of the pyramid. B gives the impression that the snake is moving. Moreover, in the fall it goes down, and in the spring it goes up.

Ritual temples are located at the top of the pyramid and inside it. They were probably used for sacrifices.

Coliseum

The new seven wonders of the world of our time include European monuments. This is the famous Roman Colosseum. Its appearance is partly due to the oppressive rule of Nero. Having committed suicide, he left behind grand 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 luxurious palace to imperial institutions, and to build a huge amphitheater on the site of the lake. This is how the Colosseum appeared. Initially, after construction in 80, it was called the Flavian Amphitheater. Modern name The building was built only in the 8th century, most likely due to its impressive size.

Initially, it was used to entertain the people with gladiator fights, baiting animals, etc. They even celebrated the 1000th anniversary of Rome there. 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 a significant role in this process. Afterwards, the grandiose structure is taken away brick by brick for construction needs.

Only in the 18th century did Pope Benedict XIV begin to protect the Colosseum as important object architecture. Now it is a symbol of Rome, which is visited by a great many tourists from all over the world.

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu - unique city South America, located at an altitude of almost 2500 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 know nothing about the size of the population, the purpose of the building, etc. One thing is clear: Machu Picchu has a very clear structure and layout.

IN this moment is under protection. UNESCO has limited the number of daily visitors to 2,500 people.

Petra - the pearl of Jordan

City in the rock - this is how one can characterize another wonder of the world 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 Persian Gulf. The city lived by trade.

The inhabitants of Petra knew how not only to skillfully process stone, but also to collect water. In essence, the city has become an artificial oasis in the middle of the desert.

The main attraction that attracts tourists 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 Pharaoh hid his wealth during the time of Moses, according to others, this is a repository of loot from robbers.

Tourists around the world know Petra and its main temple from the film about the adventures of Indiana Jones.

The New Seven Wonders of the World is a project whose goal was to search for the modern seven wonders of the world. The selection of the new seven “wonders of the world” from the famous architectural structures of the world took place via SMS, telephone or Internet. In total, 90 million people around the world took part in the selection of new wonders of the world. The result was announced on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon. The results of this voting caused outrage, because many equally beautiful and famous landmarks were not included in the finals. Nevertheless, here it is seven in the form in which the voters determined it. We admire and evaluate, and also share our impressions in the comments. There are detailed stories about many miracles on LifeGlobe, with many interesting facts and photographs. To get there, just follow the links in the article.

Competition “7 New Wonders of the World” Organized by the non-profit organization New Open World Corporation (NOWC) on the initiative of the Swiss Bernard Werber. On July 7, 2007, the day of the “three sevens,” the new seven wonders of the world were named in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. They were the Great Wall of China, the Roman Colosseum, the Taj Mahal, the city of Petra in Jordan, the Statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, the Indian City of Machu Picchu in Peru and the Mayan Pyramid in the city of Chichen Itza (Mexico). Let's talk about each of the Wonders of the World in more detail.

the great Wall of China

The largest architectural monument, passing through China for 8851.8 km. This building is rightfully considered the greatest achievement of world civilization. Great Chinese Wall truly unique, and surrounded by many mysteries. In terms of the grandeur of its structure, the Great Wall of China has no equal in the history of world architecture. From its highest points you can admire the breathtaking panorama.

For a long time there was a myth that the Great Wall is the only structure that can be seen from space. However, this turned out to be just a delusion. The myth that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure that can be seen from space has been very popular in China for quite some time. When American astronauts said they could not detect it from space, many in China attributed this to the fact that the astronauts were foreigners. But later, the first Chinese cosmonaut Yang Liwei and, finally, the second pair of Chinese “taikonauts” confirmed the disappointing observations of the Americans.

Coliseum

UNESCO representatives also do not recognize the results of this vote. This decision was justified in this organization by the fact that not all inhabitants of the earth had the opportunity to take part in the vote. In many regions of the world mobile phones and there is still no internet.

The Vatican also expressed its note of protest, accusing the organizers of the online voting for the seven new wonders of the world of deliberately ignoring Christian monuments. Although the short list of contenders includes the monumental statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro and Moscow's St. Basil's Cathedral, Rome is convinced that these works of art were included in the list of finalists only due to political pressure from these two countries, notes the London newspaper The Times.

February 3, 2013 | Categories: Places , History , Topper , Architecture