8/12/2019 What Are the 7 Wonders of the Modern World

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What are the 7 wonders of the modern world?

Chichn Itza, Mexico

The ancient city of Chichn Itza (pronounced chee-chehn eet-sah) is located on the

Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. This well- nown Mayan city ser!ed as a reli"ious# political and econo$ic center spannin" se!eral hundred years. The Pyra$id of %ul ul &n

-- also nown as 'l Castillo -- is pro a ly the $ost reco"nized ruin of Chichn Itza. This

step pyra$id stands approxi$ately * feet hi"h. It has nine terraces and four sets of

stairs. 'ach staircase has +, steps. If you include the top platfor$ as a step# then the

pyra$id has a total of / steps 0 one for each day of the year1

Christ the Redeemer Statue, Brazil

This statue of 2esus is one of 3io de 2aniero4s $ost widely reco"nized $onu$ents. It

stands + ./ feet tall atop the su$$it of Mount Corco!ado# which itself rises $ore than

5# ** feet hi"h. 6ith a hu"-li e win"span of +5 feet# the statue see$s to oth ec on and

welco$e local residents and !isitors ali e. It wei"hs approxi$ately 7** tons and is $ade

of concrete and soapstone. To see the statue up close# you can ride a co"wheel stea$

en"ine train up the steep 5. -$ile slope. 3est up on the ride ecause at rail4s end you ha!e

$ore than 5** steps to cli$ to "et to the foot of the statue.

Colosseum, Italy

If you4!e seen the $o!ie 89ladiator#8 then you4!e seen the Colosseu$ 0 well# a C9I-

enhanced !ersion of it anyway. :uilt in 3o$e so$eti$e around ;< 7*# it was the first

freestandin" a$phitheater. =thers in that era were du" out and uilt into the sides of hills

or $ountains to pro!ide sta ility. 9ladiator contests# "roup co$ ats# attle reenact$ents#

and other productions were held there to an audience of nearly /*#***. Today# e!en after

so$e reno!ations in the ,++*s# the wear and tear fro$ poor weather# natural disaster and

!andalis$ show. >onetheless# !isitors floc to this a$azin" si"ht daily.

a! Mahal, IndiaThis ?5-acre $ar le $ausoleu$ co$plex located in ;"ra is a stunnin" and well- nown

Indian land$ar . @hah 2ahan# the fifth Mu"hal (or Mo"ul) '$peror# uilt it as a

$e$orial to his deceased wife Mu$taz Mahal# who died durin" child irth. Construction#

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which started shortly after Mahal4s passin" in , ,# spanned $ore than two decades. It

reAuired $ore than 5*#*** la orers and cost se!eral $illion rupees.

"reat Wall of China

=%# we4!e all heard the clai$ that the 9reat 6all of China is the only $an-$ade o Bect!isi le fro$ space. :ut it Bust isn4t true. ;ccordin" to >;@;# not only is the wall not

clearly !isi le fro$ low 'arth or it# other $an-$ade thin"s are. The space $yth aside#

the 9reat 6all of China is definitely a $odern $ar!el and ri"htfully elon"s a$id the

other se!en wonders. Contrary to popular elief# the wall isn4t one continuous structure.

It4s actually $ade up of se!eral separate structures that connect and ranch out here and

there. Includin" the ranches# it co!ers approxi$ately ?#/** $iles.

#etra, $ordan

ocated in southwest 2ordan are the ruins of the ancient city of Petra. Massi!e te$ples#

to$ s and $onu$ents ha!e een cut into the surroundin" sandstone cliffs. Petra# which

is 9ree for 8roc #8 is also nown as 8the city in the roc .8 Perhaps the $ost i$pressi!e

Petra structure is the @i al-%hazneh# also nown as the Treasury. It is an ela orately

car!ed and e$ ellished to$ . :esides the decorati!e to$ facades and $onu$ents# Petra

is also nown for its hi"hly or"anized water syste$# which included cera$ic pipes#

intricate water channels and cisterns.

Machu #icchu, #eru

If Petra is the city in the roc # then Machu Picchu is the city in the clouds. :uilt in the

,/th century# this ancient Incan city is nestled etween two pea s 0 Machu Picchu (=ld

Pea ) and Duayna Picchu (>ew Pea ) at an a$azin" ele!ation of 7#7,* feet. It is often

($ista enly) called the lost city of the Incas# ecause it was hidden a$idst the lush forest

and clouds for $ore than three centuries. Yale professor Dira$ :in"ha$ redisco!ered

the city in ,+,,. @ince then# exca!ation research su""ests that the city was ho$e to a out

,#5** residents at its pea . Today# it is a ey tourist attraction.