CULTURE

The 7 wonders of the modern world: here's what they are and where they are

The Seven Wonders of the Modern World are seven architectural works that recall the ancient canonical list of the seven wonders of the world (dating back to the third century BC).

The competition for the selection of sites was organized by a Swiss for-profit company called "New Open World Corporation" (NOWC).

The company launched the contest in 2000, during the Sydney Olympics. The selection lasted seven years and saw several phases.

In the last stages of voting (according to the organizers more than 100 million votes were received) a list of 21 finalists was reached.

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The Seven Wonders of the Modern World are seven architectural works that recall the ancient canonical list of the seven wonders of the world (dating back to the third century BC).
The competition for the selection of sites was organized by a Swiss for-profit company called "New Open World Corporation" (NOWC). The company launched the contest in 2000, during the Sydney Olympics. The selection lasted seven years and saw several phases. In the last stages of voting (according to the organizers more than 100 million votes were received) a list of 21 finalists was reached.
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Colsseo - Rome, Roma, Italy
Symbol par excellence of the Eternal City, the Colosseum, or Flavian Amphitheater, is the largest Roman amphitheater in the world. Its construction, begun by Vespasian in 70 AD, was completed by Titus, who inaugurated it on April 21 in 80 AD. In 2018 the archaeological circuit of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill obtained 7,650,519 visitors, making it the second most visited Italian state site (the first among those paid), behind the Pantheon
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Great Wall - China
Commissioned in 215 BC by Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the same who ordered the construction of the Terracotta Army, the Great Wall is 8,850 km long, according to the latest reliable measurements. The work was carried out to defend the glorious Chinese empire from the nomadic populations and, in particular, from the dangerous Huns.
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Christ the Redeemer - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Located on the top of Corcovado Mountain, Christ the Redeemer dominates the city of Rio de Janeiro. The statue was built between 1922 and 1931 and is 38 meters high, 8 of which are pedestal. On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Guglielmo Marconi, in 1974, at the foot of Christ, a plaque was affixed by the Italian community to commemorate the lighting of the statue's lamps through a radio pulse sent from Rome by the Italian scientist.
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Machu Picchu - Cusco, Peru
Machu Pichu ("Old Mountain" in Quechua) is an impressive site dating back to the Inca civilization. It is the third largest archaeological site in the world after the excavations of Pompeii and Ostia Antica. Machu Pichu is located at a height of 2,430 meters and is loved for its unique ruins, as well as for the impressive breathtaking views offered over the valley below.
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Taj Mahal - Agra, India
Built in 1632, the Taj Mahal is an immense mausoleum built by the Mughal Emperor Shāh Jahān to celebrate his beloved wife Mumtāz Maḥal. A legend is linked to the Taj Mahal: to prevent the beauty of the work from being equaled, upon completion of the complex the Emperor ordered that the hands of the artists at work be cut off and that the designer be beheaded.
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Chichén Itzá - Yucatán, Mexico
Chichén Itzá is a spectacular archaeological complex of the Mayan civilization, dating back to 500-1500 AD. The site offers several unique buildings: the most famous is the Pyramid of Kukulkan. 30 meters high with a base of 55.3 meters in diameter, the structure was a temple dedicated to the god Kukulkan, the Yucateco Maya or "Feathered Serpent-god".
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Petra - Wadi Musa, Jordan
Located 250 km from the capital Amman, Petra is an archaeological site built 2000 years ago. The complex is unique in the world, with its numerous facades carved into the rock, which make Petra one of the most visited and photographed places in the world, because it almost looks like a landscape from another planet. The archaeological site is also often used as a film set for several films, including Indiana Jones, Transformers and Mission to Mars.
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