The world is full of wonders; even the world itself is a wonder! Since the dawn of the human civilisation, a lot of natural wonders are awe-inspiring people on this planet. When God moulded marvellous wonder like Earth, he has also gifted the man with the wisdom to create mindblowing architectural monuments, which is evident from the New Seven Wonders Of The World 2023-Admit It! :). The latest list of world wonders was put together by votes from 600 million people who narrowed down the seven from 200 monuments. However, taking a tour to these wonders of the world is a distant dream at the moment, but that doesn’t mean that you should not fancy making plans for holidays to explore these marvels.
To feed your wanderlust soul, I am listing down the New Seven Wonders Of The World 2023 and the interesting facts associated with them. Keep reading!
List of New Seven Wonders Of The World 2023
- Great Wall Of China, China
- Chichen Itza, Yucatán, Mexico
- Petra, Jordan
- Taj Mahal, India
- Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- The Colosseum, Rome
- Machu Picchu, Peru
1. Great Wall Of China, China
Arguably one of the magnificent creation of humanity, the Great Wall Of China was built as security to prevent invasions and raids. The work of this Wall began in 7th century BCE and continued for two millennia.
Interesting Facts About The Great Wall Of China
- The Wall is more than 2,300 years old.
- The Wall is the longest human-made structure in the world, with a total length of about 13170.7 mi or 21196.18 km.
- It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 1987.
- You can’t see the Great Wall Of China without any aid from the moon.
- Badaling is the most visited section with around 70,000 people per day during peak season.
- The bricks from the Wall were used to build homes, farms, reservoirs and other buildings during the Cultural Revolution Of China.
- No work has been done on the Wall since 1644.
- Over six different Chinese dynasties built the Wall.
- Over a million people died building the Wall, and it has been called the longest cemetery on Earth.
2. Chichen Itza, Yucatán, Mexico
Chichen Itza Yucatán is another architectural wonder located in Yucatán, Mexico. Known as the centre of pilgrimage for the ancient Maya civilisation for over 1,000 years, this spot is rich in history and culture.
Interesting Facts About Chichen Itza
- The place was enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
- Chichen Itza signifies ‘the mouth at the well of Itza’. Itza means ‘water magicians.’
- It was a great economic city around 600 AD; however, the fall of Chichen Itza is believed to have been around 1000 AD.
- The design of the temples and pyramids are in the form of clusters.
- The place is famous for creating unusual sounds while clapping. If you clap from one side of the Ball Court, it performs nine echoes in the middle of the court. A clap in the foreground of the Kukulkan Pyramid produces an echo similar to the serpent’s chirp.
- On 20th March and 22nd September (Autumn Equinox), sun rays form a shadow over the Kukulkan Pyramid that furnishes the shape of a serpent gliding down the staircase.
3. Petra, Jordan
Located in Jordan at the middle of deserts and rugged mountains, Petra is a cluster of caves, temples, and tombs. Known as the rose city all because of the colour of the stone, this place is something you need to see to believe.
Interesting Facts About Petra
- Petra is established in 312 BC, making it one of the best prehistoric civilisation.
- In 2007, Petra was listed as on one of the new seven wonders of the world.
- Only 15 per cent of the Petra has been explored by archaeologists so far, that means there are places left to be discovered.
- The name came from the Greek word ‘Petros’, which means rocks.
- A Swiss explorer called Johann Ludwig Burckhardt discovered Petra in 1812.
- Petra Archaeological Park was turned into a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985.
- Petra is home to roughly 800 tombs. An earthquake that happened in 363AD ruined a lot of structures in Petra.
4. Taj Mahal, India (New Seven Wonders Of The World)
Always in AWE of this mesmerising white structure! Build by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, in honour of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal; Taj Mahal is a living symbol of love. Located in the south bank of Yamuna river in Agra, Taj Mahal was made over 350 years ago.
Interesting Facts About Taj Mahal
- The building was completed by 22,000 labourers, painters, stonecutters, embroidery artists.
- During the British rule, some of the precious stones on the mausoleum were ripped off from the walls.
- One thousand elephants were used to transport materials to the construction site.
- Emperor Shah Jahan had plans to make another Taj Mahal with black marble but had to drop because of the war.
- This living wonder took 17 years to complete.
- Rumour says that the Emporer ordered the workers who worked on the monument to cut off their hands as he feared they would make another one like this.
- The colour of the monument changes at different times of the day- pinkish hue in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden at night with the moon. The changing colour actually represented changing moods of the Emperor’s wife.
5. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Perched at the top of Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Christ the Redeemer statue was built as a symbol of Brazilian Christianity. Each year more than 2 million people visit this New Seven Wonders Of The World 2023 to witness the grandeur of the statue and the surrounding breathtaking view offered by the mountain.
Interesting Facts About Christ The Redeemer
- The statue stands 30 metres tall, and the measurement of the outstretched arms spans 28 metres.
- It took 11 years to build this statue at the cost of $250,000 US.
- A whopping number of 14000 people visited this statue in a single day on easter 2011.
- It was built using reinforced concrete and had an outer shell of 6 million soapstone tiles. The workers who made this statue has written notes on the back of the tiles, implying that this statue is full of secrets.
- The position of the statue is prone to lightning every year at least 3 to 4 times.
- The original version was intended to be the Christ statue holding a globe in one hand and a cross in the other, rather than two open arms.
6. The Colosseum, Rome
Also known as Flavian Amphitheatre, The Colosseum Rome is a giant amphitheatre built to provide a platform to perform various forms of entertainment for the Ancient Romans. The place can accommodate 80000 Roman with an unobstructed view.
Interesting Facts About The Colosseum Rome
- This world-famous amphitheatre is built between 72 A.D and 80 A.D under Emperor Vespasian.
- Two-thirds of the colosseum has been destroyed over the years; still, the spot is attracting tourists from all over the world.
- Tens of thousands of slaves were employed to make this place with stones and concrete.
- It is largest of its kind in the whole world measuring 189m long, 156m wide and 50m high (about the height of a 12 storey building).
- The entry to the entertainment activities in colosseum was free of cost for everyone. At times the Emperors served food to the people as well. This was done to gain popularity and support from the public.
- The building has 80 entrances, numerous rooms and underground passages to keep the animal and gladiators. There were also 36 trap doors in the arena for special effects!
- Mostly killing games happened in this place. A shade as big as the theatre was pulled over the viewers during summer to protect from the scorching heat.
7. Machu Picchu, Peru (New Seven Wonders Of The World)
The term Machu Picchu translates to “old mountain” and was built as a fortress city for the aristocracy of Cuzco, the capital of the Inca empire. The area covers more than 5 miles with more than 3,000 stone steps. The making of this place remains as a mystery especially during those days, when technology was a distant dream. According to my opinion, Machu Picchu should rank as the #1 in the list of New Seven Wonders Of The World 2023. Check out the below interesting facts to know why
Interesting Facts About Machu Picchu, Peru
- The Spanish conquerors destroyed most of the cities made by Inca civilisation, however, Machu Picchu was hard to find and hence it was preserved.
- Machu Picchu” means “Old Peak” or “Old Mountain.
- Ranging from baths and houses to temples and sanctuaries, Machu Picchu is made up of more than 150 buildings.
- Machu Picchu was named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
- The sacred Intihuatana stone precisely indicates the two equinoxes. Twice a year, the sun sits directly over the stone, creating no shadow.
- It was an astronomical observatory.
- It is considered that no wheels were used to carry stones up to the mountain. In fact, hundreds of men pushed the massive rocks weighing up to 50 pounds up the steep mountainside.
- The structures are built-in a technique called ashlar (stones that are cut to fit together without mortar) proving that Incas are the best masons in the world.
- Yale Professor Hiram Bingham re-discovered the site in 1911 until then it was only known to the locales.
- The hypothetical theories claim that this place used to be a royal estate or a secret ceremonial center.
Which of these New Seven Wonders Of The World 2023 are you going to visit first? Comment Below!
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