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Visit Seven Wonders of the World
The
Taj Mahal (1630 A.D.)
Agra, India |
The
Pyramid at Chichén Itzá (before 800 A.D.)
Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico |
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immense mausoleum was built on the orders of Shah Jahan,
the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, to honor the memory of
his beloved late wife. Built out of white marble and standing
in formally laid-out walled gardens, the Taj Mahal is
regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India.
The emperor was consequently jailed and, it is said, could
then only see the Taj Mahal out of his small cell window. |
Chichén
Itzá, the most famous Mayan temple city, served
as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization.
Its various structures - the pyramid of Kukulkan, the
Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars,
and the Playing Field of the Prisoners – can still
be seen today and are demonstrative of an extraordinary
commitment to architectural space and composition. The
pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest,
of all Mayan temples. |
Christ
Redeemer (1931)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
The
Roman Colosseum (70 - 82 A.D.)
Rome, Italy |
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| This
statue of Jesus stands some 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado
mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Designed by Brazilian
Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul
Landowski, it is one of the world’s best-known monuments.
The statue took five years to construct and was inaugurated
on October 12, 1931. It has become a symbol of the city
and of the warmth of the Brazilian people, who receive
visitors with open arms. |
This
great amphitheater in the centre of Rome was built to
give favors to successful legionnaires and to celebrate
the glory of the Roman Empire. Its design concept still
stands to this very day, and virtually every modern sports
stadium some 2,000 years later still bears the irresistible
imprint of the Colosseum's original design. Today, through
films and history books, we are even more aware of the
cruel fights and games that took place in this arena,
all for the joy of the spectators. |
The
Great Wall of China (220 B.C
and 1368 - 1644 A.D.) China |
Petra
(9 B.C. - 40 A.D.),
Jordan |
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| The
Great Wall of China was built to link existing fortifications
into a united defense system and better keep invading
Mongol tribes out of China. It is the largest man-made
monument ever to have been built and it is disputed that
it is the only one visible from space. Many thousands
of people must have given their lives to build this colossal
construction. |
On
the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the glittering
capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C.
to 40 A.D.). Masters of water technology, the Nabataeans
provided their city with great tunnel constructions and
water chambers. A theater, modelled on Greek-Roman prototypes,
had space for an audience of 4,000. Today, the Palace
Tombs of Petra, with the 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple
facade on the El-Deir Monastery, are impressive examples
of Middle Eastern culture. |
Machu
Picchu (1460-1470),
Peru |
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| In
the 15th century, the Incan Emperor Pachacútec
built a city in the clouds on the mountain known as Machu
Picchu ("old mountain"). This extraordinary
settlement lies halfway up the Andes Plateau, deep in
the Amazon jungle and above the Urubamba River. It was
probably abandoned by the Incas because of a smallpox
outbreak and, after the Spanish defeated the Incan Empire,
the city remained 'lost' for over three centuries. It
was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911. |
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