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Monday, November 1, 2010
New Seven Wonders of the World and Their Popularity-
This article is about the New 7 Wonders Foundation list. For other uses, see Wonders of the World .
New Seven Wonders of the World was a project that attempted to update the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World concept with a modern list of wonders. A popularity poll was led by Canadian-Swiss Bernard Weber and organized by the Swiss-based, government-controlled New7Wonders Foundation, with winners announced on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon.
The New7Wonders Foundation claimed that more than 100 million votes were cast through the Internet or by telephone. Nothing prevented multiple votes, so the poll was considered "decidedly unscientific". According to John Zogby, founder and current President/CEO of the Utica, New York-based polling organization Zogby International, New7Wonders Foundation drove “the largest poll on record”.
The program drew a wide range of official reaction. Some countries touted their finalist and tried to get more votes cast for it, while others downplayed or criticized the contest. After supporting the New7Wonders Foundation at the beginning of the campaign, by providing advice on nominee selection, The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) distanced itself from the undertaking in 2007.
The New7Wonders Foundation, established in 2001, relied on private donations and the sale of broadcast rights and received no public funding or taxpayers' money. After the final announcement, New7Wonders said it didn't earn anything from the exercise and barely recovered its investment.
In 2007 the foundation launched a similar contest, called New7Wonders of Nature, which will be the subject of voting until mid-2011.
History-
The origin of the idea of seven wonders of the world dates back to Herodotus (484 BC – 425 BC) and Callimachus (305 BC – 240 BC), who made lists which included the Great Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes and Lighthouse of Alexandria. Only the Great Pyramid of Giza is still standing. The other six were destroyed by earthquake, fire, or other causes.
The finalist candidates for the New Seven Wonders.
According to the New7Wonders milestone page, filmmaker and aviator Bernard Weber launched the project in September 1999. The project's web site started in 2001.
To be included on the new list, the wonders had to have been built before 2000 and in an acceptable state of preservation. By November 24, 2005, 177 monuments were up for consideration. On January 1, 2006, the New7Wonders Foundation said the list had been narrowed to 21 sites, by its panel of seven architects from five continents: Zaha Hadid, Cesar Pelli, Tadao Ando, Harry Seidler, Aziz Tayob, Yung Ho Chang and its President, Prof. Federico Mayor, the former Director General of UNESCO. The list was later reduced to 20, removing the Pyramids of Giza — the only remaining of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World — from the voting and designating it an Honorary New7Wonders Candidate.
The project assigned what it called attributes to each finalist, such as perseverance for the Great Wall of China, passion for the Taj Mahal, and awe for the Easter Island statues.
A midpoint tally reported a top 10 list which included all 7 winners, plus the Acropolis, Easter Island, and the Eiffel Tower.
Many monuments were supported by dedicated websites or strong placements on national websites. National figures and celebrities promoted the New7Wonders campaign in many countries. New7Wonders stated that it saw its goal of global dialogue and cultural exchange as having been achieved, thanks to the sheer number of votes cast and the diversity of the voters registered.
The theme song of the contest was written by Tony Jameson of the UK medieval folk/rock band, The Dolmen. Members of the band performed the song live at the Lisbon ceremonies.
Winners-
Location of the New Seven Wonders winners.
| Wonder | Location | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Chichen Itza Chi'ch'èen Ìitsha' |  Yucatán, Mexico |  |
| Christ the Redeemer O Cristo Redentor |  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |  |
| Colosseum Colosseo |  Rome, Italy |  |
| Great Wall of China 萬里長城 Wànlǐ Chángchéng |  People's Republic of China |  |
| Machu Picchu Machu Pikchu |  Cuzco Region, Peru |  |
| Petra البتراء al-Batrāʾ |  Ma'an Governorate, Jordan |  |
| Taj Mahal ताज महल تاج محل |  Agra, India |  |
In 2007 the New7Wonders Foundation contracted a partnership with the United Nations in recognition of the efforts to promote the UN's Millennium Development Goals“. The UN stated:
| “ | The New7Wonders campaigns aim to contribute to the process of uplifting the well being and mutual respect of citizens around the world, through encouraging interaction, expression of opinion and direct participation by voting and polling on popular themes and global issues which are understandable to everyone. | ” |
UNESCO-
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in a press release on June 20, 2007, reaffirmed that it has no link with the "private initiative", which it says would reflect "only the opinions of those with access to the Internet". The press release concluded:
| “ | There is no comparison between Mr. Weber’s mediatised campaign and the scientific and educational work resulting from the inscription of sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The list of the 7 New Wonders of the World will be the result of a private undertaking, reflecting only the opinions of those with access to the Internet and not the entire world. This initiative cannot, in any significant and sustainable manner, contribute to the preservation of sites elected by this public. | ” |
Egypt-
Egyptian commentators viewed it as competition to the status of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only surviving monument of the original Ancient Wonders. "This is probably a conspiracy against Egypt, its civilization and monuments", wrote editorialist Al-Sayed al-Naggar in a leading state-owned daily. Egyptian Culture Minister Farouq Hosni said the project was "absurd" and described its creator, Weber, as a man "concerned primarily with self-promotion". Nagib Amin, an Egyptian expert on World Heritage Sites, has pointed out that "in addition to the commercial aspect, the vote has no scientific basis."
After the complaints from Egypt, the New7Wonders Foundation designated the Pyramids of Giza — the only remaining of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World — as an Honorary New7Wonders Candidate, and removed them from the voting. However the Great Pyramid of Giza is not featured in their official results web site.
Brazil-
In Brazil there was a campaign Vote no Cristo (Vote for the Christ) which had the support of private companies, namely telecommunications operators that stopped charging voters to make telephone calls and sms messages to vote. Additionally, leading corporate sponsors including Banco Bradesco and Rede Globo spent millions of reais in the effort to have the statue voted into the top seven. Newsweek reports the campaign was so pervasive that:
| “ | One morning in June, Rio de Janeiro residents awoke to a beeping text message on their cell phones: “Press 4916 and vote for Christ. It’s free!” The same pitch had been popping up all over the city since late January—flashing across an electronic screen every time city-dwellers swiped their transit cards on city buses and echoing on TV infomercials that featured a reality-show celebrity posing next to the city’s trademark Christ the Redeemer statue. | ” |
According to an article in Newsweek, around 10 million Brazilians had voted in the contest by early July. This number is estimated as the New7Wonders Foundation never released such details about the campaign.
Peru-
An intensive campaign led by the Peruvian Ministry of Commerce and Tourism in Peru had a great impact in the media and consequently Peruvian people voted massively for its national wonder. The announcement of the new World Wonders generated great expectation and the election of Machu Picchu was celebrated nationwide, especially in Cusco´s main square and in Lima where President Alan Garcia hosted a ceremony.
Chile-
The Chilean representative for Easter Island's Moais, Alberto Hotus, said that the organizer Bernard Weber gave him a letter saying that the Moais had finished eighth and were morally one of the New Seven Wonders. Hotus said he was the only participant to receive such an apology.
Jordan-
Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan joined the campaign to back Petra, Jordan's national treasure. Despite Jordan only having a population of under 7 million people, it has been claimed that over 14 million votes were made from the country. This number is estimated as the New7Wonders Foundation never released such details about the campaign.
India-
A campaign to publicize the campaign in India gathered speed and it reached a climax in July 2007 with news channels, radio stations, and many celebrities asking people to vote for the Taj Mahal.
Mexico-
There was a campaign on the news programs to encourage people to vote for Chichen Itzá.
Other finalists-
The other 13 finalists, listed alphabetically, were:
| Wonder | Location | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Acropolis of Athens |  Athens, Greece |  |
| Alhambra |  Granada, Spain |  |
| Angkor Wat |  Angkor, Cambodia |  |
| Eiffel Tower |  Paris, France |  |
| Giza Pyramid Complex (The last remaining wonder of the ancient world) |  Giza, Egypt |  |
| Hagia Sophia |  İstanbul, Turkey |  |
| Kiyomizu-dera |  Kyoto, Japan |  |
| Moai |  Easter Island, Chile |  |
| Neuschwanstein |  Füssen, Germany |  |
| Red Square |  Moscow, Russia |  |
| Statue of Liberty |  New York, United States |  |
| Stonehenge |  Amesbury, United Kingdom |  |
| Sydney Opera House |  Sydney, Australia |  |
| Timbuktu |  Timbuktu, Mali |  |
The origin of the idea of seven wonders of the world dates back to Herodotus (
Seven Wonders of the World, preeminent architectural and sculptural achievements of the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East, as listed by various observers. The best known are those of the 2nd-century-bc writer Antipater of Sidon and of a later but unknown observer of the 2nd century bc who claimed to be the mathematician Philon of Byzantium.
In the ancient world there were seven great man-made structures for travelers to see on a world tour. Lists of the so-called seven wonders of the world sometimes varied. The following list, dating from about the 6th century AD, was a commonly used and standard one: the pyramids of Egypt; the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; the statue of Zeus at Olympia; the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus; the temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus; the Colossus of Rhodes; and the Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria.
Seven Wonders of the World-
Seven Wonders of the World in ancient classifications, were the Great Pyramid of Khufu (see pyramid ) or all the pyramids with or without the sphinx ; the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, with or without the walls; the mausoleum at Halicarnassus; the Artemision at Ephesus ; the Colossus of Rhodes ; the Olympian Zeus, statue by Phidias ; and the lighthouse at Pharos , Alexandria, or, instead, the walls of Babylon.
The Seven Wonders of the World has historically been a listing of seven sites known to the Ancient Greeks as the most notable locales in their known world.
Since then, many have developed lists of the "modern" Seven Wonders of the World. The only list that really stands out and has stood the test of time for more than a decade is the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, developed by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The picture above is of the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis. This phenomenon isn’t located in a certain part of the north, sometimes you can catch glimpses of them almost everywhere in the world, although if you wish to see them, you will have a better chance in the extreme north, as in very close to the north pole. The lights can be seen in many different colors, red, blue, green, and others. They can sure make a dull sky look beautiful.
Next we have the harbor of Rio de Janeiro, or also called Guanabara Bay. This is a natural harbor as you can see with the low mountains on one side, and surrounded by little islands and the mainland as well. It is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is one of the calling cards for the country.
This one is Paricutin Volcano, located in Mexico. Although it may not be as beautiful as other natural wonders, it still holds it’s own. The Paricutin Volcano is a natural wonder due to it’s explosive growth in a very short time. This volcano initially erupted in 1943 and within the first year, it grew to just about the size it is today. Also it is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
Christ the Redeemer (Portuguese: Cristo Redentor, formerly Portuguese: Christo Redemptor) is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world. The statue is 39.6 metres (130 ft) tall, including its 9.5 meter (31 feet) pedestal, and 30 metres (98 ft) wide. It weighs 635 tonnes (700 short tons), and is located at the peak of the 700-metre (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca ForestCristo de la Concordia in Cochabamba, Bolivia, is slightly taller). A symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone, and was constructed between 1922 and 1931. National Park overlooking the city. It is one of the tallest of its kind in the world .
A view of the statue, as seen from a helicopter
The idea for erecting a large statue atop Corcovado was first suggested in the mid-1850s, when Catholic priest Pedro Maria Boss requested financing from Princess Isabel to build a large religious monument. Princess Isabel did not think much of the idea and it was dismissed in 1889, when Brazil became a republic with laws mandating the separation of church and state.
The second proposal for a landmark statue on the mountain was made in 1921 by the Catholic Circle of Rio. The group organised an event called Semana do Monumento ("Monument Week") to attract donations and collect signatures to support the building of the statue. The donations came mostly from Brazilian Catholics. The designs considered for the "Statue of the Christ" included a representation of the Christian cross, a statue of Jesus with a globe in his hands, and a pedesta symbolizing the world. The statue of Christ the Redeemer with open arms was chosen.
Now you have learned a bit about the seven natural wonders of the world. Hopefully they interest you as much as they interest me.
From Wikipedia-
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