Wonders of the World

Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been made throughout history to show the most amazing natural places and buildings made by people. One of the oldest lists is called the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This list was made a long time ago to talk about the most famous buildings from ancient times. The list was officially set in 1572 in a book called the Octo Mundi Miracula. Back then, people mostly talked about wonders that were near the Mediterranean sea and in the old Near East. The number seven was chosen because the ancient Greeks thought it was a special number, and it matched the number of planets they knew about, which was five, plus the Sun and the Moon. These wonders help us learn about the amazing things people built long ago and the beautiful places found in nature.

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Main article: Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are some of the most amazing buildings made a long time ago. These wonders were chosen in a book called Octo Mundi Miracula from 1572, and they include some of the most famous places from ancient times.

The Seven Wonders are:

• Great Pyramid of Giza, in Giza, Egypt, which is the oldest and the only one still standing today.
• Colossus of Rhodes, in the harbor of the city of Rhodes, on the Greek island of the same name.
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon, in Babylon, near modern Hillah, Babylon Governorate, Iraq; or Nineveh, Mosul, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq.
• Lighthouse of Alexandria, in Alexandria, Egypt.
• Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, in Halicarnassus, a city of the Achaemenid Empire in modern Turkey.
• Statue of Zeus at Olympia, in Olympia, Greece.
• Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, in the city of Ephesus, near modern Selçuk, Turkey.

Lists from other eras

In the 1800s and early 1900s, some writers made their own lists of amazing places, calling them things like "Wonders of the Middle Ages." These lists probably weren't made during the actual Middle Ages, because the idea of the "Middle Ages" only became popular much later.

Many buildings on these lists were created long before the Middle Ages but were still famous around the world. Some examples include:

• Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, a large tomb from the year 200 in Alexandria, Egypt.
• Colosseum, a big arena from the year 80 in the middle of Rome, Italy.
• Great Wall of China, a long wall built to protect China, with some parts made as early as 700 BC.
• Hagia Sophia, a grand building used as both a church and a mosque from the year 537 in Istanbul, Turkey.
• Leaning Tower of Pisa, a tall leaning bell tower from the year 1174 in Pisa, Italy.
• Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, a tall pagoda from the year 1366 in Nanjing, China.
• Stonehenge, an ancient stone circle from around 2500 BC in Wiltshire, England.

Other famous structures sometimes listed include:

• Cairo Citadel, a strong fort from the year 1230 in Cairo, Egypt.
• Cluny Abbey, a big monastery from the year 910 in Cluny, France.
• Ely Cathedral, a grand church from the year 1010 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.
• Khawarnaq, a royal palace from the year 400 in pre-Islamic Arabia.

Recent lists

Following the tradition of ancient lists, many modern groups have created their own lists of wonderful places and things. These lists include both natural features and human-made structures.

The American Society of Civil Engineers made a list of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World in 1994 to honor great achievements in civil engineering from the 20th century. In 2006, USA Today and Good Morning America announced their "New Seven Wonders," chosen by judges, with the Grand Canyon added as an eighth wonder after viewer feedback.

Other famous lists include the Seven Natural Wonders chosen by CNN in 1997 and the New 7 Wonders of the World, selected through online votes led by the New7Wonders Foundation. These lists highlight amazing places like the Aurora, Mount Everest, and the Amazon rainforest. There are also lists of wonderful cities, underwater sites, and even wonders of our solar system.

Main article: Seven Natural Wonders (CNN) Main article: New 7 Wonders of the World Main article: New 7 Wonders of Nature Main article: New 7 Wonders Cities Main article: Seven Wonders of the Industrial World