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The commonly known Seven Ancient Wonders of the World were all man-made monuments, selected by Philon of Byzantium in 200 B.C. Today, only the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt remain.

His selection of wonders was essentially a travel guide for fellow Athenians, and the stunning sites were all located around the Mediterranean basin, the then-known world.


The monuments he chose, to be remembered in perpetuity, were:

* The Lighthouse of Alexandria
* The Temple of Artemis
* The Statue of Zeus
* The Colossus of Rhodes
* The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
* The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
* The Pyramids of Egypt

All had been built between 2,500 B.C. and 200 B.C.

Now, just as Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympic Games in 1896 with his modern version of the competition, New7Wonders founder Bernard Weber http://www.new7wonders.com/founder.php is seeking to revive the concept of the 7 Wonders of the World with this ambitious global campaign, the New 7 Wonders of the World.
The key difference is that, this time around, they will not be chosen by one man, but rather by millions of people all over the world.

The new wonders that are selected will be the people’s choices, and they will be drawn from the earliest time that humankind walked upon the earth up through the year 2000.

It is, therefore, possible that the only survivor of the original 7 Wonders of the World, the Pyramids at Giza, could be chosen for a second time, taking them well into a third millenium of fame!

Welcome to the election of the New 7 Wonders of the World
Your vote counts! Help make history...
Click on the images to learn more about each site, then vote.
The New 7 Wonders Of The World will be announced in Lisbon, Portugal on 07.07.07.

battye wrote: Couldn't find the Sydney Harbour Bridge, oh well, hopefully Sydney will get represented by the Opera House.

Opera House Makes World Heritage List
Thu Jun 28, 2007

The United Nations (UN) has added the Sydney Opera House to the World Heritage list of culturally significant sites.

The harbourside landmark has won the approval of around 800 delegates at a World Heritage committee meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The formal World Heritage nomination, inspection and assessment process may have taken almost as long as its construction, but delegates from 21 countries wasted little time giving the Opera House their tick of approval.

It takes its place on the register among more than 800 sites of outstanding cultural and natural significance, including China's Great Wall and India's Taj Mahal.

Prime Minister John Howard said in a statement he was delighted the Opera House has been included on the list.

"The Opera House, and its setting at Bennelong Point on Sydney Harbour, is an iconic and treasured place, not just for Australians but also internationally," he said.

"The Sydney Opera House, as an outstanding example of 20th century architecture, is a testament to the daring of architect Jorn Utzon, and to those who brought about his vision.

"It is also, of course, testament to the openness of the people of Sydney and Australia, and an enduring legacy for our place in the world."

Federal Minister for the Environment Malcolm Turnbull says it is a great tribute to the building.

"This puts the Sydney Opera House on a par with the pyramids of Egypt and the Taj Mahal," he said.

The Opposition's environment spokesman, Peter Garrett, has also welcomed the Opera House heritage listing, but says the Federal Government should now nominate other natural sites for recognition.

"It's a fantastic building, it shows what we're capable of when we harness creativity in our built environment," he said.

"But we believe it's critical that further World Heritage nominations follow for the natural environment, in particular Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, which has long been a prime candidate for listing."

New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma has told Parliament the building has been acknowledged as a daring piece of architecture.

Australia now has 17 world heritage listed sites, ranging from the Great Barrier Reef and Tasmania's south-west wilderness, to Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Buildings.

The Sydney Opera House is the youngest building to achieve World Heritage listing.

7.7.2007
LISBON, Portugal—Monuments in three Latin American countries were named among the new seven wonders of the world Saturday.

Brazil's Statue of Christ Redeemer, Peru's Machu Picchu, and Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid were chosen along with the Great Wall of China, Jordan's Petra, the Colosseum in Rome and India's Taj Mahal.

The Great Pyramids of Giza, the only surviving structures from the original seven wonders of the ancient world, kept their status in addition to the new seven.
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