24160397-wonders-of-the-world-pdf.docx

Wonders of the World

What is a Wonder ? A “wonder” is something that we find amazing. We find these things amazing as these are mostly Unique i.e. without a second piece on Earth. These things are amazing because these things were built at a time when the technology was not as developed as today. So we ask ourselves how could built in the first place ?

these

things

got

How many types of wonders are there ? There can be two types of Wonders Man Made Wonders and Natural wonders Also there can be wonders from different periods in time e.g. Wonders of the ancient world Wonders from the Medieval world and Wonders of the modern world

Types of Wonders Man-made wonders These wonders were build by human beings

Natural wonders These are wonders formed by Nature

Types of Wonders Wonders of the Ancient World 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 Lighthouse of Alexandria Except for the Pyramid of Giza none of the wonders of the ancient world exist now.

Types of Wonders Wonders of the Mediaval World Stonehenge Colosseum Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa Great Wall of China Porcelain Tower of Nanjing Hagia Sophia Leaning Tower of Pisa

Wonders of the Ancient World

Why did they build the Wonders ? Different wonders were built for different purpose. But all the wonders show the amazing capabilities in-terms of Knowledge of Science , engineering Architecture , astronomy Use of technology Mathematics, Geometry Art etc.

Types of Wonders

Seven Wonders of The World Great Wall of China Petra Christ the Redeemer Machu Picchu Chichen Itza Roman Colosseum Taj Mahal Great Pyramid ( Honorary Candidate )

Wonders of the Modern World

What is the Great Wall of China ? The Great Wall of China is a Man-made wall built over many centuries along the earlier Chinese empire. The Chinese were familiar with the techniques of wallbuilding by the 8th century BC. Major part of the wall was built during the Ming Dynasty. These walls were made mostly by stamping earth and gravel between board frames. During later part bricks and stone got used.

Why did they build the Great Wall of China ? The Great wall of built

to

protect

China the

was

Chinese

empire from enemy attacks. Comprehensive archaeological

advanced survey,

has

concluded that the entire Great Wall, with all of its branches, stretches for 8,851.8 km.

What is Petra ? • 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.

What is Petra ? • A theater, modelled on GreekRoman prototypes, had space for an audience of 4,000. • Today, the Palace Tombs of Petra, with the 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple facade the

El-Deir

Monastery,

on are

impressive examples of Middle Eastern culture.

What is Christ the Redeemer ? •

Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is considered the largest art deco statue in the world

•

The statue stands

39.6

metres

(130 ft) tall, including its 9.5 metre (31 ft) pedestal, and 30

metres

(98 ft) wide. •

It weighs 635 tons (700 short tons).

Why was Christ the Redeemer built ? • The

statue

of

Christ

the

Redeemer is a very important symbol of Brazil's Catholicism. • It

is

made

of

reinforced

concrete and soapstone. • Construction took nine years, from

1922

monument

to was

October 12, 1931

1931. opened

The on

What is Machu Picchu ? Machu Picchu (pronounced Machu

Pikchu,

"Old

Columbian

Peak",)

Inca

site

is

a

pre-

located

2,430 metres (8,000 ft) above sea level. It is

situated

on

a

mountain

ridge

above the Urubamba Valley in Peru. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is one of the most familiar symbols of the Inca Empire.

What is Machu Picchu ? The

Incas

started

building

it

around AD 1430 but abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a hundred years later at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. It was brought to attention

in

1911

international by

Hiram

Bingham, an American historian.

What is Machu Picchu ? Since it was not

plundered

by

the

Spanish, it is especially important as a cultural site and is considered a sacred place. Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its

primary

buildings

are

the

Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows.

What is Chichen Itza? Chichen Itza is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization

located

in

present-day

Mexico. Chichen Itza was a major regional focal point in the northern Maya lowlands. Dominating the center of Chichén is the Temple of Kukulkan (the

Maya

name

for Quetzalcoatl), often referred to as "El Castillo" (the castle).

What is Chichen Itza? The Mayans succeeded in an almost impossible mission with the completion of their structures at Chichén Itzá. A poetic

combination

function,

of

form,

religion,

style,

philosophy,

mathematics and geometry. A

true

symbiosis

of

all

of

their

intelligence and art in one location, to be studied and admired by all that visit.

What is the Roman Colosseum ? The Colosseum is one of the greatest works

of

Roman

Architecture

and

Engineering. It could seat 50000 people and used for Gladiatorial

sports

and

public

spectacles. It

has

been

estimated

that

about

500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games

What is the Roman Colosseum ? • The Colosseum was built in such a manner that people could come in and vacate it very quickly. • In

the

Gladiatorial

sports, captured enemies, soldiers and slaves were made to fight each other and animals.

What is Taj Mahal ? Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements

from

Persian,

Indian,

and

Islamic

architectural styles. It took around 22 years to build Taj Mahal at an estimated cost of about Rs. 32 million at that time.

What is Taj Mahal ? The Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia . Over 1,000 elephants

were

used

to

transport

building

materials. The translucent white marble was brought from Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China. The turquoise was from Tibet and the Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan. In all, twenty eight types of precious and semiprecious stones were inlaid into the white marble.

What is Taj Mahal ? The Taj Mahal is decorated in line with the Islamic tradition. The

decorative

elements

can

be

grouped

into

either

calligraphy, abstract forms or vegetative motifs. Throughout the complex, passages from the Qur'an are used as decorative elements. The calligraphy was created by the Persian calligrapher Abd ul-Haq, who came to India from Shiraz, Iran, in 1609. Higher panels are written in slightly larger script so that they don’t appear smaller when looked from below.

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