The Wonders Of The World

 

February 04, 2008   

     

 

  A REPORT ON‐ 

[THE WONDERS OF THE  WORLD]  The 7 Wonders of the World– the ancient wonders and the new wonders

The Wonders of the World The 7 Wonders of the World– the ancient wonders and the new wonders

Prepared forS. M. Towhidur Rahman Assistant Professor Business Administration Discipline Khulna University

Prepared byMd. Nazmul Huda 1st Year, 2nd Term BBA Program ID – 070323

Date of Submission: February 04, 2008

Business Administration Discipline Khulna University

Letter of Transmittal

February 04, 2008

Mr. S. M. Towhidur Rahman Assistant Professor Business Administration Discipline Khulna University

Dear Sir,

Here is the report on ‘The Wonders of the World’. This is for you asked to make a report on any topic on January 06. As you will see, the topics of the report will guide through ‘the foundation and campaign of the new 7 wonders’ and the short descriptions of the wonders. It will make you follow through the ancient wonders and the new wonders. It will also present you the campaign happening to select ‘7 natural wonders’. As a student of BA discipline I enjoyed to prepare this report. I tried my best to give a complete pack of description of ‘the 7 wonders’. Therefore I hope that our report will fulfill your idea about ‘the 7 wonders’. Any short comings or mistakes are absolutely my fault and I will be always available at any time to interpret any portion of the report.

Sincerely yours,

Md. Nazmul Huda 1st Year, 2nd Term BBA Program ID – 070323

Acknowledgement First I would like to thank the Almighty Allah for completing the report successfully. And it was also a great pleasure to me to make this report. I wish to express thank to all who helped me a lot during the making of the report. I would like to express my gratitude and regards to our honorable course teacher and instructor Mr. S. M. Towhidur Rahman, Assistant Professor, Business Administration Discipline, Khulna University. It is very difficult to make such kind of study without any external help. I have my special regards to N7W team for helping me by sending newsletters and classroom tools to direct me in making the report. I am also grateful to Russell Vai (4th Year, 1st Term) for guiding me through making the report. I am also grateful to my cousin Shaon for serving internet service and my classmate Suvra for giving me company. Finally I would like to thank all of my friends and well wishers helped me to complete the job specially my parents, Shuva, Decent, Sumon, Mashrul, Anzir and my uncle Mr. S. Hossain. Whenever I faced any kind of problem they always came forward to help me.

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Table of Contents Contents

Page No.

Letter of Transmittal Acknowledgement

III IV

Summary of the Report

01

Part 1: Introduction Origin of the Report Purpose of the Report Scopes of the Report Limitations of making the Report Unorganized Source No Direct Source Time Limit & Exam Time Methodology Sources of collecting data Method of preparing the Report

02-05 03 03 03 04 04 04 04 04 04 05

Part 2: The Wonders The Old 7 Wonders What are the old 7 World Wonders Who had determined the 7 World Wonders The New 7 Wonders What are the new 7 World Wonders Natural 7 World Wonders The New7Wonders Foundation & Campaign

06-20 07 07 11 11 11 19 19

Part 3: Report Ending Conclusion

21-22 22

Appendix

Summary of the Report From the beginning of mankind human are doing such kind of things, sometimes it seems to be unbelievable. One created, one destroyed and kept their signs for their next generations. Sometimes we wonder how they could do these. Like these in 200 B. C. Philon of Byzantium also wondered about the creation of civilizations. He wanted to make the best creatures of mankind memorable for generation to generation. Those were the 7 wonders of the world. Now we are very advanced. Those wonders became ancient. From the feelings of this Bernard Weber founded the ‘New7Wonders’ and started the path of discovering the new 7 wonders of the world. There were 21 finalists as the wonder nominee. In July 07, 2007 in Lisbon in U. S. A. the ‘N7W Foundation’ published the voting result to select new 7 wonders. Now ‘N7W’ has another project to discover the 7 natural wonders. Voting process is continuing and 3 areas of Bangladesh are holding top 3 positions now. Those are Cox’s Bazar Beach, Sundarban Forest and Padma (Ganges) River. The ‘N7W Foundation’ was established by Canadian filmmaker, author and adventurer Bernard Weber. The aim of this non-profit organization is to protect the man-built and natural heritage sites and foster respect for the cultural diversity of our planet. The list of new 7 wonders are sequentially – 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Chichén Itzá, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico Christ Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Colosseum, Rome, Italy The Taj Mahal, Agra, India The Great Wall of China Petra, Jordan Machu Picchu, Peru

These places really make us think that how powerful man is and what incredible things can be done by man.

Page 1 of 22 

 

                   

Part 1   

The wonders of the world 

Introduction   

                   

 

Origin of the Report Mr. S. M. Towhidur Rahman, the honorable course instructor of ‘Business Communication’, assigned me to prepare a report on January 06, 2008 about any topic. I made a report on ‘The Wonders of the World’. The date of submission of this report is February 04, 2008.

Purpose of the Report I am very much passionate to obtain educational background through practical work besides the theoretical studies. I do not want to study only with the classroom materials; I want to gather some practical knowledge so that it will help me in achieving my personal objectives. The purposes of my report are•

To make a clear concept through making a relationship between my report writing theoretical knowledge and my practices.

•

To know more about the 7 wonders of the world than I know.

•

To create a value in our mind about the world heritage sites which are now in danger and need protection.

Scopes of the Report I have collected data from internet through various web sites. Online publications of national and international newspapers played a very important role to find out the data about the 7 wonders. Also I took notes from online encyclopedias. And the most helpful and suitable site for the report was www.new7wonders.com (N7W web site). I got enrolled with their classroom program tools and got very many help from the N7W Foundation. Besides these ‘Google Image Search’ also was a good service I got to find out data about the wonders of the world. I also got something about ‘New7Wonders Foundation and Campaign’.

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Limitations of making the Report I am lucky that I have completed the report successfully within this short time but I had to face some problems in collecting the data and in making the report. I tried my best to overcome the difficulties; Allah knows how much I could do. There were basically 3problems.

Unorganized Sources Every source without the N7W web site was unorganized. I couldn’t get sufficient data in one portion of any source. I had to search from every page from the sites and collected information. Those sites were so crowd with the necessary and unnecessary information in every page.

No Direct Source I didn’t get any direct source for collecting data. I had to depend upon on the secondary sources for the data about the wonders of the world.

Time Limit & Exam Time It needs more time to well prepare this kind of report; but I had to prepare it within a very short time. As it is an individual assignment it was better to have a long time to make this report. On the other hand now it took much time during preparatory leave for our term final examination. I was so busy with my study. In this busyness I had to give time for this report. This made me so confusing about the report.

Methodology Sources of collecting data Primary Sources No primary sources found. Secondary Sources I got all information from internet web pages. Web Directory: www.google.com (Web Search and Image Search Service) Web Sites: www.encyclopediabritannica.com (Encyclopedia Britannica) Page 4 of 22

 

www.encarta.com (MSN Encyclopedia- Encarta) www.new7wonders.com (New7Wonders Foundation) www.nytimes.com (New York Times) www.prothom-alo.net (The Daily Prothom Alo) www.thedailystar.com (The Daily Star)

Method of preparing the report To do this report first I made some possible topics to mention in the report and then I started searched through internet about those topics. I choose some hits from there and downloaded it. After that I analyzed those data and information. Then I made the report and typed it and made a printed form of the report.

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 Part 2   

The wonders of the world 

The Wonders

 

The Old 7 Wonders What are the old 7 World Wonders Here come the old 7 World Wonders. 1. Temple of Artemis: The greatest temple of the ancient world, the Temple of Artemis (also known as the Temple to Diana) once stood as the most magnificent accomplishment of Greek civilization and Hellenic culture, built to honor Artemis—the Greek goddess of the hunt, mistress of Nature, protector of wild beasts and the sister of Apollo. The Temple of Artemis was located in Ephesus (in modern day Turkey), which was to become the richest seaport in Asia Minor. It once consisted of 127 marble columns, each standing 20 meters (60 feet) tall. The temple was a 120-year project started by Croesus of Lydia. First built in the 6th century B.C., the temple was destroyed by fire 200 years later and then rebuilt under the supervision of Alexander the Great. The great temple was eventually destroyed, bit by bit, by invading Gothic hordes, earthquakes and plunderers. Today, only a solitary column remains of this once-glorious structure. 2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon A magnificent garden paradise said to have been built in the 7th century B.C. in the middle of the arid Mesopotamian desert; the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were testimony to one man's ability to, against all the laws of nature, create a botanical oasis of beauty amid a bleak desert landscape. King Nebuchadnezzar II created the gardens as a sign of love for his wife homesick Amyitis, who, according to legend, longed for the forests and roses of her homeland. Amyitis, daughter of the king of the Medes, was married to Nebuchadnezzar to create an alliance between the nations. The land she came from, though, was green, rugged and mountainous, and she found the flat, sun-baked terrain of the Mesopotamia (this region of southwest Asia) depressing. The king decided to recreate her homeland by building an artificial mountain with rooftop gardens. Page 7 of 22

 

The Hanging Gardens probably did not really "hang" in the sense of being suspended from cables or ropes. The name comes from an inexact translation of the Greek word kremastos or the Latin word pensilis, which means not just "hanging” but "overhanging," as in the case of a terrace or balcony. The gardens were terraced and surrounded by the city walls, with a moat of water outside the walls to repel invading armies. There is also a less-reliable, alternative story that the gardens were built by the Assyrian Queen Semiramis during her five-year reign starting in 810 B.C. and the gardens have sometimes been referred to as the “Gardens of Semiramis.” Indeed, there is doubt amongst historians and archaeologists as to whether this lost paradise ever existed, given that excavations at Babylon have not found any definitive trace of this mythical oasis. 3. The Colossus of Rhodes A gigantic bronze statue that once stood 32 meters (110 feet) high on a marble block, the Colossus of Rhodes was built by its citizens to revere the sun god Helios, who was believed to have helped Rhodes ward off the attacking Demetrius of Macedonia. Constructed by the engineer Chares, a native of Rhodes, the Colossus was completed in 280 B.C., after 12 years of careful work. The great challenge was to build the statue so that the legs could sustain the enormous weight. In order to pay for the construction of the Colossus, the Rhodesians sold all of the siege equipment that Demetrius had left behind in front of their city when he retreated. Ancient accounts describe the statue as being built around several stone columns on the interior, standing on a 15-meter-high (50 feet) white marble pedestal near the harbor entrance. Iron beams were driven into the stone towers and bronze plates attached to the bars to create the exterior. Much of the material was melted down from the various weapons Demetrius' army had left behind. The upper portions of the statue were built with the help of a large dirt ramp. Unfortunately, around 224 B.C., an earthquake caused the Colossus to crack at the knee and it collapsed into pieces. Even so, the statue was so admired that it was left lying in huge fragments for around 900 years. Even broken on the ground, the pieces were so impressive that many people came to see them. Pliny the Elder remarked that few people could wrap their arms around the fallen thumb, and that each of its fingers was larger than most statues. In AD 654, an Arab force under Muawiyah I captured Rhodes, and, according to the chronicler Theophanes, the remains were sold to a traveling salesman. The purchaser had the statue broken down and transported the bronze scrap on the backs of 900 camels to Syria. Page 8 of 22

 

4. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus Built between 370 and 350 B.C., this monumental white marble tomb was dedicated to King Mausolus by his grieving wife (and, according to some accounts, sister), Queen Artemisia II of Caria, as a memorial to their great love. It had been under Mausolus, a Persian ruler or satrap (satrap was the name given to the governors of the provinces in the ancient Median and Persian Achaemenid empires and it was carried on, for example in later Hellenistic empires) who took on independent authority, that Halicarnassus attained its greatest prosperity. According to records, the Mausoleum once stood some 50 meters (135 feet) high and was surrounded by 36 columns. It was designed by the Greek architects Satyrus and Pythius and four famous Grecian sculptors added an ornamental frieze (decorated band) around its exterior. The structure stood atop a marble pedestal at the intersection of the two main streets of Halicarnassus. The Mausoleum stood relatively intact until 1522 A.D., when it was ordered to be destroyed because it was an example of pagan art. The word mausoleum has come to be used generically for any grand tomb, though “Mausol-eum” originally meant “in honour of Mausol.” 5. The Lighthouse of Alexandria Built to guide ships through the labyrinth of sandbars that were very dangerous for merchants trying to reach the port of Alexandria in Egypt, the Lighthouse or Pharos of Alexandria was the only ancient wonder to have served a practical purpose. Built in the 3rd century B.C., the lighthouse stood some 500 feet (around 166 meters) above the city's western harbor and was financed by the Greek merchant Sostratus, who wanted to help ensure the safety of shipping traffic. Polished bronze mirrors were specially created to reflect sunlight out to sea during daytime, and fires guided ships at night. With a height variously estimated at between 117 and 134 meters (440 feet) it was the tallest man-made structure on Earth for many centuries. The light from the lighthouse could, according to records, be seen up to 56 km (35 miles) from shore. The tower stood relatively intact until a series of earthquakes in the 14th century and gradual deterioration Page 9 of 22

 

from natural elements caused the structure to collapse and eventually be dismantled for its stones. Some of its remains were found on the floor of Alexandria's Eastern Harbor in 1994 and more remains have subsequently been revealed by satellite imaging. Constructed from blocks of light-colored stone, the tower was made up of three stages: a lower square with a central core, a middle octagonal section, and, at the top, a circular section. A statue of Poseidon, the god of the sea, stood atop the tower during the Roman period. The design of minarets in many early Islamic mosques many centuries later followed a similar three-stage design, showing the building's broader architectural influence. Pharos later became the etymological origin of the word 'lighthouse' in many Romance languages, for example the French phare, Italian faro, Portuguese farol, Spanish faro and Romanian far. 6. The Pyramids at Giza The only surviving wonder of the ancient world, the Pyramids of Egypt were the phenomenal achievement of Egyptian construction and engineering. Built between 2600 and 2500 B.C., the three pyramids at Giza are made of more than 5 million limestone blocks which were painstakingly transported via timber sleds and by being rolled over the top of logs. As cranes did not yet exist, each block had to be dragged on ramps up to its designated place. According to Herodot, the largest of the three pyramids, known as the Great Pyramid, (about 146 meters or 438 feet high) took 20 years to complete and served as the tomb for the Egyptian Pharoah Khufu (also known as the Pyramid of Cheops). The other two pyramids are the slightly smaller Pyramid of Khafre (or Chephren) and the more modest-sized Pyramid of Menkaure (or Mykerinus). There are also a number of smaller satellite buildings in the ancient Egyptian necropolis (“city of the dead”), called “queen’s” pyramids, causeways and valley pyramids, as well as the Great Sphinx. Of the three pyramids, only the Pyramid of Khafre still shows off part of its original polished limestone coating, up near the top of the structure. It is interesting to see that this middle pyramid appears to be bigger than the Great Pyramid because it is on a slight hill, and because the angle of inclination is steeper. The pyramids represented the link between heaven and earth and were directed at Horus, who was the ancient Egyptian god of the world. 7. The Statue of Zeus This gold and bejeweled statue was commissioned around 438 B.C. by the Council of Olympia to show their respect for Zeus, the ruler and most powerful of the Olympian gods. The great statue was the work of the Athenian sculptor Phidias and was constructed Page 10 of 22

 

inside the Parthenon, the great temple overlooking the city. The seated statue occupied the whole width of the aisle of the temple that was built to house it. According to a contemporary source, it was about 12 meters (37 feet) tall. “It seems that if Zeus were to stand up," the geographer Strabo noted early in the 1st century B.C., "he would unroof the temple.” Zeus was carved from ivory (the ivory was soaked in a liquid that made it more malleable, so it was probably both carved and shaped as necessary), then plated with gold. Zeus was seated on a magnificent throne of cedarwood, inlaid with ivory, gold, ebony and precious stones. In Zeus' right hand, he held a small statue of Nike, the goddess of victory, and in his left hand, a shining scepter on which an eagle rested. The statue of Zeus was later destroyed, but the circumstances are not clear. Some scholars argue that it perished with the temple in either 170 B.C. or in the 5th century A.D., others (like the historian Schobel) argue that it was carried off to Constantinople, where it was destroyed in the great fire of the Lauseion.

Who had determined the 7 World Wonders There was a great guide of antiques in the civilization of Byzantine named Philon. Great structures created by man attracted him so passionately. He was impressed by those spots. To make those sites memorable to the world he announced the 7 wonders by election in his time.

The New 7 Wonders What are the new 7 World Wonders Here come the new 7 World Wonders 1. Chichén Itzá, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico The Mayan name "Chich'en Itza" means "at the mouth of the well of the Itza (people)." This famous temple city was the political and economic center of Mayan civilization. The pyramid of Kukulcan itself was the last, and arguably the Page 11 of 22

 

greatest, of all Mayan temples. Since the Yucatán Peninsula has no rivers, the three natural sinkholes (cenotes) at Chichén Itzá made it a good place for a city, providing plenty of water all year. Two of these cenotes still exist—the most famous is the "Cenote of Sacrifice," sacred to the Maya rain god Chaac. Offerings of jade, pottery and incense were thrown into the well, and occasionally, during times of bad drought, a human sacrifice. However, there is no proof to the legend that many beautiful, young women were sacrificed. About 987, a Toltec king named Quetzalcóatl (there is a wonderful legend about him, who became the Maya plumed serpent god Kukulcan) arrived with an army from central Mexico, and, with local Mayan allies, made Chichén Itzá his capital. The art and architecture from this period are a mix of Maya and Toltec styles, such as the "Temple of the Warriors," which features an altar statue known as a chac mool. In the center of Chichén Itzá is the Temple of Kukulcan, often called "El Castillo" (the castle). It is a step pyramid, with square terraces and staircases up each of the four sides to the temple on top. Great sculptures of plumed serpents run down the northern staircase and, because of how the shadows fall, seem to move on the spring and fall equinoxes. Inside, visitors can enter an older pyramid and climb up to the high room with King Kukulcan's stone Jaguar Throne, painted red with jade-green spots. There is also a large court at Chichén Itzá for playing a game called “pok ta pok,” which we think involved throwing a ball through a ring on the wall seven meters (around 23 ft) above the ground. The captain of the team that first scored was beheaded as a sacrifice to the gods and thought to rise directly to heaven. In 1221, a revolt and civil war broke out and the wooden roofs of the great market and the Temple of the Warriors were burnt at that time. Chichén Itzá lost power, as rulership over Yucatán shifted to Mayapan. 2. Christ Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil This Art Deco-style statue of Jesus, which was inaugurated in 1931, stands some 38 meters (125 ft) tall, atop the Corcovado (“hunchback”) mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. As well as being a potent symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of the city and a symbol of the great warmth of the Brazilian people. The idea for erecting a large statue on Corcovado started in the mid-1850s, when a Catholic priest, Dom Pedro Maria Boss, asked for financing for a large religious monument from Princess Isabel of Portugal. She was not interested and the idea died Page 12 of 22

 

completely in 1889, when Brazil became a republic with laws about separating church and state. The second proposal for a large landmark statue on the mountain came in 1921 from the Archdiocese of Rio de Janiero, which organized an event called Semana do Monumento ("Monument Week") to collect donations from people all over Brazil. Designed by the local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski, Christ Redeemer is one of the world’s best-known monuments. The statue, which took five years to build, is made out of reinforced concrete, with the outer layers made from soapstone because of this stone being easy to work with and resistant to extreme weather. The Corcovado Rack Railway played an important part in the building effort, as the only way to get the large pieces of the statue to the top of the mountain was by train. One of the highlights of the inauguration ceremony on October 12, 1931 was supposed to be the activation of the lighting system by the Italian radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi from his yacht far away in Naples, Italy. Bad weather, however, affected the strength of the signal and the lights had to be switched on manually by workers at Corcovado. On January 20, 2003, technology brought another change to the monument—panoramic elevators and escalators were inaugurated, so it is no longer necessary to climb up 220 steps to see the statue up close. 3. Colosseum, Rome, Italy The design concept of this great amphitheater in the center of Rome is still relevant, having influenced almost every modern sports stadium. 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 Colosseum's name is believed to come from a colossus (a 40-meter or 130-ft statue) of Nero nearby, which was changed by Nero's successors into a statue of Sol or Apollo, the sun god. At some time during the middle Ages, the statue disappeared. The Colosseum is 48 meters (157.5 ft) high, 188 meters (617 ft.) long, and 156 meters (512 ft) wide. There are 80 arches on each of the first three levels, and the wooden arena floor was covered with sand. Its elliptical shape kept the players from retreating to a corner, and let the spectators be closer to the action than in a circle. More than 100,000 cubic meters (3,531,466.62 cubic ft) of travertine stone was used in its construction. The Colosseum was cleverly designed, and most modern stadiums have important features first seen here. Seating was divided into sections: the podium, or first level, was for the Roman senators, and the emperor's cushioned box was also here. Above the podium was Page 13 of 22

 

the area for other Roman aristocrats. The third level was divided into three sections: a lower part for wealthy citizens and an upper part for poor ones. A wooden area at the very top of the building was standing room only, for lower-class women. Today, the arena floor no longer exists, though the walls and corridors are visible in the ruins. There are also tunnels, still in existence, made to flood and evacuate water from the Colosseum floor so naval battles could be staged. Another innovative feature of was the cooling system, known as the velarium: a canvas-covered, net-like structure made of ropes, with a hole in the center. This roof covered two-thirds of the arena and sloped down toward the center to catch the wind and provide a breeze for the audience. Sailors on special platforms moved the ropes on command. The Colosseum was in use until 217, when it was damaged by fire from lightning. Four earthquakes between 442 and 1349 severely hurt the building, which was then converted into a fortress with a Christian church built into one small area. 4. The Taj Mahal, Agra, India The Taj Mahal is regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India. This huge mausoleum mosque was built by Shah Jahan, the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, in memory of his beloved wife, a Persian princess born as Arjuman Bano Begum but known as Mumtaz Mahal. She was a significant influence in his life and in his policies, but died at age thirty-nine while giving birth to their fourteenth child in 1631. The ruler went into deep mourning. Her last wish to her husband was "to build a tomb in her memory such as the world had never seen before." So Shah Jahan set about building this fairytale-like marvel of white marble, surrounded by formally laid-out walled gardens, The emperor, later buried in the Taj, was overthrown by his son and imprisoned in the nearby Great Red Fort for eight years, from which, it is said, he could see the Taj Mahal out of his small cell window. The origin of the name "Taj Mahal" is not clear. Court histories from Shah Jehan's reign only call it the rauza (tomb) of Mumtaz Mahal. It is generally believed that "Taj Mahal" (usually translated as either "Crown Palace" or "Crown of the Palace") is an abbreviated version of her name. The Taj Mahal was built between 1631 and 1648, with some 20,000 workmen employed on it daily, who lived in a specially built small town next to it called “Mumtazabad” for the dead empress, now known as Taj Ganj. The material was brought in from all over India and central Asia with the help of 1,000 elephants. The central dome is 57 meters, or 187 feet, high in the middle. A total of 28 beautiful stones were used: red sandstone was brought from Fatehpur Sikri, jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China, turquoise from Tibet, lapis lazuli and sapphire from Sri Lanka, coal and cornelian from Arabia and diamonds from Panna. The luminescent white marble was brought from far-off Makrana, Page 14 of 22

 

Rajasthan. Nearly every surface of the entire complex has been decorated, and the exterior decorations are among the finest to be found in Mughal architecture of any period. Unlike other Mughal tombs, the Taj Mahal gardens are all in front of the tomb and do not play any part in the background. Instead, the background is the sky. Since the tomb is set against a plain across a river, this background of eternal sky works its magic of colors that, through their reflection, subtly reflect on the white marble surface of the Taj Mahal, always changing its color and complexion. The composition of the forms and lines of the Taj Mahal is perfectly symmetrical. The colossal height of the tomb, along with its pyramidal appearance, fill it with grace and make it seem to float or soar. 5. The Great Wall of China The Great Wall was built to link existing fortifications into a united defense system and keep invading nomadic Mongol tribes out of China. It is the largest man-made monument ever built and is the only one often said (and sometimes disputed!) to be visible from space. Like a huge dragon, the Great Wall winds across plateaus, deserts, grasslands and mountains, stretching some 6,700 km (4,163 miles) from East to West. Over the more than 2,000 years that the wall has been standing, some areas have fallen apart or even disappeared. Yet, the remarkable architectural grandeur and historical significance still attract hundreds of thousands of tourists to the Great Wall every year. The Great Wall was built as a defensive fortification by three states: Yan, Zhao and Qin. The Great Wall went through constant extensions and repairs in later dynasties. Construction on the first section began between the 7th and 6th century BC, and the last work on the wall was done between the 14th and 17th centuries. In fact, it began as independent walls for different states when it was first built, and did not become the "Great" wall until the Qin Dynasty. Emperor Qin Shihuang succeeded in his effort to have the walls joined together to fend off invasions from in the north after China’s unification. However, the advantages of the enormous barrier faded with the arrival of gunpowder and other weaponry. In any case, the Great Wall has served as a monument of the Chinese nation throughout history. The wall was originally built of stone, wood, grass and earth. Later, in the Ming Dynasty, bricks were produced in kilns set up along the wall. The bricks were transported by men carrying them on their backs, donkeys, mules and even by goats with a brick tied to their head being driven up a mountain. Many legends exist about the Great Wall, such as the famous story of Meng Jiangnu, set during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.). Meng Jiangnu's husband, Fan Qiliang, was sent Page 15 of 22

 

by federal officials to work on the Great Wall. Having heard nothing from him for months, she went to look for him. By the time she reached the wall, her husband had already died. She began to cry desperately and her howls caused part of the Great Wall to collapse. This story is said in China to show how the Great Wall was built by tens of thousands of Chinese commoners, many of whom died—and were buried in the wall. 6. Petra, Jordan On the edge of the Arabian Desert, nestled away in the mountains south of the Dead Sea, 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 built their city with great tunnel constructions and water chambers that carried drinking water into the city and reduced the chance of flash floods. A theater held an audience of 4,000. Today, the Palace Tombs, with the 42-meter-high (137-ft-high) Hellenistic temple facade on the El-Deir Monastery, are impressive examples of Middle Eastern culture. Petra, which means "stone" in Greek, has survived through the ages because almost all of its "buildings" were carved out of solid rock walls. It is perhaps the most spectacular ancient city remaining in the modern world. To the north, the remains of a 9,000-year-old city make Petra, like Jericho, one of the earliest known Middle Eastern settlements. First a fortress city, Petra became a rich commercial center. Control of key trade routes brought Petra its fortune and produced monumental temples, tombs and administrative buildings. After the Romans annexed Petra in 106, its position as a commercial hub slowly weakened. The city may have housed 20,000-30,000 people during its heyday under the Romans, but, by the end of the Byzantine Empire (ca. 700), the hydraulic system and once-gracious buildings were almost ruins. For the following centuries, Petra disappeared from most maps and became a legend. In 1812, Swiss traveler Johann Burckhardt snuck into the city disguised as a Muslim and shared his story with the world. Much of Petra’s fascination comes from its setting on the edge of Wadi Araba, part of the Great Rift Valley. The rugged sandstone hills form a deep canyon easily protected from all directions. The best access to Petra is through the Siq, a winding, often narrow valley which suddenly opens upon the most impressive of Petra’s monuments, al-Khazneh ("the Treasury"). Carved out of the mountain and over 40 meters (131 ft) high, it was a royal tomb—but legend says that pirates hid their treasure there, hence “the Treasury.” The main god of ancient Petra was Dushara, who was worshipped in the form of a black, rectangular stone, along with Allat, the chief goddess of the ancient Arabs. Worshipping sites can be seen at various points in Petra, and there are many open places of sacrifice marked by altars. Page 16 of 22

 

7. Machu Picchu, Peru Around 1440, it is believed that the Pachacútec Yupanqui, the founder of the Inca Empire, built the city in the clouds known as Machu Picchu ("old mountain") in what is now Peru. This extraordinary settlement lies 2,350 m (7,710 ft) above sea level, deep in the Amazon jungle above the Urubamba River. Forgotten for centuries by the outside world, Machu Picchu attracted international attention when it was rediscovered by the American archeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911. There are several different theories as to what Machu Picchu was: some believe it was the luxurious mausoleum (burial site) of Pachacútec, since there are remains of buildings that were covered with gold; others think that it was an Incan "llacta," a settlement built to both control the economy of the conquered regions and to protect the the top Incan aristocracy in the case of an attack. Another theory expands on this idea, seeing Machu Picchu as a country retreat for Inca nobility. It may also have been used as an observatory and for astrological ceremonies. A maximum of 750 people probably lived in the “Lost City of the Incas” at once. It is said that the silhouette of the mountain range behind Machu Picchu represents the face of the Inca looking upward towards the sky, with the largest peak, Huayna Picchu (“young mountain”) representing his nose. Machu Picchu had a large agricultural area—with practical crops, such as corn and coca, and orchids and other decorative plants, as well as what were probably living and religious sections. In the upper urban area, there is the famous intihuatana (“the hitching post of the sun”), a stone column rising from a stone block the size of a grand piano. This solar clock exactly show the dates of the two equinoxes and other important celestial events. It is thought that, as the winter solstice neared, when the sun seemed to disappear more each day, priests would hold a ceremony to tie the sun to the stone to prevent the sun from disappearing completely. Everything shows that Machu Picchu was quickly abandoned when the Spanish, fighting the rebellious Incas of Vilcabamba, went into Cuzco lands. But deadly smallpox was faster than the conquistadors, and 50 percent of the population had probably been killed by the disease by 1527. The Inca government began to fail, part of the empire seceded and it fell into civil war. So, by the time Pizarro, the Inca’s conqueror, arrived in Cuzco in 1532, Machu Picchu was probably already a ghost town.

Let’s have a look of the 7 World Wonders at once.

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1: Chichén Itzá, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

2: Christ Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

3: Colosseum, Rome, Italy

4: The Taj Mahal, Agra, India

5:  The Great Wall of China

6:  Petra, Jordan 

7: Machu Picchu, Peru

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Natural 7 World Wonders Now N7W Foundation is arranging to discover Natural 7 Wonders. The voted result (Top 10) live list update from January 31, 2008 is here. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Cox's Bazar, Beach (BANGLADESH – Asia) Sundarbans, Forest (BANGLADESH/ INDIA – Asia) Ganges, River (BANGLADESH/ INDIA – Asia) Cocos Island, Island COSTA RICA - North America Mount Everest,Mountain (NEPAL – Asia) Amazon River, River/Forest (BOLIVIA/BRAZIL/COLOMBIA/ECUADOR/PERU/VENEZUELA – South America) 7. Lake Atitlan, Lake (GUATEMALA - North America) 8. Pacaya, Volcano (GUATEMALA - North America) 9. Ha Long Bay , Bay (VIET NAM – Asia) 10. Phong Nha - Ke Bang, National Park (VIET NAM – Asia)

The New7Wonders Foundation & Campaign The Foundation was established in 2001 by the Swiss-born Canadian filmmaker, author and adventurer Bernard Weber to contribute to the protection of the world’s human-built and natural heritage and to foster respect for the cultural diversity on our planet. This organization collects money from people and invests them into any heritage site. This organization has other some sources for money like different international organizations and its members. This organization includes very many projects like repairing and reconstructing the models of destroyed heritages. One such project was completed in 2003, when a high-definition 3D model of the giant Bamiyan Buddha was created that enables the statue to potentially be rebuilt, should the Afghan people decide they wish to do so. The great statue of Buddha was destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. This New7Wonders Foundation project was featured in the Swiss Pavilion at the 2005 World Fair in Aichi, Japan, along with New 7 Wonders ballot boxes which allowed people to cast their votes in the New7Wonders campaign. The Foundation is based at the Heidi-Weber-Museum in Zurich, Switzerland, an architectural landmark in itself - it is the last building designed by Le Corbusier, one of the most renowned artists and architects of the past century.

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The first, successful chapter of New7Wonders drew to a close when the results of the world's first-ever global election were spectacularly announced in Lisbon on July 7, 2007 - 07.07.07. More than 100 million votes had been cast by citizens around the world using modern communications technology in this unprecedented global dialogue. The ceremony ended with the exciting launch of the current campaign: The New 7 Wonders of Nature! For the 18 months preceding the Declaration gala in Portugal, people across the globe cast their votes for their favorites of the 21 New7Wonders finalists in the final stage of the campaign. These 21 finalists were announced January 1, 2006 in Zurich by Prof. Federico Mayor, President of the New7Wonders Panel of Experts. This illustrious panel had selected the finalists from the top 77 nominees—those which received the most votes from people worldwide in the preliminary voting stage.

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The wonders of the world 

Part 3   

Report  Ending

Conclusion There is a theme behind the ‘N7W Foundation’ That is ‘man is mortal, but tries to be immortal through the man’s work’. Following this emotional appeal the ‘New 7 Wonders Program’ started. World is full of heritage. We see and wonder. To protect these world heritage sites ‘N7W’ is founded. This non-profit organization collects money for the protection of those spots and it has a mission to make people aware about their cultures and history. 

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The wonders of the world 

Appendix 

References Web Directory: www.google.com (Web Search and Image Search Service) Web Sites: www.encyclopediabritannica.com (Encyclopedia Britannica) www.encarta.com (MSN Encyclopedia- Encarta) www.new7wonders.com (New7Wonders Foundation) www.nytimes.com (New York Times) www.prothom-alo.net (The Daily Prothom Alo) www.thedailystar.com (The Daily Star)