Wondering About the New Seven (Man-Made) Wonders of the World

On July 7, 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal, the results of the world’s first-ever global vote were announced, determining the Seven Wonders of the World. Choosing world wonders has been a rather “loose” process that began more than 2,200 years ago. In ancient Greece, several writers drew up lists boasting of architectural marvels. Known today as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Greek’s lists were limited to beautiful monuments built in close proximity to the Mediterranean Sea. In other words, they were the seven wonders of their world. 

The following list was generally agreed upon to encompass the ancient wonders: The Great Pyramid of Egypt The Hanging Gardens of Babylon The Statue of Zeus at Olympia The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus The Colossus of Rhodes The Lighthouse of Alexandria In the tradition of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, many other lists naming “wonders” have been proposed. There are lists of Natural Wonders, Engineering Wonders, Travel Wonders, and so on. Lists are published by such well-known groups as The United Nations and The American Society of Civil Engineers. These lists truly reflect a global perspective. 

However, like the Ancient Greeks, the criteria for these lists are rather informal. Plus, there has not been agreement on the selections themselves. In 1999, an idea came to Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber. He began a global campaign to revisit the Seven Wonders. He started a foundation to promote cultural diversity by supporting, preserving, and restoring man-made monuments while bringing together the people of the world. The process of determining the new list of wonders was established by the New7Wonders foundation. 

The organization collected more than 200 nominees from all over the world, from structures built by the first humans to modern monuments from the year 2000. The foundation posted the nominees on its web site and opened the vote to the public, narrowing the list to 77 candidates in 2006. Next, a panel of worldrenowned architects narrowed the list even further to 21 Wonders