What are the 7 Wonders of the World? † Modern, nature and classic wonders

You might find them on the bucketlist. from every travel enthusiast: seeing the 7 wonders of the world. It is not for nothing for many an important part of their world trip, they are all beautiful places to visit! But what exactly are the 7 wonders of the world and why do the lists you find online often differ? In this worldly In this article we list all the world wonder lists for you, including a short (but powerful) piece of history of these world wonders. Get your wanderlust on!

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The 7 Modern Wonders of the World

This list was established through an election of the Swiss New7Wonders Foundation following the list of the 7 wonders of the world classical world (of which only one is still standing). This article contains a list of 7 special buildings, each with a special story.

1. World wonder Chichen Itza (Mexico)

Chichén Itzá is one of the most beautiful ruin cities in the world. On July 7, 2007, Chichén Itzá was chosen as one of the 7 Wonders of the World. It is located in Mexico on the Yucatán Peninsula and is close to the Chicxulub crater. This crater was created by a meteorite that most likely killed the Dinosaurs.

Chichén Itzá was built around 800 by the Maya. The Castle was the temple to their god Kukulcan. It is a step pyramid with stairs on all sides with a plateau. Behind the stairs is the story that they function as a calendar. The temple consists of 18 levels, because the Mayan calendar consisted of 18 months. The total number of steps is 365 which refers to the number of days in a year. And the number of faces on the sides of the temple is 52. These are the number of years in a century for the Maya.

Location: Google maps
Entree: € 47 pp Buy your tickets here
Opening hours: Mon to Sun from 8.00 am to 16.30 pm

Wonder of the World Chichen Itzac

Also read: Mexico | 6 must-sees and attractions from Maya to Playa

2. Wonder of the World Cristo Redentor (Brazil)

Cristo Redentor is the most famous landmark of Rio de Janeiro. Everyone knows the famous statue of Jesus. It was completed in 1931 and has since stood on top of Corcovado Mountain, at an altitude of 710 meters, where it ‘watches’ over Rio de Janeiro. However, the statue was not built in Brazil. The statue was initially made in France in blocks of about 16 tons. Cristo Redentor was also voted one of the 2007 wonders of the world in 7. The structure is 38 meters high and weighs a total of 1145 tons† The span of the arms is 28 meters. Pretty impressive right?!

Location: Google maps
Entree: € 20 pp Buy your tickets here
Opening hours: Mon to Sun from 8.00 am to 19.00 pm

Wonder of the World Cristo Redentor

Also read: Round trip through South Brazil: 9x highlights and sights

3. Colosseum World Wonder (Italy)

One of the 7 wonders of the world that is a little closer to home is the famous Colosseum in Rome. The Colosseum has a circumference of more than 520 meters. It is about 50 meters high, 155 meters wide and 188 meters long. The corridor system is accessible through 80 entrances and offered space for more than 50.000 spectators† Each social class had its own seat. Thus the emperor was at the very top. From that spot it was seen how fights took place between animals, between gladiators and between people and animals. These battles ended only with the death of one of the participants. All for the entertainment of the people in the arena.

Location: Google maps
Entree: € 24 pp Buy your tickets here
Opening hours: Mon to Sun from 8.30 am to 19.00 pm

World Wonder Colosseum

Also read: 2 months of traveling through Italy: our absolute highlights

4. World Wonder Great Wall of China (China)

The largest building in the world that can even be visited from different places. The Great Wall of China near Beijing. The large structure was not initially intended to form a whole. It is built in several parts as defensive walls to keep the enemy at bay. It was not until the Qin dynasty (3rd century AD) that several walls were formed into one to protect the north. These walls did not look like we know them now. They were made of materials that were readily available, such as earth and stones.

Most of the wall as we know it today was not built until the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). There are watchtowers every 70 meters and the wall is 6 meters wide and about 6 to 8 meters high. The Great Wall of China is with about 10.000 kilometers one of the largest structures in the world and the largest of the 7 wonders of the world that can even be seen from space.

Location: Google maps
Entree: € 16,- pp incl. pick-up Beijing Buy your tickets here
Opening hours: 06.30 to 19.00 (April to October) 07.00 to 18.00 (November to March)

World wonder Great Wall of China

Also read: Beijing – Sightseeing and visit the Great Wall of China

5. Wonder of the World Machu Picchu (Peru)

In an isolated location, on a spacious 2400 meters altitude The Peruvian Inca city of Machu Picchu was discovered a century ago (in 1911). Thanks to its unique location, Machu Picchu has never before been discovered by Spanish conquerors. Machu Picchu means ‘Old Top’ which is most likely a reference to the height of the mountain. It seems that Machu Picchu was a royal country residence, built around the year 1140 for Inca religious purposes. There were relatively many residences for nobles and only a few residences for the servants. In total there was room for 750 people. To get to this place, the Incas had to walk for several days over a very steep path. So a difficult place to come. Today trains and buses run to Machu Picchu so everyone has the chance to see Machu Picchu, one of the 7 Wonders of the World.

Location: Google maps
Entree: € 39 pp Buy your tickets here
Opening hours: Mon to Sun from 05.30am to 17.30pm (last admission at 16.00pm)

Wonder of the World Machu Picchu

6. Wonder of the World Petra (Jordan)

One of the 7 Wonders of the World Petra was built centuries ago by the Nabateans. When exactly it was built is unknown, it was approximately in the 1st century BC. The Nabataeans were true art lovers and mixed their own culture with inspiration from Greek, Roman and Egyptian buildings. She built a city hewn out of the rocks, with an ingenious water system. After years of construction, the city became a busy trading city until an earthquake destroyed much of it. When the Nabateans left the city, the nomadic Bedouins came to the city.

Petra was discovered in the 19th century and became known as ‘the lost city’† The most famous building of Petra is ‘the treasury’, the treasury of the pharaoh. This monument is about 40 meters high and very impressive to see. There is also a small group of Bedouins living in Petra, whom you can encounter during your visit.

Location: Google maps
Entree: €63 for 1 day, €69 for 2 days and €75 for 3 days Buy your tickets here
Opening hours: Mon to Sun from 06.00am to 18.00pm (in winter until 16.00pm)

Wonder of the World Petra

Also read: Top 10 tips for bucket list destination Petra in Jordan

7. World wonder Taj Mahal (India)

The Taj Mahal is one of the 7 wonders of the world that is located on the right bank of the Jamuna in Agra (North India). In 1631 the great love of Emperor Shah Jahan died while giving birth to their 14th child. He promised her at that moment that he would make her a building that was representative of her beauty.

Shah Jahan devoted 17 years, from 1631 to 1648, to build this structure in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal and as tribute to their eternal love† It is made of white marble and red sandstone with reference to Persian architecture. The building is 60 meters high and also 60 meters wide, perfectly symmetrical. In the Taj Mahal (meaning: Palace of the Crown) there is a mosque that is placed towards Mecca. About 20.000 employees were needed for this project, from various countries. Converted, the construction of this building cost Shah Jahan about a hundred million dollars.

Location: Google maps
Entree: € 14 pp Buy your tickets here
Opening hours: 30 min. before sunrise to 30 min. after sunset (closed on Fridays for prayer)

World wonder Taj Mahal

Also read: 9x Must Sees in India | Fairytale scents and colors

The 7 natural wonders of the world

Have you checked the 7 wonders of the world yet? Then continue with the 7 natural wonders† You are sweet again. One of the 7 natural wonders is located in no fewer than nine countries.

1. The Amazon

The oldest rainforest in the world is located in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. This Amazon area has an area of ​​no less than 7.000.000 square kilometers. Approximately 100.000.000 insect species, nearly 2.000 different mammals and birds live in this area, there are about 75.000 different trees and 150.000 plant species.

The Amazon | The 7 natural wonders of the world

2. Halong Bay

This world-famous bay in Vietnam consists of about 1.969 rock-shaped islands in an area of ​​​​approximately 1.500 square kilometers. Around the islands in Ha Long Bay you will find floating fishing villages, because the area is very rich in various fish species and farm animals.

Ha Long Bay | The 7 natural wonders of the world

3. Iguazú Falls

The Iguazú Falls are located on the border between Argentina and Brazil. 80% of the falls are in Argentina and 20% are in Brazil. This way you can easily grab 2 countries in one go. The whole consists of 270 to 300 waterfalls with a height difference of 82 meters.

Iguazú Falls | The 7 natural wonders of the world

4. Jeju

Jeju is located at the southernmost point of South Korea. Jeju Island was formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago and was not part of South Korea for a long time. In the past, even prisoners were brought to this island. Due to the isolated location, a number of endemic animal species.

Jeju | The 7 natural wonders of the world

5 Komodo

Komodo Island is about 390 square kilometers in size and together with some small islands it belongs to the ‘Comodo National Park’. This was established in 1980 mainly to protect the Komodo dragon. It can grow up to 3 meters long.

Komodo | The 7 natural wonders of the world

6. St. Paul’s Subterranean River National Park

Located 50 kilometers north of Puerto Princesa, this National Park is home to the world’s longest underground river. This is no less than 8,2 kilometers long and can be sailed entirely.

St. Paul’s Subterranean River National Park | The 7 natural wonders of the world

7. Table Mountain

This special mountain in Cape Town has a flat top about 3 kilometers wide. This 25.000 hectare wildlife park is home to many plants and animals, including the black-footed penguins.

Table Mountain | The 7 natural wonders of the world

The 7 Classic (Ancient) Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is an honorary title for remarkable constructions from classical antiquity. This is where ultimately the 7 modern and 7 natural wonders of the world arose. These seven original admiring and sometimes awe-inspiring buildings or works of art of classical antiquity have been pointed out by various writers. All seven classical (ancient) wonders of the world are within the confines of the empire that Alexander the Great conquered with the help of the Greeks. Most, but not all, were built by Greeks.

Of the original seven wonders of the world, only one is still standing: the Pyramid of Cheops, also the oldest structure of the wonders of the world.

1. Pyramid of Cheops

The Great Pyramid of Giza, built around the year 2560 BC, is the only marvel still standing of the original list of seven. Egyptologists believe that the magnificent monument, constructed from about 2 million blocks of stone and believed to have taken about 20 years and 20.000 men to complete, was built as a tomb for the fourth-century pharaoh Khufu.

Pyramid of Cheops

Throughout history, experts have marveled at the remarkable accuracy of the pyramid’s construction. Spanning 13 acres, the base is almost a perfect square, and each corner is aligned almost exactly with the four points on a compass.

2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are said to have been a centerpiece of the ancient metropolis of Babylon (about 80 kilometers south of present-day Baghdad). Curiously, the historical accounts of the Babylonians do not mention the miraculous Hanging Gardens, leading some scholars to doubt that they ever existed.

Regardless of the omission, stories about the gardens spread across the ancient world over time, and ancient writers have recorded numerous descriptions.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon | Illustration source: Wikipedia

The story goes that King Nebudchadnezzar II, who reigned in the seventh century BC, created the Hanging Gardens to mimic the mountain scenery his wife was accustomed to from her homeland of Medina. Despite the romantic image of gardens floating in the air, many experts now agree that, if they existed at all, the Hanging Gardens were an elaborate series of gardens laid out on top of a hilly landscape like terraces.

3. The Statue of Zeus in Olympia

The statue of Zeus in the Temple of Olympia (on the western coast of modern Greece) is made of ivory and gold and was built around 435 BC by the Greek sculptor Pheidias. The gigantic and stunning white statue overlooked the site where the original Olympics were held, and people came from all over the Greek Empire to pay tribute to Zeus and participate in the games.

The statue of Zeus in Olympia | Illustration source: Wikipedia

Scholars agree that the statue stood in the temple for over 800 years, but there is some debate about when and how the statue was destroyed. Some scholars believe that the statue was destroyed in a fire in the temple in the fifth century. Others believe the image was transported from the temple to a palace in Constantinople, where it was destroyed in a fire around AD 462.

4. The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus

Built around the year 550 BC. by the architect Cherisphron, the great marble temple at Ephesus (located in present-day Turkey) was built in honor of Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt and fertility. The stunning marble structure was surrounded by 127 Ionic columns that reached a height of 18 meters. The facade of the temple was decorated with bronzes attributed to a number of expert sculptors of the time and faced a courtyard that served as a marketplace for people from far and wide to trade their goods.

The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus | Photo by Zee Prime at cs.wikipedia

On July 21, 256 BC, the night of Alexander the Great’s birth, a man named Herostatus burned the main building to the ground in hopes of immortalizing his name. Another temple was reconstructed on the site, but was destroyed by the Goths in AD 262.

5. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Admired for its breathtaking beauty, the mausoleum at Hailcarnassus (located near the modern city of Bodrum in Turkey) was built as the tomb for the Persian king Mausollos of Caria and was completed around 35 BC, a few years after the death of Mausollos. The Mausoleum, which no longer exists, was exceptional for its sheer size.

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus | Illustration source: https://wilstar.com/

The burial chamber and sarcophagus, built of white alabaster and decorated with gold, were on a stepped podium and surrounded by Ionic columns. Despite the size of the Mausoleum, visitors were most impressed by the beautiful decorations and statues that adorned it. Sixteen centuries after its construction, the mausoleum was damaged by an earthquake, and in the early 15th century, Crusaders destroyed what was left of the mausoleum and used the bricks to build a castle that still stands today.

6. The Colossus of Rhodes

The 110-meter statue of Colossus overlooked the ancient harbor on the Greek island of Rhodes for only 56 years, but its size and construction awed its visitors so much that it was included on the list of ancient wonders centuries after its destruction. The people of Rhodes commissioned sculptor Chares of Lindos to build the giant bronze statue of their patron deity Helios the Sun God in 294 BC. Unfortunately, in 238 BC, Rhodes was hit by an earthquake and the city’s beloved Colossus fell. However, according to historical accounts, visitors to Rhodes were still in awe of the statue even when it lay in ruins on the ground.

The Colossus of Rhodes | Illustration source: Wikipedia

In 652, an invading Arab army destroyed the fallen Colossus, and some historical accounts claim that the army then sold the pieces to “a Jew from Syria” who transported them on the backs of “900 camels.”

7. The Lighthouse (Pharos) of Alexandria

The Alexandria Lighthouse was located on the ancient island of Pharos, just off the coast of the Egyptian city of Alexandria. Designed by Sostratus of Cnidus in the third century BC, construction of the lighthouse did not begin until 305 BC, during the reign of Ptolemy Soter. The lighthouse, made of large blocks of stone, reached a height of about 120 meters and for centuries was one of the tallest structures made by man. Initially, the structure was only intended as a landmark for ships attempting to enter Alexandria harbor, but in the first century, the Romans transformed it into a lighthouse by lighting a fire at night and using reflective mirrors during the day.

The Lighthouse (Pharos) of Alexandria | Illustration by Emad Victor SHENOUDA, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27872767

After 16 centuries of carrying ships to safety, two earthquakes severely damaged the revered lighthouse. And in 1480, the sultan of Egypt, Qaitbay, razed the remaining ruins and built a medieval fortress on the site using some of the lighthouse’s original stone.

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