Seven New Wonders of the World Fever: Catch It

Travel Blog  •  Jim Benning  •  11.16.06 | 7:36 PM ET

imagePhoto by Jim Benning.

Yesterday, we noted USA Today’s list of Seven New Wonders of the World, and we briefly mentioned another list of Seven Wonders in the works. Today, CNN.com published a story about that other list, and according to the report, it’s generating loads of interest. More than 20 million people so far have cast votes for their favorite wonders in a global competition started in 1999 by Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber. A panel of architectural experts, including former UNESCO chief Federico Mayor, helped narrow down the nominations to 21 sites, from Machu Picchu, the Great Wall of China (pictured) and Turkey’s Hagia Sofia to Petra, the Statue of Liberty and the Eifel Tower. The public can vote until July 6, 2007. The winners will be named the next day.

The story notes that “interest has grown as Weber and his 10-member team visit the 21 sites. Their final visit will be March 6 to New York’s Statue of Liberty.”

Nice work if you can get it. I keep checking the Gigs section at various Craigslists for that kind of job.

Nothing. Not even in Bangalore.

But I digress. What of the original wonders?

According to the story:

The Egyptian pyramids are the only surviving structures from the original list of seven architectural marvels. Long gone are the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Pharos lighthouse off Alexandria. Those seven were deemed wonders in ancient times by observers of the Mediterranean and Middle East.

 



No comments for Seven New Wonders of the World Fever: Catch It.

Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.