Coliseum, Italy
The Coliseum in Rome is a stunning ruinthe remains of a gigantic stadium. Built in the
capital of the Roman Empire, it could hold 50,000 spectators. It is opened in A.D. 80 and
used as a stadium for nearly 500 years, the Coliseum hosted brutal competitions for the
entertainment of the Roman citizens. Although no one knows who the architect was, the
Coliseum was a triumph of engineering. Made of stone blocks, concrete bricks, and iron
clamps. Although the statues are long gone, a large section of the outer wall survives today,
preserving almost half of the original arched entryways to the Coliseum. During the middle
Ages, large chunks of stone were removed from the Coliseum to build churches and other
buildings in Rome.
Great Wall, China
Leaders in Ancient China were always worried about being invaded by their enemies to the
north. So around 500 B.C., a few Chinese states started building defensive walls. When these
Chinese states were unified in 221 B.C., Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered that the existing
walls be joined. That was the beginning of the Great Wall of China. Building the Great Wall
wasnt easy. It took hundreds of thousands of workers, soldiers, and prisoners more than
2,000 years to build. Some sections were constructed of large limestone and granite blocks.
Others were made from bricks. Still others were built from wood and dirt. The workers along
the walls route used the best materials they could find nearby. They even sometimes used a
mixture of sticky rice and egg whites to make the mortar that held the stones and bricks
together. The Great Wall winds through a variety of terrains, including steep, mountainous
hills. It is lined with watchtowers from which soldiers at one time kept an eye out for
invading armies. Today, parts of the Wall are major tourist attractions.
Chichen Itza, Mexico
At its peak from about A.D. 800 to 1200, Chichen Itza was a military, cultural, and religious
center for the Mayan and Itza peopleall who influenced its architecture and life. For
hundreds of years, the elite of Chichen Itza ruled the Yucatan Peninsula. By around A.D.
1250 Chichen Itza had fallen into decline. Today, the city of Chichen Itza is a haunting ruin
and archaeological site. Located just 100 miles inland from the beach resorts on Mexicos
Caribbean coast, Chichen Itza attracts 1.2 million visitors each year. Among its features are
wide abandoned avenues, a stunning stepped pyramid, several temples, an ancient ball court,
and stone masks of the long-nosed Mayan rain god Chaac carved into structures around the
site.
Taj Mahal, India
In 1631, the city of Agra in northern India was the capital of the wealthy Mughal Empire,
which ranged across most of modern-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. That
year the Mughal emperor, whose name was Shah Jahan, suffered a terrible tragedy. His wife,
Mumtaz Mahal, died unexpectedly. Shah Jahan was full of grief. To honor Mumtaz Mahal,
he ordered that an enormous tomb be builta tomb so elaborate and so richly adorned that
it was more like a palace. The Taj Mahal complex took 22 years to build. Construction
materials were brought to the site with the help of over 1,000 hard-working elephants. The
complex includes a vast formal garden, a monumental entry gate, a mosque, and the tomb
itself made of dazzling white marble. A giant onion-shaped dome sits atop the tomb, rising
144 feet high over the wide arches of its base.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu was a remote Inca city. It was located nearly 8,000 feet above sea level in the
mountaintops of Peru. It was built around A.D. 1450 by Incas. When the Spanish
conquistadors arrived in 1532 they destroyed most Inca cities. However, Machu Picchu
remained untouched. The conquistadors didnt even know the city was there. When the
residents of Machu Picchu mysteriously abandoned the area a few years laterno one knows
exactly whythe temples, tombs, and agricultural terraces were left intact. After its
abandonment, Machu Picchus structures were soon swallowed and covered over by jungle
vegetation. In 1911, Machu Picchu was rediscovered by archaeologist Hiram Bingham, and
has since become both an important archaeological site and a tourist destination. Visitors to
Machu Picchu arrive by bus on mountain roads. The ruins include over 140 buildings and
numerous stone stairways and terraces.
Petra, Jordan
From about 100 B.C. to A.D. 300, Petra was a center of trade along the silk and spice roads at
the heart of the Middle Eastern world. Camel caravans carried cloth, spices, and incense
through this rocky desert refuge on their way to the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt, Arabia, and
beyond. It was influenced by all the peoples and cultures they interacted with, the wealthy
inhabitants of Petra created beautiful art, statues, pottery, and architecture. Today, Petra is a
ghost city. What makes it a Wonder are its beautiful buildings, tombs, and amphitheater,
which are all literally carved in stone right into the rocky red hillsides. One of the most
amazing structures that survive is Al Khazneh, or The Treasury. The artisans of Petra
carved this grand structure out of a soft sandstone cliff. Its elegant exterior includes twelve
columns, sculptures of eagles, reliefs of numerous ancient mythological characters such as
Medusa
Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
The newest of the New Wonders, this 124-foot-high statue was built between 1926 and 1931
on rainforest-covered Corcovado Mountain, overlooking Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. To get to
the statue, visitors take a 20-minute-long cog-wheel train ride through the Tijuca forest to
the top of 2,329-foot-high peak. From there, they can walk up 220 steps or take a
combination of panoramic elevators and escalators to the statues base. In 2008, the statue
was struck by lightning, causing damage to the tiles on the head and fingers. Repairs were
made and new lightning rods were installed to help protect the statue from future strikes.
