We all have that one dream destination we hope to visit at least once in our lives. Some dream of traveling to Norway to witness the Northern Lights, while others want to experience Disneyland in America.

The Iconic Seven Wonders

I’ve always dreamt of not one but seven places – the Seven Wonders of the World. These are some of the most marvellous monuments ever built by humans, with an air of magical mystery surrounding them that we won’t find anywhere else.

The New Seven Wonders of the World are:

1. The Great Wall of China.
2. The Colosseum, Italy.
3. Chichén Itzá, Mexico.
4. Machu Picchu, Peru.
5. Christ the Redeemer, Brazil.
6. Petra, Jordan.
7. Taj Mahal, India.

The Ancient List

If we were to come across this list about 2000 years earlier, the names would’ve been totally different. Why so? Let’s go back a bit in history.

In the 4th century BC, as the Greek empire expanded, travelers visited other lands and documented the places and landmarks that were unique architectural marvels.

Diodorus Siculus, a Greek historian, was the first to compile these sites into a list of seven thaumata or wonders. Later, Antipater of Sidon and Philon of Byzantium added more sites to this list.

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are:

1. Great Pyramid of Giza.
2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia.
4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.
5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.
6. Colossus of Rhodes.
7. Lighthouse of Alexandria.

You might be wondering, why seven? Well, the Greeks believed the number 7 represented perfection and plenty. It also represented the Sun, Moon, plus the (five) planets they knew at the time.

Passing the ‘Wonders’ Baton

Why was the list revised? It was revised because out of the seven ancient wonders, six were in ruins. Only the Great Pyramid of Giza still stands tall, leaving us marveling at the ancient sites that were part of the list.

Bernard Weber, a Swiss-Canadian filmmaker, realized how geographically limited the ancient list was. In 2001, he founded the New 7 Wonders Foundation (N7W) and launched a global voting campaign to select a new list of wonders.

The campaign received over 100 million votes for nearly 200 sites. After a lot of discussions, a panel of experts reviewed and approved the final list.

So, on the 7th day of the 7th month in 2007, the world officially received its New Seven Wonders of the World!

Conclusion

During my trip to Machu Picchu, several questions lingered in my mind. Was this place chosen because it symbolized the Inca’s engineering genius? Or because of its legends and spiritual energy?

Whatever the reason, there’s one common thread that links them all – each of these monuments has a story to tell. They represent how both ancient and new civilizations used their limitless imagination and technical skills to create these monuments.

Casting a last glance at Machu Pichu, I wholeheartedly agreed.

Additional Resources:

1. Watch ‘The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World’ by See U in History to get an in-depth insight into the ancient wonders. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ml9HsFDppo8).
2. If you like to read books, dive into Erin Lair’s 7 Wonders of the World: An Exercise Book for Kids. (https://www.amazon.com/Wonders-World-Book-That-Makes-ebook/dp/B09JRZZ5GY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0#).
3. Listen to Curadio’s story “The Story of Machu Picchu” to learn all about this historic wonder nestled in Peru. (https://www.curadio.in/stories/the-story-of-machu-picchu).

Audio Stories For Kids

Curadio offers a large collection of audio stories for kids in multiple categories. Browse through the list of audio stories on our website and listen to these stories anywhere, anytime.