World Wonders

For some reason, every time we travelled somewhere in Asia, we GLOBE students would embark on an epic discussion of the meaning and members of the Wonders of the World. It is time to settle this!

The term "Wonders of the World" originally refers to a list of seven major sights in Greek antiquity. Following the conquest of Alexander the Great, the Macedonian Greek empire briefly stretched from Greece to India, and included Egypt in the south. Although it crumbled with his death in 323 BC, Hellenistic travellers regarded this area as their world, and subsequently conducted their list, heavily biased, from here. Although accounts differ slightly, the seven Wonders of the Ancient World are: the Pyramids at Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus at Rhodes, the Lighthouse at Alexandria, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. So far so good.

Today, none but the Pyramids remain. In fact, all Wonders only stood at the same time for a period of 54 years following the Colossus' destruction from an earthquake in 226 BC (hence the differing accounts). It was for this reason that New7Wonders of the World started a vote from 200 existing monuments in 2001 to find seven Wonders of the modern world. The event was highly criticized, not least because nothing prevented multiple voting, and many saw the stunt for pure economic reasons. For good measure, the winners are: Chichen Itza in Mexico, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, the Colosseum in Rome, the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu in Peru, Petra in Jordan, and the Taj Mahal in India. The last remaining ancient Wonder, the Pyramids, received a honorary site. But now the trouble starts.

First of all, what is a Wonder? The dictionary definition is "a monumental human creation regarded with awe, especially one of seven monuments of the ancient world". Therefore, monuments such as Acropolis or Angkor Wat could be termed a "Wonder",  but they are not Wonders of the World and inferior to the original seven when using THIS term. They can certainly be grander, more magnificent or greater feats of human creation (if one deems them to be), but they are not Wonders of the World.

Second, do the New7Wonders of the World receive equal status as World Wonders with the ancient list? No! Although many of the winners of the quasi-vote are enormous feats of human engineering, art and labour, the bias due to mainstream branding and popularity obscures the results. Placing the Pyramids at Giza in the same category as Christ the Redeemer, built between 1922 and 1931, is a mockery of the skill and effort of the ancient Egyptians.  

Third, on what grounds is something considered a Wonder? This is slightly more tricky. Taking the ancient Wonders as a reference, there are feats of art, wealth, size, engineering, and science, while it is important to remember the time they were constructed. Comparing tombs to loved ones, the Taj Mahal, completed in 1653, is a truly amazing work of construction, art and architecture, but one must take the time period into account when comparing it to the then 45 meter tall Mausoleum, completed in 350 BC. The Great Wall of China took ages to build, with longer stretches and fortifications added over the years, but so did the Pyramids. Which feat is more impressive is impossible to say.

The source of arguments has always arisen from the desire to appreciate human ability. Angkor Wat, the Great Wall, the Leshan Giant Buddha; all have the ability to inspire, to awe, and to remember the greatness of our heritage. Why should the Pyramids be allowed the term Wonder and not the Great Wall? Perhaps it should, but the term "Wonder" is a reference to the Ancient Greeks and their accomplishments. They gave Western Europe the foundation of modern society, not truly recognized until the Renaissance, and were at their time the greatest nation on the planet, the forefront of human civilization. We cannot comprehend the awe which the Hanging Gardens must have inspired on Alexander as he conquered the desert city in 331 BC, and it is this awe which, in my opinion, validates the term "Wonder". Just as WWI will always be referred to as "The Great War", it must be in relative terms that we describe something as a "Wonder". Chichen Itza and Machu Picchu are impressive human accomplishments, but being built from 700 AD and  1450 AD respectively, they fade when compared to the Pyramids at Giza, constructed in 2500 BC.

Finally, what about the United States, which hosts GLOBE in the fall - it had the Statue of Liberty as a finalist in the New7Wonders competition. America has many great buildings and inspiring history, but more for symbolic reasons, and greatly amplified by Americas significance to the world today. It has many important and symbolic places, such as the Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, Wall Street, Empire State Building, etc, but it does not, in any way, have a so-called eighth Wonder. One less point for discussion.