The Great Wall (China - 220 B.C. and 1368-1644 A.D.)--
With a history of more than 2000 years, the Great Wall is one of the most appealing attractions all
around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance. It winds up and down
across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 4,163 miles (6,700 kms)
from east to west of China.
Christ the Redeemer (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 1931)--
Brazil’s statue of Christ the Redeemer has long been a symbol of the welcoming spirit of the Brazilian people.
The imposing statue, inaugurated in 1931, was created by sculptor Paul Landoviski and built by the engineer
Heitor da Silva Costa. It is situated in a nature reserve, providing
beautiful surroundings and fantastic views over the rest of the city.
Petra (Jordan - 9 B.C. - 40 A.D.)-
On the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to 40 A.D.).
Masters of water technology, the Nabataeans provided their city with great tunnel constructions and water chambers.
A theater, modelled on Greek-Roman prototypes, had space for an audience of 4,000. Today, the Palace Tombs of Petra,
with the 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple facade on the El-Deir Monastery, are impressive examples of Middle Eastern culture.
Machu Picchu (Cuzco, Peru - 1460-1470)--
In the 1460s, the Incan Emperor Pachacútec built a city in the clouds on the mountain known as Machu Picchu
("old mountain"). It was abandoned for three centuries after the Spanish conquest, Machu Picchu, or “Old Peak”
in the Quechua language, was rediscovered by U.S. archeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911. This extraordinary settlement lies
halfway up the Andes Plateau, deep in the Amazon jungle and above the Urubamba River. Machu Picchu is wonderful, beautiful and
incomparable.
Chichen Itza, Yucatan (Mexico - before 800 A.D.)
--
Chichén Itzá, the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization.
Its various structures - the pyramid of Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars, and the
Playing Field of the Prisoners – can still be seen today and are demonstrative of an extraordinary commitment to
architectural space and composition. The pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temples.
Colosseum, Rome (Italy - 70 - 82 A.D.)
-- This great amphitheater in the centre of Rome was built to give favors to successful legionnaires and to
celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire. Its design concept still stands to this very day, and virtually every modern
sports stadium some 2,000 years later still bears the irresistible imprint of the Colosseum's
original design.
Taj Mahal, Agra (India - 1630 A.D.)
--
The construction of Taj Mahal was started in A.D. 1632 and completed at the ended in 1648 A.D. For seventeen years,
twenty thousand workmen are said to have been employed on it daily, for their accommodation a small town, named
after the deceased empress- 'Mumtazabad', now known as Taj Ganj, was built adjacent to it. The construction of this
marble masterpiece is credited to the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan who erected this mausoleum in memory of his
beloved wife, Arjumarid Bano Begum; popularly known as Mumtaz Mahal, who died in A.H. 1040 (A.D. 1630).
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