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Seven Wonders of the World

Deciding on the seven wonders of the world in modern time is a topic which has been hotly debated, and various lists of "Wonders of the World" have been compiled. The Medieval and Ancient seven wonders of the world are accepted by the mainstream public. The number "seven" was chosen due to the Greek belief that the number represents perfection and plenty.

The seven natural wonders of the world

The "Seven Natural Wonders of the World" list is similar to other wonders of the world lists due to the fact that there is no clear cut consensus on which exact sites are "the" top seven wonders of the world. The seven natural wonders of the world, as accepted by most people are:

  • Grand Canyon
  • Great Barrier Reef
  • Harbor of Rio de Janeiro
  • Mount Everest
  • Aurora
  • Paricutin Volcano
  • Victoria Falls

The 7 Wonders of the Underwater World

The Seven Underwater Wonders of the World is a list drawn up by CEDAM International, an American non-profit group for divers. CEDAM International is committed to preserving the oceans and conducting research.

The seven wonders of the underwater world list was compiled by a panel of marine scientists, and includes underwater areas which they consider worthy of protection.

  • Palau
  • Belize Barrier Reef
  • Great Barrier Reef
  • Deep-sea vents
  • Galapagos Islands
  • Lake Baikal
  • Northern Red Sea

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The historian Herodotus and the scholar Callimachus of Cyrene compiled an early list of seven wonders. Most of these wonders have not survived time, but luckily, their list did.

  • Great Pyramid of Giza - the only remaining wonder of the ancient world
  • Hanging Gardens of Babylon
  • Statue of Zeus at Olympia
  • Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
  • Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus
  • Colussus of Rhodes
  • Lighthouse at Alexandria

The Seven Wonders of the Medieval World

Many of the structures on this list were built much earlier than the Medieval Ages, but were well known.

  • Stonehenge
  • Colosseum
  • Catacomb at Kom el Shoqafa
  • Great Wall of China
  • Porcelain Tower of Nanjing
  • Hagia Sophia
  • Leaning tower of Pisa

Other sites sometimes incudes in this list are:

  • Taj Mahal
  • Cairo Citadel
  • Ely Cathedral
  • Cluny Abbey