The earliest lists of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World we all learnt in school were historically made more than 2,000 years ago by ancient Hellenic tourists.
Unfortunately, they have all been wiped out of the surface of the earth owing to earthquakes, fires, and in one case by an angry mob.
Today, we take a look at five wonders of the world that are still in existence. We know they will definitely take your breath away.
1. Parthenon
The Parthenon is a former temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. Construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the peak of its power. The Parthenon was built by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates under the supervision of the sculptor Phidias. Work began in 447 BCE, and the building itself was completed by 438.
2. Easter Island
Easter Island, a Chilean territory, is a remote volcanic island in Polynesia. Its native name is Rapa Nui. It’s famed for archaeological sites, including nearly 900 monumental statues called moai, created by inhabitants during the 13th–16th centuries. The moai are carved human figures with oversize heads, often resting on massive stone pedestals called ahus. Ahu Tongariki has the largest group of upright moai. Researchers say they have analyzed the locations of the megalithic platforms, or ahu, on which many of the statues known as moai sit, as well as scrutinizing sites of the island’s resources, and have discovered the structures are typically found close to sources of fresh water.
3. Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal, originally the Rauza-i-munawwara is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the southern bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. This is an immense mausoleum of white marble, built-in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.
4. Colosseum
The Colosseum is an oval amphitheater in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum, and is the largest ancient amphitheater ever built. The Colosseum is a large amphitheater that hosted events like gladiatorial games. The Colosseum also named the Flavian Amphitheater, is a large amphitheater in Rome. It was built during the reign of the Flavian emperors as a gift to the Roman people.
5. Angkor
Angkor, also known as Yasodharapura was the capital city of the Khmer Empire. The city and empire flourished from approximately the 9th to the 15th centuries. The city houses the magnificent Angkor Wat, one of Cambodia’s most popular tourist attractions. Angkor, in Cambodia’s northern province of Siem Reap, is one of the most important archaeological sites of Southeast Asia. It extends over approximately 400 square kilometers and consists of scores of temples, hydraulic structures as well as communication routes.
