The New Seven Wonders of the World were selected through a global poll organized by the New7Wonders Foundation, a Swiss-based organization led by Canadian-Swiss filmmaker Bernard Weber. Between 2000 and 2007, more than 100 million votes were cast by people worldwide to choose seven monuments from an initial list of 200 nominees. The results were announced on July 7, 2007 (07/07/07) in a ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal, revealing a selection that spans four continents and over 2,000 years of human civilization.
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is the longest man-made structure ever built, stretching approximately 21,196 kilometers (13,171 miles) across northern China when all its branches, secondary sections, and associated fortifications are included. Construction began as early as the 7th century BCE, with the most well-known sections built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE) to defend against Mongol invasions.
The wall is not a single continuous structure but a network of walls, watchtowers, barracks, and garrison stations built by successive Chinese dynasties over more than 2,000 years. The most iconic sections near Beijing, such as Badaling and Mutianyu, feature walls averaging 7.8 meters (26 feet) high and 5 meters (16 feet) wide at the base, built with granite blocks, fired bricks, and a mortar made partly from sticky rice.
Contrary to popular myth, the Great Wall is not visible from space with the naked eye. However, it remains one of the most impressive engineering achievements in human history, traversing mountains, deserts, and plateaus. Approximately 10 million visitors walk its paths each year, making it one of the most visited landmarks on Earth.
Petra, Jordan
Petra is an ancient city carved directly into the rose-red sandstone cliffs of southern Jordan, established as the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom around the 4th century BCE. The city's most famous structure, Al-Khazneh (The Treasury), stands 40 meters (130 feet) tall with an elaborate Hellenistic facade carved into the cliff face, and was likely built as a royal mausoleum around the 1st century CE.
At its peak, Petra was home to an estimated 30,000 people and controlled crucial trade routes connecting Arabia, Egypt, and the Mediterranean. The Nabataeans were master hydraulic engineers who built an elaborate system of dams, cisterns, and water channels that allowed a thriving city to exist in the middle of a desert. The city contains over 800 carved structures, including temples, tombs, a 4,000-seat amphitheater, and the massive Ad-Deir (The Monastery) perched high on a mountain.
Lost to Western knowledge for centuries, Petra was rediscovered in 1812 by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Today it is Jordan's most-visited attraction, drawing approximately 1 million visitors annually, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. The city gained further fame through its appearance in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).
Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) is an Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ standing atop Mount Corcovado at 710 meters (2,330 feet) above sea level in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The statue itself stands 30 meters (98 feet) tall with arms stretching 28 meters (92 feet) wide, resting on an 8-meter (26-foot) pedestal. Completed in 1931, it is the largest Art Deco sculpture in the world.
The statue was designed by French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, with the face created by Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida. Constructed of reinforced concrete and clad in approximately 6 million soapstone tiles, the statue took nine years to build at a cost equivalent to about $3.4 million today. The soapstone was chosen for its durability and workability, and was hand-cut into thousands of small triangular tiles.
Christ the Redeemer has become the defining symbol of Rio de Janeiro and one of the most recognizable statues in the world. Perched above the city with panoramic views of Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana Beach, and Guanabara Bay, it receives approximately 2 million visitors per year. The statue has been struck by lightning multiple times and underwent major restoration in 2010, when it was also illuminated with LED lighting.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Incan citadel perched at 2,430 meters (7,970 feet) above sea level in the Andes Mountains of Peru. Built around 1450 CE under the reign of Emperor Pachacuti, it was likely a royal estate and sacred religious site for Incan leaders. The complex spans approximately 5 square kilometers and contains over 200 structures, including temples, residences, terraces, and fountains.
The engineering brilliance of Machu Picchu is staggering. The Incas built the city without mortar, cutting and fitting stones so precisely that a knife blade cannot be inserted between them. Over 60% of the construction is underground, consisting of deep building foundations and a sophisticated drainage system designed to handle the region's heavy rainfall. The agricultural terraces were built with layers of soil, gravel, and stone chips to prevent erosion and landslides.
The city was abandoned during the Spanish conquest and remained unknown to the outside world until American historian Hiram Bingham brought it to international attention in 1911. Today Machu Picchu draws approximately 1.5 million visitors annually, with the Peruvian government limiting daily visitors to 4,044 to protect the site. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
Chichen Itza, Mexico
Chichen Itza is a pre-Columbian Maya city located in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, built between the 7th and 13th centuries CE. Its centerpiece, El Castillo (The Castle), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan, is a step pyramid standing 30 meters (98 feet) tall with 365 steps, one for each day of the solar year. The pyramid demonstrates the Maya's extraordinary astronomical knowledge.
During the spring and autumn equinoxes, the late afternoon sun casts a series of triangular shadows along the northern stairway of El Castillo, creating the illusion of a feathered serpent (Kukulcan) descending the pyramid. This spectacular light-and-shadow phenomenon was intentionally designed by Maya architects and attracts tens of thousands of visitors each equinox.
Chichen Itza also features the largest ball court in the ancient Americas (168 meters long), the Temple of Warriors with its famous Chac Mool sculpture, and the Sacred Cenote, a natural sinkhole where the Maya made offerings. The site receives approximately 2.6 million visitors per year, making it Mexico's most-visited archaeological site. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
The Roman Colosseum, Italy
The Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheatre) in Rome, Italy, is the largest amphitheater ever built. Completed in 80 CE under Emperor Titus, it could seat between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators who came to watch gladiatorial contests, animal hunts, mock sea battles, and public executions. The oval structure measures 189 meters long, 156 meters wide, and 48 meters tall, and its design has influenced stadium architecture for nearly 2,000 years.
The Colosseum's engineering was remarkably advanced. Its 80 arched entrances allowed the entire audience to be seated within 15 minutes, a logistical feat that modern stadiums still struggle to match. The hypogeum, an elaborate underground network of tunnels and cages, housed gladiators, prisoners, and wild animals, with mechanical elevators and trapdoors that could raise them dramatically into the arena. The velarium, a retractable awning operated by a team of sailors, could shade the entire audience from the sun.
Despite losing roughly two-thirds of its original structure to earthquakes, stone-robbers, and natural decay over the centuries, the Colosseum remains Rome's most iconic landmark. It receives approximately 7 million visitors annually and is the most popular tourist attraction in Italy. A major restoration project completed in 2016, funded by the Tod's fashion group, restored the monument's façade to near-original whiteness.
The Taj Mahal, India
The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum in Agra, India, built between 1632 and 1653 by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth. Widely regarded as the finest example of Mughal architecture, it combines elements of Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish, and Indian architectural styles into a monument of extraordinary beauty and symmetry.
The main dome rises 73 meters (240 feet) above ground level and is surrounded by four minarets, each standing 40 meters tall and deliberately tilted slightly outward so that they would fall away from the tomb in the event of an earthquake. The white Makrana marble was sourced from quarries 400 kilometers away in Rajasthan, while 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid in the marble using the pietra dura technique, sourced from as far away as Sri Lanka, Tibet, and Arabia.
Construction employed approximately 20,000 artisans, including calligraphers, stonecutters, and inlayers, brought from across the Mughal Empire and beyond. The Taj Mahal complex covers 17 hectares and includes a mosque, a guest house, formal gardens in the classic Mughal char bagh (four-garden) layout, and a reflecting pool that creates the famous mirror image. The Taj Mahal draws approximately 7-8 million visitors annually, making it India's most visited monument.
The Selection Process
The New7Wonders campaign was launched in 2000 by the New7Wonders Foundation. An initial list of 200 monuments was narrowed to 77, then to 21 finalists by a panel of architects led by former UNESCO Director-General Federico Mayor. The final seven were chosen entirely by popular vote via the internet and telephone, with no limit on the number of votes per person. UNESCO distanced itself from the campaign, stating that it was a private initiative with no scientific or cultural criteria.
The Great Pyramid of Giza was granted honorary status as an "Honorary New Wonder" after Egyptian authorities objected to the pyramid competing alongside much younger monuments. Despite the controversy over methodology, the campaign succeeded in drawing global attention to cultural heritage preservation and generating significant tourism revenue for the selected sites.
Key Facts
- Over 100 million votes were cast in the 2007 New Seven Wonders poll
- The results were announced on 07/07/07 in Lisbon, Portugal
- The Great Pyramid of Giza was given honorary "eighth wonder" status
- The seven wonders span four continents: Asia, South America, Europe, and North America
- The oldest wonder (Great Wall) dates to the 7th century BCE; the newest (Christ the Redeemer) was completed in 1931
- Combined, the seven sites attract over 30 million visitors annually
- All seven are UNESCO World Heritage Sites
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