Bam! This is one of those articles that will shatter a long-held certainty: the 7 Wonders of the World are not actually 7. And we know this might sound like clickbait, but hey… would you believe us if we told you we were stunned too as soon as we found out?! Yes, exactly: in reality, the Wonders of the World are 14!
The reason is simple, but important: today the Wonders of the World total 14, but they are divided into two groups: the Wonders of the Modern World and the Wonders of the Ancient World (although of the latter, only the famous pyramids can still be admired).
Now let’s clear things up and discover them one by one in this article.
Here are the seven wonders of the modern world and the seven of the ancient world
#1 The Colosseum
We’re the ones who have the Colosseum. The Colosseum is the great oval amphitheater in the center of Rome (you know it, right?), where gladiators once fought for their lives. The largest amphitheater ever built, it was made of sand and stone in eight years, from AD 72 to 80.
This colossal structure could hold 80,000 spectators, seated in a circular ring around the central stage. Dramatic and sometimes horrific events took place here—not only gladiatorial contests, but also classical performances, animal hunts, and executions.
It is even said that water was pumped into the arena to recreate naval battles. Partially damaged by earthquakes and stone thieves over the centuries, the Colosseum remains an iconic reminder of Roman history, visited by thousands of tourists every year, so it makes perfect sense that it belongs on today’s list of the Seven Wonders of the World.
#2 The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is an enormous barrier (they could have called it the Giant and Truly Massive Great Wall of China, which would have given an even better idea) stretching for thousands of kilometers along China’s historic northern border. Created over the course of millennia, the wall began as a series of smaller walls dating back to the 7th century BC, built as protective barriers against nomadic raids.
In 220 BC, China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, decided to unite all of China’s walls into one mighty barrier, strengthening and extending it to keep northern invaders at bay.
Today, the wall is recognized as one of the Seven Wonders and, including all its branches, measures well over 20,000 kilometers.
#3 The Taj Mahal, India
The famous Taj Mahal (Persian for Crown of the Palaces) is the magnificent white marble mausoleum on the banks of the Yamuna River in the city of Agra, and it has been chosen as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the monument as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth in 1631. A marble tomb at the center is surrounded by 17 hectares of grounds, where gardens, a mosque, a guesthouse, and a reflecting pool complete the complex. The entire project took more than 22 years of work by 20,000 laborers, at a cost of 32 million rupees.
But the hard work paid off: today the Taj Mahal is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a vital part of India’s rich Mughal history.
#4 Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
The iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer towers over Rio de Janeiro from the summit of Corcovado Mountain. At 30 meters tall, this monument is an emblem of Brazil.
This enormous public artwork was designed by the Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski in the 1920s and completed by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and French engineer Albert Caquot in 1931. Made of reinforced concrete clad in more than 6 million soapstone tiles, Christ the Redeemer is the largest Art Deco sculpture in the world.
Built just after the end of World War I, the sculpture became a symbol of Christianity and hope at a time when the world had been brought to its knees, so it is no surprise that this monument made its way onto today’s list of the Seven Wonders.
#5 Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu is a lost 15th-century treasure, a rare citadel discovered in the Andes above Peru’s Sacred Valley. Remarkably, it is one of the only pre-Columbian ruins found nearly intact, with surviving evidence of ancient plazas, temples, agricultural terraces, and homes.
Archaeologists believe the citadel was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti around 1450, using polished dry-stone walls. The Incas abandoned the site a century later, and it remained hidden for centuries before being brought to public attention by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911. Thanks to this remarkable preservation, it is now recognized as one of the Seven Wonders.
#6 Chichén Itzá, Mexico
Deep in the Mexican state of Yucatán lies Chichén Itzá, a historic Maya city built between the 9th and 12th centuries. Built by the pre-Columbian Itzá Maya people, the city includes a series of monuments and temples.
The most famous is El Castillo, also known as the Temple of Kukulcan. It is a huge step pyramid at the center of the city, built as a devotional temple to the god Kukulkan. In total, the entire temple has 365 steps, one for each day of the year.
Even more impressive is the fact that during the spring and summer equinoxes, the afternoon sun casts triangular shadows along the pyramid’s northern staircase, resembling a feathered serpent slithering down its surface toward a stone serpent head at the base.
#7 Petra, Jordan
Petra, the ancient city in southern Jordan, is also known as the ‘Rose City’ for its golden-pink hue. It dates back to 312 BC. Located in a remote valley, this ancient city was founded by the Nabataeans, an advanced Arab civilization that carved remarkable architecture and complex waterways into the surrounding rock walls.
The Nabataeans turned Petra into a successful trading hub, gaining great wealth and a rapidly growing population before being devastated by earthquakes. Unknown to the Western world for centuries, the city was rediscovered in 1812 by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.
19th-century poet and scholar John William Burgon described Petra as ‘a rose-red city half as old as time.’
Also read: What to do in Hawaii to fully experience this earthly paradise
#8 Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built in 2570 BC and still stands today. It is believed to have taken 20 years and as many as 100,000 workers to complete the Great Pyramid, which was built as a tomb for the 4th-dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu. It was constructed as part of a complex that included temples and many other pyramids.
The outermost stones of the pyramid were made of highly polished white limestone, which were eventually loosened by an earthquake more than 600 years ago and removed to help build cities and mosques. When these casing stones were still in place, some believe the pyramid was so vast and bright that it could be seen from the moon.
There is much speculation about the pyramid’s construction methods and purpose, including references to the moon, the constellation Orion, continental gravity, and more. What is known, however, is that each side of the pyramid is almost perfectly aligned with the four cardinal points of the compass. In addition, the pyramid’s dimensions produce a ratio equivalent to 2π with near-perfect accuracy.
Take a breath—we’re only at number 9! We told you there are 14…
#9 Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built in 600 BC and destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BC. The first and most intriguing fact about the gardens is that there is considerable debate over whether they actually existed.
Whether they existed or not, there are many elaborate accounts and poetic descriptions of the gardens. They are generally believed to have been built by King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife because she missed the gardens of her homeland. Some research suggests they were an elaborate series of terraced gardens. Another theory suggests that the gardens were built within the walls of the royal palace.
Because Babylon was in the middle of the desert, it had no natural vegetation of this kind, so the question remains of how such lush growth could have survived the desert’s arid conditions. Recent excavations have suggested the use of an exceptional irrigation system employing a cellar well together with a chain pump to bring water up to the gardens. Other theories even suggest that the gardens were not in Babylon at all, but were instead built by Sennacherib on the eastern bank of the Tigris River.
Whatever the final truth may be, it is interesting to note that the imagination of ancient poets and historians created one of the Wonders of the World.
#10 Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was built in 550 BC and destroyed by fire in 356 BC. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was built and rebuilt over many years. The most famous version was built around 550 BC and funded by King Croesus of Lydia.
Unlike many other temples of the time, it was built of marble and glittered with gold. The temple’s foundations measured more than 180 by 350 meters, and its steps led up to a high platform on which stood more than a hundred beautifully carved columns supporting the roof. At least twice the size of the Parthenon, it was so breathtaking that people said it rose into the clouds.
The temple housed many incredible works of art, but the most famous was the statue of Artemis herself. Although the original no longer exists, it is believed to have been made of gold and other beautiful materials.
Although it was destroyed and rebuilt many times, and ultimately left to be ruined by humans, nature, and neglect, the most famous version of the temple was destroyed in an act of arson committed by a man named Herostratus on the night Alexander the Great was born.
#11 Statue of Zeus at Olympia
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was built in 430 BC and destroyed by fire in AD 426. Carved from ivory and seated on a cedarwood throne, the statue was created by the Greek sculptor Phidias around 430 BC.
In his right hand was a life-sized statue of Nike, the goddess of victory, and in his left a large scepter topped with an eagle. It is said that the statue filled the full width of one of the aisles of the Temple of Zeus and that its head almost scraped the temple’s ceiling.
In AD 426 the temple was destroyed, and many historians believe the statue was destroyed at that time. Others believe it was moved to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) and destroyed about 50 years later.
Although many copies of the statue were made during its more than 800 years of existence, none have survived.
#12 Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was built in 352 BC and destroyed by an earthquake in AD 1404. The monument was built as a tomb for Mausolus, a governor of the Persian Empire. Sparing no expense, his widow Artemisia (who was also his sister, as was customary) commissioned renowned Greek architects and artists to design the tomb and the sculptural reliefs for each of the building’s four sides.
The monument was nearly square, almost 14 stories tall, and its base covered more than 10,000 square meters. Each side of the tomb had nine massive columns, and the top was a stepped pyramid crowned by a four-horse marble chariot bearing images of Mausolus and Artemisia.
The monument stood for nearly 17 centuries and was eventually destroyed by a series of earthquakes. And, like the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the tomb was so famous that Mausolus’s name became the root word for grand tombs in many languages.
#13 Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes was built in 282 BC and destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BC. In 294 BC, the people of the island of Rhodes began building a colossal statue of the sun god Helios. They believed that it was thanks to his blessings that they had managed to withstand a long siege and emerge victorious.
The Colossus was built of bronze, reinforced with iron, and weighted with stones. Although it is often depicted straddling Mandrákion harbor, this is now considered technically impossible; therefore, it likely stood beside the harbor.
The statue was toppled by an earthquake in 226 BC. It broke at the knees and collapsed to the ground. The Oracle of Delphi suggested that the fall happened because the people of Rhodes had offended Helios, and they decided not to rebuild it.
The statue remained on the ground until AD 654 and, even broken, was so impressive that many traveled to see it.
#14 Lighthouse of Alexandria
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built in 280 BC and destroyed by an earthquake in AD 1323.
Located on the island of Pharos in the harbor of Alexandria, the lighthouse is perhaps the most famous in history. It was very different from modern lighthouses, as it was built in three inward-sloping stages. Built from marble blocks with lead mortar, the lowest section was square, the next octagonal, and the highest cylindrical. Inside the lighthouse were a ramp and a ‘dumbwaiter’ that made it possible to transport the wood for the fire that burned at night.
Inside the open top section of the lighthouse was a large curved mirror used to reflect sunlight during the day and the firelight at night. It is said that sailors could see the light from as far as 60 kilometers away. According to legend, the light was so powerful that it could even be used to burn enemy ships!
Also read: Where to go whale watching in 2023: did you know you can see whales in Europe too?
Conclusions
In this article we have talked about the seven wonders of the ancient world and the modern world—which means the 14 Wonders of the World! If you made it all the way to the end, you’ve seen that we kept our promise and didn’t feed you fluff.
And even though we’d love to visit them all (even the ones that have been lost!), we can suggest stops at some of the most stunning ones, such as Petra, the Taj Mahal, and Machu Picchu.
To learn more, take a look.
