The New Seven Wonders of the Modern World

This initiative, spearheaded by Swiss Bernand Weber, founder of the New Open World Foundation, aimed to protect universal heritage and engage the masses with culture. The selection of the New Seven Wonders of the World took place through Internet voting or via SMS, involving citizens from around the globe.

This election was held without the support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), although it did have the backing of representatives from the participating countries.

The candidates who took part in this selection of the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World were 21. Among them were monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the Sydney Opera House, and the Acropolis of Athens, among others.

Finally, the inhabitants of the world have chosen the following as the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World:

The Great Wall of China (China, between the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea), built starting in the 3rd century BC to protect the Chinese Empire.

Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), built 709 meters above sea level on the Corcovado mountain. It was inaugurated on October 12, 1931, and stands 38 meters tall.

The city of Petra (Jordan), founded by the Nabataean kingdom in 312 BC. It is located east of the Arava valley and is notable for its rock-cut architecture.

The Colosseum in Rome (Italy) is the only wonder located on European soil. It was constructed in the 1st century by the emperors of the Flavian dynasty.

Machu Picchu, Cusco (Peru), the ancient ruins of an Inca village built in the mid-15th century on the rocky promontory that connects the Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu mountains on the eastern slope of the Central Andes, south of Peru.

Taj Mahal, Agra (India), a complex of buildings built on the banks of the Agra River by Shah Jahan in honor of his favorite wife, Arjumand Bano Begum, better known as Mumtaz Mahal.

Temple of Kukulcán, Chichen Itzá (Mexico), a seven-level pyramid built by the Mayans in the 13th century in Chichen Itzá, in the center of the Yucatán Peninsula. It was erected in honor of Kukulcán (Feathered Serpent) and served as an agricultural calendar that marked the arrival of the spring equinox.

The Alhambra in Granada, one of the candidates for the New Wonder of the World, was not selected, much to the astonishment of all Spaniards, particularly those from Granada.