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The Hagia Sophia in Turkey

July 8th, 2007 by Shenron

The Hagia Sophia is a former mosque that is now a museum in Istanbul Turkey, and it is famous for its amazingly well constructed dome. Originally in the fifth century AD the Byzantine Emperor ordered its construction on the site of where two previous churches had been. The church contained many relics and a 50 foot silver iconostasis. A millennia later the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople and the church was converted to being a mosque, and remained so until the 1930s, after the Ottoman Empire had fallen. The Hagia Sophia suffered from many disasters, including an earthquake in the 10th century, which forced repairs to its dome, and it was also ransacked with the fourth crusade. It survived by constant restorations afterwards, along with additional buttresses, but again it was fixed. It is the best surviving structure created during the height of the Byzantine Empire, and one of the longest lived buildings, surviving many encounters with possible destruction.

Hagia Sophia

Posted in 7 Wonders of the Middle Ages, The 21 Finalists | | 0 Comments

The Machu Picchu in Peru

July 8th, 2007 by Shenron

The Machu Picchu is an ancient Inca Empire relic often called “The lost city of the Incas” and it is over seven thousand feet up in altitude. Originally a city constructed around 1450 by the Incas it was abandoned just a century later, when the empire fell at the hands of the Spanish conquistadors – it was never found by the Spaniards and hence preserved, forgotten for four hundred years.

The Machu Picchu in Peru

Machu Picchu is separated into three sectors with them being given names, such as the Sacred District, the Popular District, and the District of the Priests and Nobility – a royal or high ranking Inca zone that most commoners would not have been allowed into. All the architecture is classic Inca stonework and strong massive construction, with over a hundred flights of stone steps carved in granite and fountain systems throughout. It was not until 1911 that this hidden or lost city was rediscovered by the world, although the locals knew of it quite well. Since then it has become a popular visiting location for those wishing to be “adventurous” with over four hundred thousand visitors in 2003.

New 7 Wonders Winner

Posted in Man Made Travel Wonders, New 7 Wonders, The 21 Finalists | | 0 Comments

The Pyramids of Giza

July 8th, 2007 by Shenron

The Pyramids of Giza are located near Cairo in Egypt and are one of the traditional Seven Wonders of the World, being the only one of the seven to have survived until today. Because of this, it has automatically been added as one of the default New Seven Wonders of the World after pressure from Egypt and others who felt it wrong to even risk having it dislodged from the “Wonders of the World” list, albeit not a scientific or official list.

The Pyramids of Giza

The necropolis consists of six recognizable pyramids, the Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure are the three largest. The Pyramids are thought to have been constructed most actively around 2500 BC, with construction lasting for many years between each massive pyramid, and for a while it was thought to have occurred through the use of slave labor – however that has come into controversy with new evidence. Currently they are the biggest attraction in Egypt to visit, as they also have the sphinx near by (in the same complex actually) and offer tours.

Posted in 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, Man Made Travel Wonders, The 21 Finalists | | 0 Comments

The Taj Mahal in India

July 8th, 2007 by Shenron

The Taj Mahal was commissioned for being built as a mausoleum for the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It was constructed between 1632 and 1648 and consists of gardens, several outlying buildings, and the tomb itself, with almost all the surfaces being decorated, with the exterior decorations being the best found in Mughal architecture.

The Taj Mahal in India (Angra)

The designs were applied using stone inlays, paint, stucco, and carvings, along with using calligraphy, there are also many motifs on the lower walls that are designed with realistic bas relief flowers and vines. The Taj Mahal is 55 meters tall, with the dome being 18 meters in diameter and 24 meters tall. The complex tomb and plinth took about 12 years to finish, with the rest of the complex and gardens taking twelve years. The structure was restored in the late 1800’s and early 20th century after having fallen into disrepair and defacement by British soldiers and others who were not so kind to the massive structure. Today it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the entire country with it having millions of tourist each year.

New 7 Wonders Winner

Posted in Man Made Travel Wonders, New 7 Wonders, The 21 Finalists | | 0 Comments

The Kiyomizu Temple in Japan

July 8th, 2007 by Shenron

Kiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto Japan, and is one of the more relevant temple locations, and what is one of the best know locations for tourists to visit in the city.

 The Kiyomizu Temple in Japan

The temple was first constructed in 798, however all current buildings were constructed in 1633. The veranda of the structure is supported by hundreds of pillars and it soars above the vegetation by 13 meters. At one point it was thought that if someone were to jump off and live, their wish would be granted – and at one point 234 jumps had been recorded with a 85% survival rate. The Temple complex has several shrines for the god of love and has a pair of love stones placed eighteen meters apart, in which someone must walk between in order to have good luck in finding love, it also includes all of the modern items found in temples with street sellers offering things like incense and other trinkets or fortune papers.

Posted in The 21 Finalists | | 0 Comments

The Stonehenge in United Kingdom

July 8th, 2007 by Shenron

Stonehenge is a monument that is located in the Wiltshire in England north of Salisbury, and it is one of the most famous human construction sites in the world, being erected over five thousands years ago with massive stones, and a construction period lasting for three thousand years, with evidence suggesting activity even earlier and somewhat later than the dates conclusively known.

Stonehenge in United Kingdom

The Stonehenge was constructed in about seven phases, or three phases with the third having five sub-phases. Recently restoration work has been underway, and early in the 20th century construction work was undertaken to carefully re-align some of the stones into their original positions. Currently Stonehenge is threatened by the A303 road upgrades that the British government wishes to upgrade, with a few plans that could drastically alter the surrounding area of the site and disturb archaeological potential of more information regarding what Stonehenge was constructed for, as there is no conclusive solution to many of the questions regarding it.

Posted in 7 Wonders of the Middle Ages, The 21 Finalists | | 0 Comments

The Colosseum in Italy

July 8th, 2007 by Shenron

The Colosseum was originally called the Flavian Amphitheater, is a large construction that is 48 meters high, 189 meters long, and 156 meters wide with the entire structure taking up six acres. What you see when you look at the massive structure today is actually the original interior wall, not the exterior which has collapsed in many areas.

The Colosseum in Italy (Rome)

The total capacity of this magnificent marvel of Roman engineering was around 87 thousand people, along with this seating there were special box seating areas for the Emperor, of course giving him the best view. In the 1800’s the structure was stabilized and some parts restored after hundreds of years of abuse, neglect, and usage for other buildings. The facade was reinforced with brick wedges and much of the interior was repaired thrice, having been done so in 1831, 1846 and throughout the 1930’s. Today it stands as a monument to the power of the Roman Empire, and it is a major Tourist attraction in the city or Rome with thousands upon thousands visitors each year paying to go into the arena.

New 7 Wonders Winner

Posted in 7 Wonders of the Middle Ages, New 7 Wonders, The 21 Finalists | | 0 Comments

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