Selecting The New Seven Wonders Of The World
Times have changed since 200 B.C. when Philon of Byzantium chose as ‘tourist hotspots’ seven striking man-made monuments lining the Mediterranean: the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and the Pyramids of Egypt.
These ‘wonders’ later became known as the ‘‘Seven Ancient Wonders of the World’, but as only one of them (The Pyramids of Egypt) remains, it seems only fair that the ‘Seven Wonders’ concept be revived:
‘just as Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympic Games in 1896 with his modern version of the competition, New7Wonders founder Bernard Weber is seeking to revive the concept of the 7 Wonders with this ambitious global campaign: the New 7 Wonders of the World. The key difference is that, this time around, they will not be chosen by one man, but rather by millions of people all over the world.’ (link).
So, a campaign was launched, lists drawn up, monuments visited, a shorter list created, and now the world is being asked to vote for the world’s ‘New Seven Wonders’.
The list of finalists has twenty-one options, including the Acropolis, Stonehenge, Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal and the same Egyptian Pyramids (at Giza) that were in the original Seven Wonders.
Backpackers do a lot of travelling, and are likely to have seen many of these places first hand (which is why I decided to bring this up)… If you feel strongly about one or more of the places on the list, why not get involved, and cast your vote (you do have to register, though).
I like the idea of being involved in something like this, but I do have some reservations about it all being one big marketing gimmick. Granted, you can choose not to be sent information on ‘New Wonders’ merchandise, but just the fact that those options are there makes the cynic in me stand up and take notice.
The New 7 Wonders of the World will be announced during the Official Declaration ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday, July 7, 2007 – 07.07.07.
Posted in Travel News
December 5, 2006 at 6:29 pm