Eight Wonders Of The World

Taj Mahal INDIA

Introduction Taj Mahal was built by Shahjahan

In 1631 , Mumtaj Mahal died and in her memory, Shah Jahan built Taj Mahal. Hence the name Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal is located in Agra. Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture. The origin of the name comes from the name Mumtaj Mahal.

Construction:

Taj Mahal was built between 1631 & 1648 Nearly 20000 workmen were employed The The The The The The The order of construction was : Plinth Tomb Four Minarets Mosque & Jawab Gateway Garden

The material was brought from all over India & Central Asia
28 different beautiful stones were used. Red stones from Fatehpur Sikhri. Jasper from Punjab. Jade & crystal from China. Turquoise from Tibet. Lapislozuli from Afghanistan. Sapphire from Sri Lanka. Coal from Arabia. Diamonds from Panna. Luminescent white marble from Rajasthan The total cost of construction is estimated around 32 million rupees.

DIFFERENT PARTS OF TAJ MAHAL Charbagh

Gateway

Taj Mahal or Mosque

The Dome The four Minarets The inner Chambers

Main Iwan The Finial

The Herringbone
The Incised Painting

The Jali Screen

The Cenatoph

The Designers Of Taj Mahal

Ustad Isa & Isa Muhammad Effendi from Punjab

Puru from Benarus, Persia, Iran

Ismail Khan from Ottaman Empire Qazim Khan from lahore Chiranjilal from Delhi Amanat Khan from Iran Mir Abdul Karim & Mukkarimat Khan from Shiraz

Taj Mahal As On Today Designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 1983. It is cited as the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpiece of the worlds heritage. The Taj Mahal is a great symbol of love and passion.

Chichn Itza Mexico

Introduction
Chichn Itz symbolizes Worship & Knowledge! Chichn Itz, Yucatn Peninsula, Mexico The Mayan name "Chich'en Itza" means "at the mouth of the well of the Itza (people)." This famous temple city was the political and economic center of Mayan civilization. Since the Yucatn Peninsula has no rivers, the three natural sinkholes (cenotes) at Chichn Itz made it a good place for a city, providing plenty of water all year. About 987, a Toltec king named Quetzalcatl (there is a wonderful legend about him, who became theMaya plumed serpent god Kukulcan) arrived with an army from central Mexico, and, with local Mayanallies, made Chichn Itz his capital.

In the center of Chichn Itz is the Temple of Kukulcan, often called "El Castillo" (the castle). It is a step pyramid, with square terraces and staircases up each of the four sides to the temple on top. Great sculptures of plumed serpents run down the northern staircase and, because of how the shadows fall, seem to move on the spring and fall equinoxes. Inside, visitors can enter an older pyramid and climb up to the high room with King Kukulcan's stone Jaguar Throne, painted red with jade-green spots. There is also a large court at Chichn Itz for playing a game called pok ta pok, which we think involved throwing a ball through a ring on the wall seven meters (around 23 ft) above the ground..

In 1221, a revolt and civil war broke out and the wooden roofs of the great market and the Temple of the Warriors were burnt at that time. Chichn Itz lost power, as rulership over Yucatn shifted to Mayapan. Northern Yucatn is arid, and the interior has no above-ground rivers. There are two large, natural sink holes, called cenotes, that could have provided plentiful water year round at Chichen, making it attractive for settlement. Of the two cenotes, the "Cenote Sagrado" or Sacred Cenote, is the more famous. According to post-Conquest sources (Maya and Spanish), preColumbian Maya sacrificed objects and human beings into the cenote as a form of worship to the Maya rain god Chaac.

East side of El Castillo

Great Ballcourt (interior)

"El Caracol" observatory temple. The site contains many fine stone buildings in various states of preservation; the buildings were formerly used as temples, palaces, stages, markets, baths, and ballcourts.

High Priest's Temple.

Templo de los Guerreros (Temple of the Warriors).

El Castillo

Dominating the center of Chichn is the Temple of Kukulcan (the Maya name for Quetzalcoatl), often referred to as "El Castillo" (the castle). This step pyramid with a ground plan of square terraces with stairways up each of the 4 sides to the temple on top. On the Spring and Fall equinox, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the structure casts a shadow in the shape of a plumed serpent - Kukulcan, or Quetzalcoatl - along the side of the North staircase. On these two days, the shadows from the corner tiers slither down the northern side of the pyramid with the sun's movement.
Temple of the Warriors The Temple of the Warriors complex consists of a large stepped pyramid fronted and flanked by rows of carved columns depicting warriors. This complex is analogous to Temple B at the Toltec capital of Tula, and indicates some form of cultural contact between the two regions. The one at Chichen Itza, however, was constructed on a larger scale.

The Great Ball Court

Archaeologists have identified seven courts for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame in Chichn, but the Great Ball Court about 150 meters to the north-west of the Castillo is by far the most impressive. It is the largest ball court in ancient Mesoamerica. It measures 166 by 68 meters (545 by 232 feet). The imposing walls are 12 meters high, and in the center, high up on each of the long walls, are rings carved with intertwining serpents. At the base of the high interior walls are slanted benches with sculpted panels of teams of ball players.
High Priest's Temple

This step-pyramid temple is a smaller version of El Castillo; the name comes from an elite burial discovered by early excavator E. H. Thompson.
El Caracol To the north of Las Monjas is a round building on a large square platform nicknamed El Caracol or "the snail" for the stone spiral staircase inside. This structure was an observatory with its doors aligned to view the vernal equinox, the Moon's greatest northern and southern declinations, and other astronomical events sacred to Kukulcan, the feathered-serpent god of the wind and learning.

Chichn Itz as of today Today several thousand show up to see the light-andshadow effect on the Temple of Kukulcan in which the feathered serpent god supposedly can be seen to crawl down the side of the pyramid. Chichen Itza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the second most visited of Mexico's archaeological sites. In 2007, Chichen Itza's El Castillo was named one of the Seven Wonders of the World after a worldwide vote. Despite the fact that the vote was sponsored by a commercial enterprise, and that its methodology was criticized, the vote was embraced by government and tourism officials in Mexico who project that as a result of the publicity the number of tourists expected to visit Chichen will double by 2012. Over the past several years, INAH, which manages the site, has been closing monuments to public access.

Christ Redeemer Brazil

Introduction
Christ Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Christ Redeemer is one of the 21 finalist candidates in the campaign to choose the New 7 Wonders of theWorld. This Art Deco-style statue of Jesus, which was inaugurated in 1931, stands some 38 meters (125 ft) tall,atop the Corcovado (hunchback) mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. As well as being a potent symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of the city and a symbol of the great warmth of theBrazilian people.

The idea for erecting a large statue on Corcovado started in the mid-1850s, when a Catholic priest, Dom Pedro Maria Boss, asked for financing for a large religious monument from Princess Isabel of Portugal.
She was not interested and the idea died completely in 1889, when Brazil became a republic with laws about separating church and state. The second proposal for a large landmark statue on the mountain came in 1921 from the Archdiocese of Rio de Janiero, which organized an event called Semana do Monumento ("Monument Week") to collect donations from people all over Brazil.

Construction Designed by the local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski.

Christ Redeemer is one of the worlds best-known monuments. The statue, which took five years to build, is made out of reinforced concrete, with the outer layers made from soapstone because of this stone being easy to work with and resistant to extreme weather.
The Corcovado Rack Railway played an important part in the building effort, as the only way to get the large pieces of the statue to the top of the mountain was by train

One of the highlights of the inauguration ceremony on October 12, 1931 was supposed to be the activation of the lighting system by the Italian radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi from his yacht far away in Naples, Italy.
Bad weather, however, affected the strength of the signal and the lights had to be switched on manually by workers at Corcovado. On January 20, 2003, technology brought another change to the monument panoramic elevators and escalators were inaugurated, so it is no longer necessary to climb up 220 steps to see the statue up close

Christ redeemer as on today

Designeted by the UNESCO heritage site in 2007

It the most visited place in brazil. Once you are in rio ,you need to enter in the district Cosmo Velho, more specifically Rio Cosmo Velho 513. From there you can catch The Red Coloured Train to reach at the foot of statue. If you want you can go by taxi also; but if you go by train you can have more fun.

Roman Colosseum Italy

Introduction
The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign.

History

The Colosseum's name has long been believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby. This statue was later remodeled by Nero's successors into the likeness of Helios (Sol) or Apollo, the sun god, by adding the appropriate solar crown. Nero's head was also replaced several times and substituted with the heads of succeeding emperors. Despite its pagan links, the statue remained standing well into the medieval era and was credited with magical powers. It came to be seen as an iconic symbol of the permanence of Rome.

When Vespasian became the new Roman Emperor in 69 AD, he wanted everyone to know that he cared about the people and was going to take care of them and not live luxuriously as Nero had. He tore down a lot of Nero's Golden House and made the land into a public park. He also melted down Nero's giant gold statue, the Colossus, and used the gold from it to pay for the construction of a new amphitheater where the statue had been. Because Vespasian's architects used the new method of building in concrete, he was able to build quickly and cheaply. This amphitheater was called the Colosseum, after the statue. (But officially its name was the Flavian Amphitheater). This made Vespasian very popular in Rome.

Originally capable of seating around 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, reenactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.

Colosseum as on today Designated by UNESCO Heritage Site

The Colosseum today is now a major tourist attraction in Rome with thousands of tourists each year paying to view the interior arena. There is now a museum dedicated to Eros located in the upper floor of the outer wall of the building. Part of the arena floor has been re-floored.

Great Wall Of China

INTRODUCTION Visible from moon Largest and longest human made structure Built to protect Chinese empire

Stretching over 6400km

History Built by king qin shi huang

Constructed between 5th century bc to 221bc

Made by stamping earth and gravel between board frames

Before the use of bricks, the Great Wall was mainly built from earth, stones, and wood. During the Ming Dynasty, however, bricks were heavily used in many areas of the wall, as were materials such as tiles, lime, and stone. The size and weight of the bricks made them easier to work with than earth and stone, so construction quickened.

Additionally, bricks could bear more weight and endure better than rammed earth. Stone can hold under its own weight better than brick, but is more difficult to use.
Consequently, stones cut in rectangular shapes were used for the foundation, inner and outer brims, and gateways of the wall.

Battlements line the uppermost portion of the vast majority of the wall, with defensive gaps a little over 30 cm (a foot) tall, and about 23 cm (9 inches) wide. The steps that form the Great Wall of China are very steep and tall in some areas. Tourists often become exhausted climbing the wall and walk no more than a kilometre or two (around a mile).

Great wall as on today` Designated by UNESCO Heritage Site The Great Wall offers a timeless charm to tourists, but scenery varies with seasons. Visit it in different time you will get a quite different scene. In spring, when trees and plants turn green, the wall wonders among the lush vegetation. Every thing looks so fresh. It is a good time to avoid the crowd tourists in summer and autumn.

MACCHU PICHHU PERU

INTRODUCTION
Also known as Old Peak. Location : 2430m ,altitude :above Urubamba valley in Peru Brought back to international attention by Archacologist Hiram Bingham in 1911. It is referred as lost city of INCAS. It was described as an absolute masterpiece of architecture.

Views of Machu Picchu

History Machu Picchu was constructed around 1460, at the height of the Inca Empire. It was abandoned less than 100 years later. It is likely that most of its inhabitants were wiped out by smallpox before the Spanish conquistadores arrived in the area and there is no record of their having known of the remote city. Hiram Bingham, the credited discoverer of the site, along with several others, originally hypothesized that the citadel was the traditional birthplace of the Inca of the "Virgins of the Suns".

Three Sectors Of Machu Picchu

According to the archaeologists, the urban sector of Machu Picchu was divided into three great districts: the Sacred District, the Popular District, to the south, and the District of the Priests and the Nobility (royalty zone).
Sacred district: Located in the first zone are the primary archaeological treasures: the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun and the Room of the Three Windows. These were dedicated to Inti, their sun god and greatest deity.

Popular district: The Popular District, or Residential District, is the place where the lower class people lived. It includes storage buildings and simple houses to live in. Royalty district: In the royalty area, a sector existed for the nobility: a group of houses located in rows over a slope; the residence of the Amautas (wise persons) was characterized by its reddish walls, and the zone of the ustas (princesses) had trapezoid-shaped rooms. The Monumental Mausoleum is a carved statue with a vaulted interior and carved drawings. It was used for rites or sacrifices.

Machu Picchu As On Today Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage site. As Perus most visited tourist attraction and major revenue generator, it is continually threatened by economic and commercial forces. In the late 1990s, the Peruvian government granted concessions to allow the construction of a cable car to the ruins and development of a luxury hotel, including a tourist complex with boutiques and restaurants. These plans were met with protests from scientists, academics and the Peruvian public, worried that the greater numbers of visitors would pose tremendous physical burdens on the ruins. A growing number of people visit Machu Picchu (400,000 in 2003), For this reason, there were protests against a plan to build a further bridge to the site and a no-fly zone exists in the area. UNESCO is considering putting Machu Picchu on its list of endangered World Heritage Sites.

Petra Jordan

Introduction Great symbol of engineering & protection. Petra ( rock in greek, al-butra in arabic ) is archaeological site. Hidden site revealed to world by johann ludwig burckhardt. Designated as unesco world heritage site in 1985.

Geography Rekem is ancient name for Petra. Capital of Nabataean. Siq

The Amphitheatre

History Petra usually identified with sela.

Rekem was native name.

Nabataean settlement.

Petra as on today
On December 6, 1985, Petra was designated a World Heritage Site. In 2006 a team of architects began designing a "Visitor Centre," and Jordan's tourist revenue is expected to increase dramatically with the attraction of visitors on package holidays. The Jordan Times reported in December 2006 that 59,000 people visited in the two months October and November 2006, 25% fewer than the same period in the previous year, which may suggest that the flow of visitors may be affected by perception of political instability or travel safety considerations. On July 7, 2007, Petra was named one of New Open World Corporation's New Seven Wonders of the World.