Christ the Redeemer Statue,
Brazil
This statue of
Jesus is one of
Rio de Janiero’s most widely recognized monuments. It stands 98.5 feet tall atop the summit of
Mount Corcovado, which itself rises more than 2,
300 feet high. With a hug-like wingspan of 92 feet, the statue seems to both beckon and welcome local residents and visitors alike. It weighs approximately 700 tons and is made of concrete and soapstone. To see the statue up close, you can ride a cogwheel steam engine train up the steep 2.3-mile slope.
Rest up on the ride because at rail’s end you have more than
200 steps to climb to get to the foot of the statue.
Great Wall of China
OK, we’ve all heard the claim that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made object visible from space. But it just isn’t true. According to
NASA, not only is the wall not clearly visible from low
Earth orbit, other man-made things are. The space myth aside, the Great Wall of China is definitely a modern marvel and rightfully belongs amid the other seven wonders.
Contrary to popular belief, the wall isn’t one continuous structure.
It’s actually made up of several separate structures that connect and branch out here and there. Including the branches, it covers approximately 4,
500 miles.
Machu Picchu,
Peru
If
Petra is the city in the rock, then Machu Picchu is the city in the clouds.
Built in the
15th century, this ancient
Incan city is nestled between two peaks – Machu Picchu (Old Peak) and
Huayna Picchu (New Peak) at an amazing elevation of 7,710 feet. It is often (mistakenly) called the lost city of the
Incas, because it was hidden amidst the lush forest and clouds for more than three centuries.
Yale professor
Hiram Bingham rediscovered the city in
1911. Since then, excavation research suggests that the city was home to about 1,200 residents at its peak.
Today, it is a key tourist attraction.
Petra, Jordan
Located in southwest
Jordan are the ruins of the ancient city of Petra.
Massive temples, tombs and monuments have been cut into the surrounding sandstone cliffs. Petra, which is
Greek for “rock,” is also known as “the city in the rock.”
Perhaps the most impressive Petra structure is the Sik al-Khazneh, also known as the
Treasury. It is an elaborately carved and embellished tomb.
Besides the decorative tomb facades and monuments, Petra is also known for its highly organized water system, which included ceramic pipes, intricate water channels and cisterns.
Chichén Itza,
Mexico
The ancient city of Chichén Itza (pronounced chee-chehn eet-sah) is located on the
Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. This well-known
Mayan city served as a religious, political and economic center spanning several hundred years.
The Pyramid of Kulkulkán — also known as
El Castillo — is probably the most recognized ruin of Chichén Itza. This step pyramid stands approximately 80 feet high. It has nine terraces and four sets of stairs. Each staircase has 91 steps. If you include the top platform as a step, then the pyramid has a total of
365 steps – one for each day of the year!
Colosseum, Italy
If you’ve seen the movie “
Gladiator,” then you’ve seen the
Colosseum – well, a CGI-enhanced version of it anyway. Built in
Rome sometime around
AD 70, it was the first freestanding amphitheater.
Others in that era were dug out and built into the sides of hills or mountains to provide stability. Gladiator contests, group combats, battle reenactments, and other productions were held there to an audience of nearly 50,
000. Today, even after some renovations in the
1990s, the wear and tear from poor weather, natural disaster and vandalism show. Nonetheless, visitors flock to this amazing sight daily.
Taj Mahal, India
This 42-acre marble mausoleum complex located in
Agra is a stunning and well-known
Indian landmark.
Shah Jahan, the fifth
Mughal (or
Mogul) Emperor, built it as a memorial to his deceased wife
Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth. Construction, which started shortly after
Mahal’s passing in 1631, spanned more than two decades. It required more than 20,000 laborers and cost several million rupees.
ref By discoverykids_com
- published: 27 Mar 2016
- views: 4