The New Seven Wonders of the World
There are just hours to go until the new seven wonders are revealed.
There's still time to vote online - and there are only two places in the Arab World up for nomination: Petra, in Jordan, and the Pyramids of Giza, in Egypt.
The New Seven Wonders is one big numbers game. The project has been running for seven years, the result is being announced on 07/07/07. There are 21 entrants on the shortlist (3x7)
The whole contest has stumbled along from one controversy to another.
The Giza Pyramids is the only one of the original seven wonders which still exists - the list was compiled more than 2000 years ago. So authorities in Egypt protested that they had to compete for a place in the new seven wonders. Now, they've been guaranteed a place in the new seven wonders. Except that there will be EIGHT new wonders, because the seven others are still being voted for.
And then there is the fairness of the contest. You can only vote once (but you cheekily register with another email address and clear the cookies on your computer) - unless you pay US$32.
And the Vatican says there is an anti-Christian bias in the choice of nominations - for reasons I don't quite understand.
Anyway, here's my entirely subjective, and completely superficial seven wonders:
1 - The Old City, Damascus, Syria
2 - Maalula, Syria
3 - Petra, Jordan
4 - Jeita Grotto, Lebanon
5 - The Pantheon, Rome, Italy
6 - The London Skyline, UK
7 - Giza Pyramids, Egypt
So these monuments are wonders simply because they are on the list? Do the ones that don't make it on cease to be wonders? What a stupid exercise and complete waste of time.
Posted by
Maysaloon |
10:28 pm
Yep, pretty much.
But on the positive side, it does raise awareness of otherwise forgotten monuments. Would the hanging gardens of Babylon be as well known if they weren't known as one of the seven wonders?
I am a bit worried that this is just a conceted publicity exercise, playing on a historic list.
Posted by
sasa |
4:31 am
To be honest with you, those who need reminding about these monuments are probably the very people who shouldn't be allowed to go near them.
Posted by
Maysaloon |
11:53 am
Machu Pichu is fair choise, also Easter Island Moai. Timbuktu as well, I don't know about Taj Mahal, more into Angkor Wat or Ajanta caves, much more Indian. The Colosseum... hmmm, an execution stage as World Wonder. Quite representative for our age. I missed, what else was there?
My no1 Syrian Wonder is Ugarit.
Posted by
Puppeteer |
6:33 pm