The Seven Wonders of the World: it’s a group as iconic as The Beatles, as ancient as history itself, and as lore-heavy as a Hinge date from Bushwick who really found themselves in Bali. And while seven may seem like a compact number—as with any great classic—there’s been a slew of reboots and sequels since the original list from the ancient world dropped nearly 2,000 years ago. We compiled our own list earlier this year, and have coined some sites ‘Eighth Wonders’ (including in this fun piece about New Zealand’s pink and white terraces from Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings). Even the so-called original list is likely a remix too, as the oft-cited first version from ancient Greek historian Herodotus exists only in reference, having been long lost since its days on the Museum of Alexandria’s shelves.
Over the millennia, all these variations on the wonders have inspired countless itineraries, TV specials, heritage tours, and bucket lists in their name. But whichever seven you choose to celebrate, perhaps your biggest wonder is: How were the most well-known lists created?
How were the original Seven Wonders chosen?
The oldest-known list that tried record the world’s most remarkable man-made creations was the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World list, which was put together by Greek historian Herodotus. This list was compiled between the first and second century BCE and included the Statue of Zeus at Olympia and the Colossus of Rhodes, both of which were destroyed in earthquakes; and the Temple of Artemis, which was destroyed in the 4th century by a Greek man Herostratus (he wanted to become a famous arsonist) and later swept away by the winds of time. The full list also includes the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria, all of which no longer exist. The only remaining monument of the original seven is the Great Pyramid of Giza.
What are the New Seven Wonders?
In the 2000s, a Swiss-Canadian man named Bernard Weber wanted to harness the power of the then-newborn internet to find a new set of Seven Wonders. This time though, it wasn’t a solitary mission. Instead, Weber decided to democratize the list by surveying people on the internet, which, in theory, opened up the discourse to the entire world. “For the first time in the history of mankind, a democratic global exercise in the form of a worldwide voting campaign was technically possible,” he says in a letter posted on the official website of the New Seven Wonders. Millions of people cast their votes and a shortlist of 21 man-made creations was compiled. The results were announced on July 7, 2007, with over 100 million votes counted, at a very 2007 ceremony: Aughts icons Hilary Swank and Bipasha Basu were in attendance, and actor Ben Kingsley hosted the event at Lisbon’s Benfica Stadium. The announced wonders were Chichen Itza, Christ the Redeemer, the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, Petra, the Taj Mahal, and the Colosseum.
Does UNESCO have anything to do with the New Seven Wonders?
Given that UNESCO has its own lists of World Heritage Sites, it’s easy to associate the organization with the New Seven Wonders of the World campaign, but UNESCO has nothing to do with the contemporary list. Weber did receive consultation from the UNESCO World Heritage Center in Paris when he began his process, but that’s the extent of UNESCO’s involvement. “In order to avoid any damaging confusion, UNESCO wishes to reaffirm that there is no link whatsoever between UNESCO’s World Heritage program, which aims to protect world heritage, and the current campaign concerning ‘The New 7 Wonders of the World,’” said UNESCO in a press release from 2007.
What has happened in the 17 years since the New Seven Wonders were announced?
Of course, the new list wasn’t without its detractors. For instance, government officials in Egypt felt snubbed that the Pyramids didn’t make it in the update. According to a 2007 Washington Post article, Farouk Hosny, the Egyptian Minister of Culture, called Weber’s campaign, “absurd.” The exclusion of other beloved monuments such as the Sydney Opera House and the Acropolis of Athens, also caused a stir at the time. Weber’s noble intentions behind creating an open vote did face criticism that “the list of the ‘7 New Wonders of the World’ will be the result of a private undertaking, reflecting only the opinions of those with access to the internet and not the entire world,” as UNESCO’s 2007 press release on the campaign states.
Listening to the feedback and understanding that no one list (let alone one of just seven) could comprehensively collect the world’s most beautiful landscapes or most sophisticated architectural feats or any other form by which a wonder can be classified, Weber’s New7Wonders foundation has since released lists of the New Seven Wonders of Nature—featuring the Amazon Rainforest, Komodo Island in Indonesia, and Ha Long Bay in Vietnam—as well as the Seven Wonders Cities.
And since 2007, it seems that everyone has grown more familiar with the internet, and it’s easier than ever to have your own Seven Wonders. Non-profit initiatives, books, publications, and TV programs have gathered lists of the wonders of the industrial world, the underwater world, the solar system, and more. Needless to say, we clearly love lists, and there can never be enough for the sheer number of wonders in the world.
A version of this article originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller India.
