Geneva – The Great Wall of China, the Colosseum in Rome and Peru’s Machu Picchu are leading contenders to be among the new seven wonders of the world, as a massive poll draws to a close with votes already cast by more than 90 million people, organizers say.
As today’s 6 p.m. MDT voting deadline nears, the rankings can still change. Also in the top 10 are the Acropolis in Greece; the Chichen Itza pyramid in Mexico; the Eiffel Tower in Paris; Easter Island; the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the Taj Mahal in India; and Jordan’s ancient city of Petra.
Winners will be announced Saturday in Lisbon, Portugal.
The Great Pyramids of Giza are the only surviving structures from the traditional list of seven wonders of the ancient world. That list was derived from lists of marvels compiled by ancient Greek observers.
The pyramids have been assured of keeping their status as an honorary wonder in addition to the new seven wonders after indignant Egyptian officials said it was a disgrace they had to compete for a spot.
The final round of the competition narrowed the field to 20 candidates, and people from every country in the world voted by Internet or phone.
“It’s so exciting,” said Tia Viering, spokeswoman for the “New 7 Wonders of the World” campaign. “There are not many things that could bring the world together like global culture. … This is really something that every single person in the world can be interested in.”
The original list of wonders was concentrated in the Mediterranean and Middle East. Six of them no longer exist: the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Pharos lighthouse off Alexandria.
