The Seven Wonders of the Medieval World - Part I
By Ghassan Teffaha, Staff Writer

Beirut, Lebanon – Similar to what the Greeks did in the second century B.C., medieval scholars, just like the classical scholars before them, were captivated by the wondrous things people had made. However, much through out of the thousand-year period known as the Dark Ages, most Europeans lived in small, isolated communities. Travel was complicated and often hazardous; and knowledge was restricted to, and often controlled by men of the church. Whatever remained of the great civilizations of Greece and Rome was long gone, but even so, some of their glory was still remembered. The old list of the Wonders of the Ancient World was beginning to fade as most of the wonders no longer existed anymore. At some point during the Middle Ages, another list came into existence; The Seven Wonders of the Medieval World. Worth noting is that some of the wonders are actually from the times of the Ancient World therefore some view this list as an update of the previous list. Here they are in random order:

Stonehenge, located in Britain. It is surely the country’s greatest national icon. It symbolizes mystery, power and endurance. It is thought that the construction of Stonehenge started around 5000 years ago. It is also believed that it was not built in one spell by a single builder but rather phase by phase by several peoples who lived in or around that area. Although its original purpose is unclear to us, some have scholars speculated that it was a temple made for the worship of ancient earth deities. Others claim that it was a sacred site for the burial of high-ranking citizens from the societies of long ago. The stones we see today represent Stonehenge in ruin. Many of the original stones have fallen or been removed by previous generations for home construction or road repair. There has been serious damage to some of the smaller bluestones resulting from close visitor contact which was prohibited in 1978 and still is. Stonehenge has been the birth place of thousands of British, Celtic and Norman folk tales and myth stories. Some even argue that almost all folk tales in the Untied Kingdom can be traced at some point back to Stonehenge.

The Colosseum, located in Rome Italy, is the most famous monument of the Roman civilization. Originally called Flavian Amphitheatre, it got its popular name, the Colosseum, because it was built near where Emperor Nero had erected a huge statue of himself. It was commissioned by the Emperor Vespasian between 70 and 76 AD, and completed by his son Titus in 80 AD on the site where previous Emperor Nero had had a huge villa for himself. Emperor Vespasian wanted to build something for the people rather than for himself. Upon completion, the Emperor celebrated the opening by holding 100 days worth of games there. The Colosseum was big enough to hold the whole population of a small town or as many as 50,000 people. It was used as a Theatre for plays in addition to a stadium for Chariot races and Gladiator games. The games were really bloody and for four centuries, thousands of men died as an entertainment for the crowd as the movie Gladiator depicted. When Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire, such games were banned which meant that the main usage of the Colosseum no longer existed.

The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, located in Alexandria, Egypt which once represented a melding of cultures in the late first century A.D. It was a place where people seemed to have a talent for combining rather than destroying cultures. Many such catacombs once filigreed Alexandria's underground, but earthquakes and construction projects destroyed or obscured them. Only in 1900 was Kom el Shoqafa rediscovered after centuries - by a donkey that fell through a hole in the ground and into its access well. During the late second century, these Catacombs were an active burial ground. Here they reclined while ceremonially feasting in memory of the deceased. Scholars believe that the catacombs at first may have served one family, but they were expanded into a mass burial site, probably administered by a corporation with dues-paying members. What is very intriguing about these catacombs are the depictions on the walls. The walls are filled with Ancient Pharonic symbols, Roman symbols and Christian symbols. It is one of the very few sites in the world that gives us a glimpse of an area in time where 3 great civilizations once met.

The Great Wall of China, located in Japan, if you really do not know where the Great wall is located stop reading and check yourself in the closest mental hospital. The Great Wall started as earth works, thrown up for protection by different Chinese States. The individual sections were connected Qin Shihuangdi (fifth century), the first Emperor of the Qin dynasty; actually spelled chin which is the dynasty that gave the name China to China. Emperor Qin began conscripting peasants, enemies, and anyone else who wasn't tied to the land to go to work on the wall. He garrisoned armies at the Wall to stand guard over the workers as well as to defend the northern boundaries. The tradition lasted for centuries. Each dynasty added to the height, breadth, length, and elaborated the design mostly through forced labor. It was during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) that the Wall took on its present form. The brick and granite work was enlarged and sophisticated designs were added. The watch towers were redesigned and modern canon were mounted in strategic areas. The Great Wall is the world's largest man-made structure on Earth, stretching over a formidable 6,352 Km. However, unlike popular belief; it cannot be seen from outer space because it is only a few meters wide.

To be continued in the following issue…

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