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51.8%ANMag Issue 22 Global Awareness
The New Seven Wonders of the World, Part II
By Ghassan Teffaha, Staff Writer
Beirut, Lebanon – Part II - Two thousand years after the first list was created by the ancient Greek philosophers and historians, a new list was unveiled in Lisbon, Portugal on July 07, 2007. What differentiates this list from its predecessor is that it was voted on by the People of Earth with more than 100 million votes cast, making it the world’s first global election. The number ‘7’ was chosen in order to remain true to the original list and also because scientific research proved that it is the number of things that the average person can remember.
To be included on the new list, the wonders had to be manmade, completed before 2000 A.D, and in an "acceptable" state of preservation. Monuments and buildings from all countries and continents in the whole world were eligible and invited to be nominated. An Expert Panel, chaired by Professor Dr. Federico Mayor Zargoza, rendered a list of 21 Finalists from 21 different countries on January 1, 2006 from the original list of 77 candidates, who were later reduced to 20, following complaints from Egypt over the Pyramids' inclusion as a candidate in competition with others. During the unveiling ceremony, the Pyramids of Giza were also honored as the only remaining of the seven Ancient Wonders of the World.
During the ceremony, it was made very clear that the list has no ranking, and hence, here are the third and fourth wonders in alphabetical order:
The Coliseum is located in the city of Rome in Italy. It is the largest ever-built Roman elliptical amphitheater. The Coliseum's original Latin name was Amphitheatrum Flavium because it was commissioned by Emperor Vespian of the Flavium dynasty. Its modern name came into being in the Middle Ages and is derived from a colossus statue for Emperor Nero that sat next to it.
Construction began between 70 and 72 AD under the Emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under his successor Emperor Titus. It had a capacity of seating of around 50,000 spectators. The Coliseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles, and historians note that almost 9,000 animals were killed in the inaugural games alone. It remained in use for nearly 500 years with the last recorded games being held there as late as the sixth century, after the traditional date of the fall of Rome in 476. In addition to the traditional gladiatorial games, many other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on classical mythology. The building eventually ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era when Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire, and most events which were held in the Coliseum where labeled as being anti-Christian.
The Coliseum underwent several radical changes in use during the medieval period. The arena was converted into a cemetery and the numerous vaulted spaces in the arcades under the seating were converted into houses and workshops and are recorded as still being rented out as late as the twelfth century. Around 1200, the Frangipani family took over the Coliseum and fortified it, apparently using it as a castle.
Severe damage was inflicted on the Coliseum by the great earthquake of 1349 which hit Italy, causing the outer south side to collapse. Much of the tumbled stone was reused to build palaces, churches, hospitals and other buildings elsewhere in Rome. A religious order moved into the northern third of the Coliseum in the mid-fourteenth century and continued to inhabit it until as late as the early nineteenth century. The interior of the amphitheatre was extensively stripped of stone, which was reused elsewhere, or was burned to make quicklime which was used to make Marble that was becoming very fashionable and expensive during those times. The bronze clamps which held the stonework together were pried or hacked out of the walls, leaving numerous pockmarks which still scar the building today.
In 1749, Pope Benedict XIV endorsed as official Church policy, the view that the Coliseum was a sacred site where early Christians had been martyred. He forbade the use of the Coliseum as a quarry and consecrated the building to the Passion of Christ and installed Stations of the Cross, declaring it sanctified by the blood of the Christian martyrs who perished there.
The Coliseum is today one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions, receiving millions of visitors annually. The effects of pollution and general deterioration over time prompted a major restoration program carried out between 1993 and 2000, at a cost of $19.3 million. In recent years, it has become a symbol of the international campaign against capital punishment, which was abolished in Italy in 1948. Several anti-death penalty demonstrations took place in front of the Coliseum in 2000. Since that time, as a gesture against the death penalty, the local authorities of Rome changed the color of the Coliseum's night time illumination from white to gold whenever a person condemned to the death penalty anywhere in the world gets their sentence commuted or is released. Due to the ruined state of the interior, it is impractical to use the Coliseum to host large events, since only a few hundred spectators can be accommodated in temporary seating. However, much larger concerts have been held just outside, using the Coliseum as a backdrop. Performers who have played at the Coliseum in recent years have included Ray Charles, Paul McCartney and Elton John.
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in China. It was built, rebuilt, and maintained between the fifth century BC and the sixteenth century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during the rule of successive dynasties. It is the world's longest human-made structure, stretching over approximately 6,400 kilometer from Shanhaiguan to the east to Lop Nur to the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. It is also the largest human-made structure ever built in terms of surface area and mass.
At the beginning of the fifth century, modern China was going through what historians refer to as the Warring States Period in which all of the mini states that existed on modern China were fighting each other to consolidate their rule and expand their territories. Wall building was common back then and was used by all states to fend off other states. Emperor Qin Shi Huang of the Qin dynasty conquered all opposing states and unified China in 221 BC. Intending to impose centralized rule and prevent the resurgence of feudal lords, he ordered the destruction of the wall sections that divided his empire along the former state borders. To protect the empire against intrusions by the Xiongnu people from the north (Mongolians), he ordered the building of a new wall to connect the remaining fortifications along the empire's new northern frontier.
Transporting the large quantity of materials required for construction was difficult, so builders always tried to use local resources. Stones from the mountains were used over mountain ranges, while rammed earth was used for construction in the plains. There are no surviving historical records indicating the exact length and course of the Qin Dynasty walls. Most of the ancient walls have eroded away over the centuries, and very few sections remain today. Later, the Han, Sui, Northern and Jin dynasties all repaired, rebuilt, or expanded sections of the Great Wall at great cost to defend themselves against northern invaders. The Great Wall concept was revived again during the Ming Dynasty following the Ming army's defeat by the Mongols in the Battle of Tumu in 1449. Unlike the earlier Qin fortifications, the Ming construction was stronger and more elaborate due to the use of bricks and stone instead of rammed earth. As Mongol raids continued periodically over the years, the Ming devoted considerable resources to repair and reinforce the walls. Sections near the Ming capital of Beijing were especially strengthened. The wall also has watch towers at regular intervals, which were used to store weapons, house troops, and send smoke signals. Barracks and administrative centers are located at larger intervals.
Communication between the army units along the length of the Great Wall, including the ability to call reinforcements and warn garrisons of enemy movements, was of high importance. Signal towers were built upon hill tops or other high points along the wall for their invisibility.
Worth noting is that unlike popular belief, the Great Wall cannot be seen from the moon.