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MANMADE WONDERS OF THE WORLD

INTRODUCTION

From the 1st day on earth human, the best of the creatures have started creating
wonder. Being moderate in size, what not men have done. The greatest advantage
of human is that, they can imagine. Our ancestors have imagined and they gave the
structural shape of their imaginations. Just thing, man capable of running even
slower than a smaller animal is flying at Machs!! , sending rockets beyond the solar
system, concurring the moon, building mega structures, fighting against nature for
their existing. Infact what man do, is having some bit of wonder in it. Gentleman, the
present days life what we see did not come suddenly. Infact our predecessors
showed the pave way, we r just carrying the flag higher and higher. Living in today’s
high tech world, sometimes we wonder about some of the extraordinary deeds of our
previous civilizations.

Officer commanding FIS, Flight Commanders and officers present,

Assalamualaikum. In the series of non professional briefing, today I m here to speak
for next 35 mins or so on the subject MANMADE WONDERS OF THE WORLD.

SCOPE

Due to the vastness of the subject, today I shall limit my briefing

 Manmade 7 wonders of the ancient world

 Touch upon few wonders of the Medieval and Modern Age

AIM

The aim of my presentation is to refresh our memories about the manmade wonders
of the world.

OBJECTIVE

After my presentation, I am sure that we will be knowledgeable on different

manmade wonders of the world at different age.

SEQUENCE

 History of enlisting wonders

 Manmade wonders of Ancient age
 Wonders of the Medieval Age
 Wonders of the Modern Age
 New 7 wonders of the world
 Q&A

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HISTORY OF ENLISTING WONDERS

• There was no set rule for selecting wonders of the world from ancient time.

• Historian Herodotus and scholar Callimachus of Greece (305~240 BC) made

early lists of 7 wonders.
• In different times, writers and historian wrote about 7 manmade wonders:

-Wonders of Ancient World

- Wonders of Medieval Age
- Wonders of Modern Age

WONDERS OF ANCIENT WORLD

1) Great Pyramid of Giza

2) Hanging Gardens of Babylon
3) Statue of Zeus at Olympia
4) Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
5) Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus
6) Colossus of Rhodes
7) Lighthouse of Alexandria

1. Great Pyramid of Giza

- The ancient Egyptians built more than 90 royal pyramids, from about 2630
BC until about 1530 BC.

- The largest pyramid is the one built for King Khufu, at the site of modern
Giza, on the western bank of river NYLE in Egypt.

- It covers an area of over 4.8 hectares (12 acres). It's 756 feet long on each
side, nearly 50 stories high ie 481.4 ft high and is composed of 2,300,000
blocks of stone, each averaging 2.5 tons in weight. Despite the makers'
limited surveying tools no side is more than 8 inches different in length than
another, and the whole structure is perfectly oriented to the points of the
compass.

-For 4,500 years until 19th century it was the tallest manmade structure in the
world.

- It is the only one of the famous "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World" that
still stands.

- According to the Greek historian Herodotus, ten years were required to

prepare the site and 100,000 laborers worked thereafter for 20 years to
complete the pyramid, which contains the king’s tomb.

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2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon

- Gentleman this is the The Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

- It was located in the heart of the desert, beside river Euphrates, in the city
of ancient Babylon, now in IRAQ. It was built by King Nebuchadnezzar II
about 600 BC.

- It was a palace, a dazzling structure looking like a hill full of green Trees
and colorful plants and flowers grew on the terraces at different layers from 80
ft to 300 ft and had inbuilt fresh water circulation from river Euphrates.

Modern Dubai, is also in the venture of getting green in the heart of desert but
still remains unsuccessful despite of having world class technologies.

-Archaeologists have discovered remains of walls along the Euphrates that

may have belonged to the Hanging Gardens.

3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia

- Location:

Olympia, the ancient Greek city.

- This is one of the interesting stories to know about. This statue is

associated with our favorite Olympic games. The only sporting marvel among
all the seven wonders of world.

- The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was built in the mid-5th century BC by the
Greek Sculptor Phidias. The massive statue was the central feature of the
Temple of Zeus at Olympia, the Greek sanctuary where the Olympic Games
were held. The seated figure of Zeus, king of the Greek gods, was 40 ft in
height and made of ivory and gold.

- In the I century AD, Roman emperor Caligula tried to take the statue to
Rome but failed. After that a severe fire has destroyed the statue. Finally an
earthquake probably leveled the temple in the 6th century AD.

4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

- This was supposed to be one of the most beautiful structures on the Earth.
(Slide)

-As per the Greek poet and visitor Antipater of Sidon, who compiled the list of
the Seven Wonders:

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“But when I saw the temple at Ephesus rising to the clouds, all these
other wonder were put in the shade." (SLIDE)

- The Temple of Artemis was located near the ancient city of Ephesus, about
50 km south from the modern port city of İzmir, in Turkey.
-Archaeologists estimate that the temple measured 342 ft in length and 164 ft
in width. Its 127 stone columns stood more than 60 ft tall. (SLIDE)

-One of the largest temples built by the Greeks. It was famous for its
decoration and extensive use of marble. (SLIDE)

- Artemis, known as Diana to the Romans, was goddess of the hunt. She
also was the goddess of night, fruitfulness, childbirth, and was an eternal
virgin.
-In was built in 356 BC. and rebuilt after it burned in the 6th century BC. The
temple was destroyed by the Goths in 262 AD.

- (SLIDE)

5. Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus

Gentlemen, now let me introduce u another elegant piece of architectural

wonder thatwas enlisted as one of the ancient wonders among the great
Seven Wonders of the World, like pyramids.

Location:

This Wonder of the World, is located in the city of Bodrum, on the Aegan sea,
in south-west Turkey. This is actually closer to the ancient Temple of Artemis.

The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was a monumental marble tomb King

Mausolus of Caria, who died in 353 BC. Queen Artemisia built the tomb in
memory of Mausolus, her brother and husband, at Halicarnassus.

-It was decorated by the leading sculptor of the age.

-An earthquake probably toppled the structure, and its materials were later
used as building material.
-Only fragments remain of this tomb from which the word mausoleum derives.

6. Colossus of Rhodes

If this wonder were remaining, this would have been one of the tallest artifacts
in the world. This wonder of the world was erected to commemorate the
victory of Rhodians against the Antagonids.

Location:

This statue was located in the Harbor of the Mediterranean island Rhodes in
Greece.

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Descriptions:

-It was a huge bronze statue of the Greek sun god Helios,
- It was erected about 280 BC to guard the entrance to the harbor.
-The construction took 12 years.
-The statue stood about 105 ft tall
-according to legend it straddled the harbor.
-An earthquake destroyed it in 224 bc.

7. Lighthouse of Alexandria

Location
- The Pharos of Alexandria was an ancient lighthouse located on an island in the
harbor of Alexandria, Egypt.

Descriptions

- was built about 280 BC during the reign of Ptolemy II,

-stood more than 440 ft tall which is about as high as a 40-story building.
- took 80 years to be built up.
- To insure it would survive, the base was strengthened with molten lead, making
the structure the second longest-lived “Great Wonder” of the ancient world
- A fire was kept burning at its top to welcome sailors.
- Storms and an earthquake had damaged the lighthouse by 955 ad;
- an earthquake completely destroyed it during the 14th century.

Wonders of Medieval Age

1. Stonehenge
2. Colosseum
3. Great Wall of China
4. Porcelain Tower of Nanjing
5. Hagia Sophia
6. Leaning Tower of Pisa
7. Taj Mahal

[Many of the structures on these lists were built much earlier than the Medieval
Ages, but were well known.These lists go by names such as "Wonders of the
Middle Ages" (implying no specific limitation to seven), "Seven Wonders of the
Middle Ages", "Medieval Mind" and "Architectural Wonders of the Middle
Ages".]

Out of these seven I shall talk upon the fol :

1. Colosseum
2. Great Wall of China
3. Taj Mahal

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1. Colosseum

The Colosseum or Coliseum is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the

city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the
greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian

and was completed in 80 AD

- Originally capable of seating around 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was

used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea
battles, animal hunts, executions, and dramas based on Classical
mythology.
- It remained in use for nearly 500 years with the last recorded games being
held in the 6th century.

The Colosseum today is now a major tourist attraction in Rome today.

2. Great Wall of China

-Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across
deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus stretching approximately 6,700
kilometers from east to west of China.

-It is standing still with a history of more than 2000 years, some of the section
of the great wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared.

-However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world
due to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.

-The finestest portion what we see around beiging was built by Ming dynasty.
They worked for 200 years. They also built fort, watch tower, fixed cannon
over the great wall.

3. Taj Mahal

- Taj Mahal, located in Agra, India, regarded as one of the most beautiful
buildings in the world.

-The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan had it built in memory of his wife, Arjumand
Banu Bagam, known as Mumtaz Mahal who died in 1631.

- Building commenced about 1632 & was completed around 1648. The Taj
Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that

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combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural

styles.

-Taj Mahal is an integrated symmetric complex of structures.

- Ustad Ahmad Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer

of the Taj Mahal.

Modern Wonders
1. Empire State Building
2. Channel Tunnel
3. CN Tower
4. Golden Gate Bridge
5. Itaipu Dam
6. Delta Works
7. Panama Canal

Out of these 7 wonders I shall go over the fol :

 CN Tower, Canada
 Panama Canal

1. Canada's National Tower( CN Tower)

The CN Tower, located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a

communications and tourist tower standing 553.33 metres (1,815.39 ft) tall.It
surpassed the height of the Ostankino Tower while still under construction in
1975, becoming the tallest free-standing structure on land in the world. On
September 12, 2007, after holding the record for 31 years, the CN Tower was
surpassed in height by the still-under-construction Burj Dubai.[2] It remains
the tallest free-standing structure in the Americas and the signature icon of
Toronto's skyline, attracting more than two million international
visitors annually.

- A bolt of lightning strikes the CN Tower. The CN Tower is struck by lightning

at least 40 to 50 times annually

2. Panama Canal

The world became a smaller place with the successful efforts of the
engineering and administrative skills of John F. Stevens and Col. George W.
Goethals. Under their tutelage the centuries-old dream of uniting the two
great oceans became reality.
-The Panama Canal is one of the modern Wonders of the world because it is
an extraordinary feat both in terms of architecture and utility.

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-42,000 workers dredged, blasted and excavated from Colon to Balboa.

-They moved enough earth and rubble to bury the island of Manhattan to a
depth of 12 ft or enough to open a 16-ft.-wide tunnel to the center of the Earth.

-The project of building a canal was attempted and completed by the United
States in the early 1900s, with the canal opening in 1914.

- The building of the 77 km canal was plagued by problems, including disease

(particularly malaria and yellow fever) and landslides.
-By the time the canal was completed, a total of 27,500 workmen are
estimated to have died in the French and American efforts.

A typical passage through the canal by a cargo ship takes around nine
hours. an average of almost 40 vessels per day passes the canal.

THE NEW SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD

• Swiss organization New Open World Corporation (NOWC) took the initiative
of selecting new 7 wonders of all time in 2001

• Initially 200 existing monuments were selected

• 21 finalist were announced in Jan 2006

• Votes were collected through internet, SMS and telephone

• Result was announced on 07 Jul 07

Wonder Date of construction Location

Great Wall of China 5th centuryBCE – China
16th century
Petra 6th century BCE Jordan
Christ the Opened 12 October Brazil
Redeemer 1931
Machu Picchu c.1450 Peru
Chichen Itza c.600 Mexico
Roman Colosseum Completed 80 CE Italy
Taj Mahal Completed c.1648 India
Great Pyramid Completed c.2560 Egypt
(Honorary BCE
Candidate)

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1. Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in
the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall
winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus stretching
approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles ) from east to west of China. With a
history of more than 2000 years, some of the section of the great wall are now in
ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing
attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical
significance.

2. Petra; Jordan
pertra; a greek word means city of rock. Petra, located on the edge of the Arabian
desert, was home to Aretas-IV, king of the Nabataeans, who were Arab people. The
Nabataeans, carved the city into rock 2,000 years ago. The 138 ft.—high temple is
an example of traditional Middle Eastern culture—sits within the Palace Tombs of
Petra.

3. Christ Redeemer; Brazil

The 124-foot statue of Jesus stands atop the Corcovado Mountain overlooking Rio
de Janeiro city. It was built in 1931, it took five years to construct and symbolizes the
warmth and welcoming spirit of the Brazilian people. Christ is portrayed with his arms
outstretched, as if embracing the city.

4. Machu Picchu; Peru

Machu Picchu, which means "old settlement," is located halfway up the Andes
Plateau—in the Amazon jungle and above the Urubamba River. The magnificent city
was "lost" for three centuries, then rediscovered in 1911. The site stands on a
mountain about 2,400 m (8,000 ft) high in the Andes Mountain Range. The ruined
city covers about 13 sq km (about 5 sq mi) of terraces built around a central plaza
and linked by numerous stairways. All are distinguished by engineering skill and fine
craftsmanship.

5. Rio and Chichen Itza (Pyramid at Chichen Itza); Mexico

Chichen Itza once served as the political and economic center of Mayan civilization.
The city housed master pieces like the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the
Thousand Pillars, the Playing Field of the Prisoners and the pyramid of Kukulkan,
which was the last Mayan temple.

6. Colosseum; Rome
Almost every sports stadium today is created based on the design of the Colosseum,
which was built between the year 70-82 A.D. The Colosseum is elliptical, measuring
189 m (620 ft) long and 156 m (513 ft) wide. Its exterior, 47 m (157 ft) high.
It is located in the center of Rome. This amphitheatre could accommodate 50,000
spectators who watched public spectacles like the infamous gladiator fights.
Gentleman I believe all of you saw the movie Gladiator in which Maximus used to
fight.

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7. Taj Mahal; India

The white marble mausoleum is believed by many to be the best representation of
Muslim art in India. The Taj Mahal was built from 1632-1653, an order from Muslim
emperor Shah Jahan, to honor the memory of his beloved late wife Arjumand Banu
Bagam known as Mumtaj who died in 1931. Inside the Taj Mahal, the tomb of
Mumtaz Mahal stands at the center of an octagonal hall, while the slightly larger
tomb of Shah Jahan, who died in 1666, is off to one side.

CONCLUSION

Gentlemen, I m almost at the end of my presentation. So long I have tried to refresh

your memories about the manmade wonders of the world. Gentlemen, my
presentation may end here, the human quest for new new invention, creation will not
stop. It will go on. Who knows may be in near future we , the ppl of Bangladesh will
invent something which will be a study material in some corner of the world after a
thousand years. With best hope I end here. Now I m ready to answer your questions
if any.

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