New 7 Wonders of the World

Last updated
Official certificate CertificateWebLandTop.png
Official certificate
From left to right, top to bottom: Chichen Itza, Christ the Redeemer, the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, Petra, the Taj Mahal, and the Colosseum New7Wonders.jpg
From left to right, top to bottom: Chichen Itza, Christ the Redeemer , the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, Petra, the Taj Mahal, and the Colosseum

The New 7 Wonders of the World was a campaign started in 2001 to choose Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments. [1] The popularity poll via free web-based voting and telephone voting was led by Canadian-Swiss Bernard Weber and organized by the New 7 Wonders Foundation (N7W) based in Zurich, Switzerland, with winners announced on 7 July 2007 at Estádio da Luz in Lisbon. [2] [3] [4] [5] The poll was considered unscientific partly because it was possible for people to cast multiple votes. [6] According to John Zogby, founder and current President/CEO of the Utica, New York–based polling organization Zogby International, New 7 Wonders Foundation drove "the largest poll on record". [4]

Contents

The program drew a wide range of official reactions. Some countries touted their finalist and tried to get more votes cast for it, while others downplayed or criticized the contest. [4] [6] After supporting the New 7 Wonders Foundation at the beginning of the campaign by providing advice on nominee selection, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), bound by its bylaws to record and give equal status to all World Heritage Sites, distanced itself from the undertaking in 2001 and again in 2007. [7] [8]

The 7 winners were chosen from 21 candidates, which had been whittled down from 77 choices by a panel in 2006.

The New 7 Wonders Foundation, established in 2001, relied on private donations and the sale of broadcast rights and received no public funding. [9] After the final announcement, New 7 Wonders said it did not earn anything from the exercise and barely recovered its investment. [10] Although N7W describes itself as a not-for-profit organization, the company behind it—the New Open World Corporation (NOWC)—is a commercial business. All licensing and sponsorship money is paid to NOWC.

The foundation ran two subsequent programs: New 7 Wonders of Nature, the subject of voting until 2011, and New7Wonders Cities, which ended in 2014.

Winners

Location of the New 7 Wonders winners New 7 Wonders Winners.svg
Location of the New 7 Wonders winners

The Great Pyramid of Giza, largest and oldest of the three pyramids at the Giza Necropolis in Egypt and the only surviving of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was granted honorary status. [11]

WonderLocationImageYear
Giza Pyramids
(honorary status)
Giza Necropolis, Egypt Pyramids of the Giza Necropolis.jpg 2560 BC
Great Wall of China China The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling.jpg 700 BC
Petra Ma'an, Jordan The Monastery, Petra, Jordan8.jpg 312 BC
Colosseum Rome, Italy Rome Colosseum exterior panorama.jpg 80 AD
Chichén Itzá Yucatán, Mexico Chichen-Itza-Castillo-Seen-From-East.JPG 600 AD
Machu Picchu Cuzco Region, Peru Machu Picchu, Peru.jpg 1450 AD
Taj Mahal Agra, India Taj Mahal in March 2004.jpg 1643 AD
Christ the Redeemer Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Unique Moment with the Moon and Christ the Redeemer 3.jpg 1931 AD

Reactions given

United Nations

In 2007, the New 7 Wonders Foundation contracted a partnership with the United Nations in recognition of the efforts to promote the UN's Millennium Development Goals. [12] [ failed verification ]

However, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in a press release on June 20, 2007, reaffirmed that it has no link with the initiative. The press release concluded: [8]

There is no comparison between Mr. Weber's mediatized campaign and the scientific and educational work resulting from the inscription of sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The list of the 8 New Won cannot, in any significant and sustainable manner, contribute to the preservation of sites elected by this public.

UNESCO

Brazil

In Brazil there was a campaign Vote no Cristo (Vote for the Christ) which had the support of private companies, namely telecommunications operators that stopped charging voters to make telephone calls and SMS messages to vote. [13] Additionally, leading corporate sponsors including Banco Bradesco and Rede Globo spent millions of reals in the effort to have the statue voted into the top seven. [4] Newsweek reports the campaign was so pervasive that: [4]

One morning in June, Rio de Janeiro residents awoke to a beeping text message on their cell phones: "Press 4916 and vote for Christ. It's free!" The same pitch had been popping up all over the city since late January—flashing across an electronic screen every time city-dwellers swiped their transit cards on city buses and echoing on TV infomercials that featured a reality-show celebrity posing next to the city's trademark Christ the Redeemer statue.

Elizabeth Dwoskin, Newsweek

According to an article in Newsweek, around 10 million Brazilians had voted in the contest by early July. [4] This number is estimated as the New 7 Wonders Foundation never released such details about the campaign. An airplane message, with a huge inscription "4916 VOTE FOR CHRIST" flew in Rio de Janeiro for a month.

Peru

An intensive campaign led by the Peruvian Ministry of Commerce and Tourism in Peru had a great impact in the media and consequently, Peruvian people voted massively for its national wonder. The announcement of the new World Wonders generated great expectations and the election of Machu Picchu was celebrated nationwide.

Chile

The Chilean representative for Easter Island's Moais, Alberto Hortus, said Weber gave him a letter saying that the Moais had finished eighth and were morally one of the New 7 Wonders. Hortus said he was the only participant to receive such an apology. [14]

India

A campaign to publicize the Taj Mahal in India gathered speed and it reached a climax in July 2007 with news channels, radio stations, and many celebrities asking people to vote for the Taj Mahal.

Jordan

Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan joined the campaign to back Petra, Jordan's national treasure. [4]

Mexico

There was a campaign on the news programs to encourage people to vote for Chichen Itzá.[ citation needed ]

Other finalists

The other 13 finalists, [15] chronologically were:

WonderLocationImageYear
Stonehenge Amesbury, United Kingdom Stonehenge Total.jpg 2400 BC
Acropolis of Athens Athens, Greece The Acropolis of Athens viewed from the Hill of the Muses (14220794964).jpg 447 BC
Hagia Sophia Istanbul, Turkey Turkey-3019 - Hagia Sophia (2216460729).jpg 537 AD
Angkor Wat Angkor, Cambodia 20171126 Angkor Wat 4712 DxO.jpg 1113 AD
Moai Statues Easter Island, Chile Ahu-Akivi-1.JPG 1250 AD
Timbuktu Timbuktu, Mali Timbuktu-107981.jpg 1327 AD
Alhambra Granada, Spain Patio de los Arrayanes Alhambra 02 2014.jpg 1333 AD
Kremlin and Red Square Moscow, Russia Saint Basil's Cathedral (Moscow, 2007).jpg 1561 AD
Kiyomizu-dera Kyoto, Japan Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, November 2016 -02.jpg 1633 AD
Neuschwanstein Füssen, Germany Schloss Neuschwanstein 2013.jpg 1869 AD
Statue of Liberty New York City, United States Estatua de La Libertad.jpg 1886 AD
Eiffel Tower Paris, France Tour Eiffel Wikimedia Commons.jpg 1887 AD
Sydney Opera House Sydney, Australia Sun on the Opera House (6619486199).jpg 1973 AD

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taj Mahal</span> Marble mausoleum in Agra, India

The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Zogby</span> American public opinion pollster, author, and public speaker

John J. Zogby is an American public opinion pollster, author, and public speaker. He is founder of the Zogby poll, the Zogby International poll, and he serves as a senior partner at John Zogby Strategies, a marketing and political consulting firm created in 2016 with two of his sons, Benjamin and Jeremy. Zogby has written weekly articles for Forbes, and he has contributed to a weekly ongoing presidential report card since the beginning of the Obama administration.

Scientific, nationwide public opinion polls conducted relating to the 2008 United States presidential election include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Zogby</span> Founder of the Arab American Institute

James Joseph Zogby is the founder and president of the Arab American Institute, a Washington, D.C.–based organization that serves as a political and policy research arm of the Arab-American community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park</span> National park in the Philippines

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a protected area in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapa Nui National Park</span> World Heritage Site in Easter Island

Rapa Nui National Park is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site located on Easter Island, Chile. Rapa Nui is the Polynesian name of Easter Island; its Spanish name is Isla de Pascua. The island is located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeastern extremity of the Polynesian Triangle. The island was taken over by Chile in 1888. Its fame and World Heritage status arise from the 887 extant stone statues known by the name "moai", whose creation is attributed to the early Rapa Nui people who inhabited the island starting between 300 and 1200 AD. Much of the island has been declared as Rapa Nui National Park which, on 22 March 1996, UNESCO designated a World Heritage Site under cultural criteria (i), (iii), & (v). Rapa Nui National Park is now under the administrative control of the Ma´u Henua Polynesian Indigenous Community, which is the first autonomous institute on the island. The indigenous Rapa Nui people have regained authority over their ancestral lands and are in charge of the management, preservation and protection of their patrimony. On the first of December 2017, the ex-President Michelle Bachelet returned ancestral lands in the form of the Rapa Nui National Park to the indigenous people. For the first time in history, the revenue generated by the National Park is invested in the island and used to conserve the natural heritage.

This article lists statewide public opinion polls conducted relating to the 2008 Republican Party presidential primaries, typically using standard statistical methodology.

This is a collection of scientific, public nationwide opinion polls that have been conducted relating to the 2008 Democratic presidential candidates.

Nationwide public opinion polls conducted relating to the 2008 Republican presidential candidates, typically using standard statistical methodology, include the following. The public was generally sampled by land-line telephone only, and sometimes asked only about their opinion of certain candidates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New 7 Wonders of Nature</span> 2007–2011 polled list of nature sites

New 7 Wonders of Nature (2007–2011) was an initiative started in 2007 to create a list of seven natural wonders chosen by people through a global poll. It was the second in a series of Internet-based polls led by Swiss-born Canadian Bernard Weber and organized by the New 7 Wonders Foundation, a Swiss-based foundation which Weber founded. The initiative followed an earlier New 7 Wonders of the World campaign, and attracted 100 million votes from around the world before voting finished on November 11, 2011.

The Seven Wonders of Portugal is a list of cultural wonders located in Portugal. The creation of the list was supported by the Ministry of Culture and organized by the companies Y&R Brands S.A. and Realizar S.A.

Since the September 11 attacks, doubts have been raised about the mainstream account of events. There have been a number of 9/11 conspiracy theories with some suggesting that Israel was involved in the attacks and that members of the U.S. government may have deliberately covered-up and falsified events, in order to hide negligence, complicity, or even having been the perpetrator of the attacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Wonders of Ukraine</span> Historical and cultural monuments

The Seven Wonders of Ukraine are seven historical and cultural monuments of Ukraine, which were chosen in the Seven Wonders of Ukraine contest held in July, 2007. This was the first public contest of that kind which was followed by the Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine, the Seven Wonderful Routes of Ukraine, and the Seven Wonderful Castles of Ukraine. All nominated sites are publicly owned protected areas of at least regional level, available for tourism.

This article is a collection of statewide public opinion polls that have been conducted relating to the January Democratic presidential primaries, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Barr 2008 presidential campaign</span> American presidential campaign

The 2008 presidential campaign of Bob Barr, former Congressman of Georgia began on May 12, 2008. He announced his candidacy for the Libertarian Party's president after months of grassroots draft efforts. Barr was criticized by Libertarians who opposed his efforts in Congress, which included sponsorship of the Defense of Marriage Act and votes in favor of the USA PATRIOT Act and authorization of the War in Iraq, but he was supported by others who accepted his regret for those positions. Barr won the party's nomination after six rounds of balloting at the 2008 Libertarian Party National Convention. Former contender Wayne Allyn Root was named as his running mate. Reason magazine senior editor Radley Balko called Barr "the first serious candidate the LP has run since I've been eligible to vote."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonders of the World</span> Subjective lists of natural features and artificial structures on Earth

Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to the present day, in order to catalogue the world's most spectacular natural features and human-built structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fraternal Order of Moai</span> American fraternal organization

The Fraternal Order of Moai is a fraternal order and social club founded in 2005 by Matt "Kuku Ahu" Thatcher, Jim "Chisel Slinger" Robinson and Joel "Cowtown Kahuna" Gunn. The Order uses the Moai statues of Rapa Nui as a theme. An initial goal of the group was to preserve the history of and artifacts from the closed Kahiki Supper Club in Columbus, Ohio. Since then it has grown into "a serious group of tiki aficionados" with activity all over the United States. Some describe the group as "a cult within a cult" when discussing the modern Tiki revival.

Nationwide public opinion polls conducted with respect to the Republican primaries for the 2012 United States presidential election are as follows. The people named in the polls were either declared candidates, former candidates or received media speculation about their possible candidacy.

New 7 Wonders Cities (2011–2014) was the third in a series of Internet-based polls operated by the New 7 Wonders Foundation. It followed New7Wonders of the World and New7Wonders of Nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States presidential election in Iowa</span>

The 2024 United States presidential election in Iowa was held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, as part of the 2024 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Iowa voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote. The state of Iowa has six electoral votes in the Electoral College, following reapportionment due to the 2020 United States census in which the state neither gained nor lost a seat.

References

  1. "How the New 7 Wonders movement all began – World of New 7 Wonders". World of New 7 Wonders. Archived from the original on 2014-02-17. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  2. "FAQ". About New7Wonders. Archived from the original on 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  3. "The project founder Bernard Weber - A Short History - World of New 7 Wonders". World of New 7 Wonders. 29 March 2011. Archived from the original on 5 March 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dwoskin, Elizabeth (2007-07-09). "Vote for Christ". Newsweek . ISSN   0028-9604. Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. postscript was limited to one vote for seven monuments per person/identity, but multiple voting was possible through telephone.
  5. "Voting Analysis". World of New 7 Wonders. Archived from the original on 2013-03-26.
  6. 1 2 The Seven Wonders of the World, 2.0 Archived 2011-12-28 at the Wayback Machine , Los Angeles Times, 2007-07-07
  7. "New 7 Wonders and UNESCO: Separate organizations, common goals". World of New 7 Wonders. 8 June 2007. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  8. 1 2 "UNESCO confirms that it is not involved in the "New 7 Wonders of the World" campaign". UNESCO. July 9, 2007. Archived from the original on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  9. "Interesting questions and answers". World of New 7 Wonders. Archived from the original on 2013-12-11.
  10. Oh Taj! 7 wonders won’t get campaign money, indianexpress.com, 2007-07-22 Archived August 9, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  11. "New 7 wonders of the world named". CNN.com . July 6, 2007.
  12. "United Nations". About New7Wonders. Archived from the original on 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  13. "Sete Maravilhas: Brasil comemora eleição de Cristo Redent" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2007-08-22. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
  14. "Líder pascuense furioso Porque le dieron a la Isla un Triunfo moral" Las Últimas Noticias July 10, 2007 Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  15. "New 7 Wonders of the World". World of New 7 Wonders. Archived from the original on 2013-03-08. Retrieved 2013-03-08.