Seven new wonders of nature. Natural wonders of the world (11 photos)
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On November 11, 2011, the results of the global campaign "7 Natural Wonders of the World" were summed up, in which people from all over the world voted for the best, in their opinion, natural landmark of the planet
The competition lasted almost four years, from December 2007 to November 2011. During this time, many candidates for the title of "natural wonder" were eliminated until the list of finalists was drawn up: Great Barrier Reef (Australia, Papua - New Guinea), Angel Falls (Venezuela), Mount Vesuvius (Italy), Galapagos Islands(Ecuador), Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Mount Matterhorn (Italy, Switzerland), Mount Yushan (Taiwan), Grand Canyon (USA), Jeita Grotto (Lebanon), mud volcanoes Azerbaijan (Azerbaijan), Bay of Fundy (Canada), Masurian Lake District (Poland), Maldives(Maldives), Sundarbans Mangrove Forest (Bangladesh, India), Dead Sea (Israel, Jordan), Milford Sound, fjord ( New Zealand), Bu Tina Islands (UAE), Uluru Rock (Australia), Moher Cliffs (Ireland), El Yunque Rainforest (Puerto Rico), Black Forest / Black Forest (Germany).
Amazon Basin (South America)
The Amazon River and the rainforest growing around it were named one of the wonders of the world for a reason, because it is, as they say, "the green lungs of the planet", where more than half of all tropical forests grow. globe. Besides, unique flora and the fauna of this region is the richest ecosystem on Earth, which makes the Amazon basin doubly worthy of being called a miracle of nature.
The basin stretches over 7 million square kilometers, and the Amazon River flows through the territory of nine South American states at once: Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Colombia, Peru, Suriname, French Guiana and Ecuador. In addition, the Amazon contains a fifth of all fresh water in the world.
Iguazu Falls (Brazil)
Another wonder of the world from South America is the Iguazu Falls located in Brazil. This is a complex of 275 waterfalls, where water falls from a height of 80 meters over 2.7 kilometers.
According to local legend, this waterfall appeared because the supreme god of these places decided to marry a girl from one tribe, but the bride did not want to get married involuntarily and fled from him down the river in a canoe. Then the angry god cut the river into two parts.
The falls are part of the Iugazu National Park and are listed world heritage UNESCO.
Halong Bay (Vietnam)
Ha Long Bay is located on the coast of the South China Sea, in Vietnam.
This bay is known for its numerous islands of the most bizarre forms, among which there are even “sculptural” ones, which since ancient times were especially revered by the locals. In total, there are about 2000 islands consisting of limestone.
In addition, there are a myriad of various caves and grottoes in the bay, where you can admire stalactites and stalagmites. Such a number of caves is explained by the calcareous composition of the rock that makes up the islands.
In Vietnamese, Halong means "Descending Dragon Bay". Halong is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
national park Komodo (Indonesia)
Komodo National Park, which includes three major islands- Komodo, Rinca and Padar - as well as many smaller islands, can be safely called a real Jurassic Park. After all, it is here that giant monitor lizards, called "Komodo dragons", are found, which are the largest reptiles on Earth.
The total area of the park is 75 thousand hectares. The park is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Jeju Island (Republic of Korea)
Jeju Island, or as it is also called - Jeju, is located 130 kilometers from the coast of the Republic of Korea.
The island is of volcanic origin, its area is 1845 sq. km.
The island is famous for the Hallasan volcano, which is the highest point in the country (1950 m) and is surrounded by 360 small satellite volcanoes. The only natural lake in the country is located in the caldera of the volcano.
In addition, Jeju is famous for its system of lava caves, which appeared during a volcanic eruption about 100-300 thousand years ago. There are five such caves on the island. The temperature in the caves fluctuates between 11-21°C. In Jeju Caves, you can see many stone stalactites and stalagmites that form natural columns.
Jeju Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Puerto Princess Park (Philippines)
The Philippine National Park Puerto Princesa is located on the island of Palovan.
The main attraction of the park is the underground river, which stretches for 8.2 kilometers under mountain range. It is believed that this is the longest navigable underground river in the world.
In addition, over many millions of years, water has washed away numerous grottoes and caves in the local limestone mountains, the height of which reaches 60 meters and a width of 120 meters.
The park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tafelberg, or Table Mountain (South Africa)
Table Mountain is located near the South African capital of Cape Town on the coast of Table Bay.
Tafelberg rises to 1086 meters above sea level and has vertical slopes with a flat top, hence the name of the mountain.
The mountain consists of several well-known sections. The flat plateau of Table Mountain proper, Devil's Peak, Twelve Apostles Peak, Lion's Head Peak.
Table Mountain is popular tourist attraction. You can climb the mountain using the cable car.
Unfortunately, the natural attractions of Russia could not get into the final list of winners, although there were enough of our natural wonders to participate in the competition: curonian spit, the Dnieper River, Lake Baikal, Lake Ubsu-Nur, the Kamchatka Peninsula and the virgin forests of Komi.
However, nothing prevents Russian tourists go on a trip to these places, because they are no worse than the "official wonders of the world."
This is a competition organized by the Swiss non-profit organization Corporation of the New open world» (NOWC), which by worldwide popular vote had to find the seven most amazing natural places on the ground. Voting was completed by the mystical date - 11/11/11.
The millions of votes that have been received will begin to be processed in early 2012, as well as to check the correctness of the results of telephone and SMS voting. At the end, there will be an official inauguration of each of the New Seven Wonders of Nature in the respective national capital.
In the meantime, we can get acquainted with the winners, however, not yet officially approved - the Seven New Wonders of Nature.
About the contest
The organizer of this competition, the New Open World Corporation, has already held elections under the name "Seven New Wonders of the World", but then the famous architectural structures peace. Voting took place via SMS, telephone, Internet and ended on a beautiful date - 07.07.07.
The project started at the end of 2007. Until 07.07.09, nomination and preliminary selection of all candidates took place, among which was the Russian natural pearl - Lake Baikal. 28 candidates from nature participated in the final voting, it ended on 11/11/11. Unfortunately, our Lake Baikal did not participate in the final vote.
This new wonder of nature is located on 7,000,000 sq. km. on the territory of 9 countries (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela), on a vast and flat plain covering almost the entire Amazon basin. The forests themselves occupy about 5.5 million square meters. km. The Amazon jungle makes up more than half of all rainforests on earth.
The Amazon jungle contains the largest variety of plants on Earth. According to some experts, per 1 sq. km. there are about 150,000 species of higher plants, including 75,000 species of trees. For one square kilometer Amazonian rainforest may account for up to 90,790 tons of live plant matter. This is the largest tropical forest in the world, which is called the "lungs" of our planet:
In the Amazon jungle - the most big waterfall in Ecuador by height and volume of falling water:
The largest water lily in the world - The diameter of the sheet can exceed 2 meters. She was named after the English Queen Victoria:
Every 10th described species of animal or plant is distributed in Amazonian jungle. There are 3,000 known species of fish, 1,295 species of birds, 430 species of mammals, 378 species of reptiles. Of the large predators in the Amazon jungle, the jaguar and caiman live. - the largest modern snake. Its average length is 5-6 meters, and specimens of 8-9 meters are often found. Dangerous electric rays are found in local rivers:
Macaws:
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Halo?ng Bay includes more than 3,000 islands, as well as small rocks, cliffs and caves. Its area is about 1,500 sq. km.
It is located in Vietnam and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Halong translates as " where the dragon descended into the sea". According to legend, Ha Long Island was created by a huge dragon. He always lived in the mountains, but when he began to get out of there, he hollowed out valleys of various shapes with his tail. After he plunged into the sea, the places dug out by his tail filled with water, and only small islands of land remained. locals and to this day they believe that a dragon lives in this bay.
The island has many lakes, waterfalls and grottoes, as well as coral reefs.
Panorama of Halong Bay (clickable, 1920 x 469 px):
Famous caves in Halong Bay are Bonau Grotto, Maiden's Cave and Sky Palace.
most beautiful cave Daugo's grotto is considered:
Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil
The name Iguazu comes from the words "water" and "big" ( guasu).
According to legend, God wanted to marry a beautiful Aboriginal woman, but she ran away with her lover in a canoe. In a fit of anger, God cut the river, creating these incredible waterfalls dooming lovers to an eternal fall into the abyss.
The waterfalls are located on the Iguazu River on the border of Brazil and Argentina, as well as on the territory national parks Iguazu included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The waterfall complex is 2.7 km wide and includes approximately 270 individual waterfalls. Many islands separate the waterfalls from each other, and about 900 meters from overall width 2.7 km are not covered by water. The height of the water fall reaches 80 meters.
The largest waterfall - Devil's Throat- U-shaped cliff 150 meters wide and 700 meters long. The best view of it opens from Brazil. And so, most of the waterfalls are located within the territory of Argentina. People are visible in the center of the photo for comparison of scales:
This is the most big Island and the smallest province in South Korea.
Jeju-do?- island volcanic origin. Here is the Hallasan volcano, it is also the most high mountain V South Korea(1950 meters):
The island arose several hundred million years ago after a volcanic eruption. It consists mainly of basalt and lava.
The unique nature of Jeju-do is under the protection of UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. And now he is one of Seven new wonders of nature. crater lakes in Jeju-do:
Komodo National Park was founded in 1980. It is spread over more than 600 sq. km. sushi and 1,210 sq. km. sea waters. The territory of the national park includes three main islands: Komodo, Rinca and Padar.
This park is in the middle of the Indonesian archipelago and is, of course, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The main attraction of the park is komodo dragon- the largest lizard of the world fauna.
Komodo dragons weigh about 70 kg, and the largest recorded - 3.13 meters in length and 166 kg.
Due to their size and lack of other large predatory mammals, Komodo dragons are at the top of the food chain. These predators have no enemies:
This river flows underground, in a cave, towards the South China Sea. Its length is about 8 km.
A National Park has been created in this area - a reserve located 50 km from the city of Puerto Princesa. Entrance to the cave underground river puerto princesa:
The cave in which the river flows has several large grottoes, many stalactites and stalagmites are also formed here:
From representatives underwater world here you can meet dugong(in translation - "mermaid", "sea maiden"):
…marine green turtle:
table mountain located southwest of Cape Town south coast Table bay. (Clickable, 1314 x 607 px):
She is one of business cards city, its silhouette is depicted on the flag of Cape Town:
Table Mountain: view from the sea to Cape Town. (Clickable, 1900 x 828 px):
The height of Table Mountain is 1087 meters above sea level.
table mountain with a flat top is so named because it looks like a table and least of all a mountain.
It seems gloomy and silent, but meanwhile there is a lot of life: baboons nest in the forests, snakes crawl, jackals and wild goats run.
The worldwide competition to identify the new seven natural wonders of the world, in which more than 220 countries have participated in the past four years, has ended.
The contest organizers have announced the preliminary results, which will be checked and finally confirmed in early 2012.
The list of 7 new natural wonders of the world includes:
1. Amazon jungle.
Rainforests of the Amazon (they are also the Amazon and the jungles of the Amazon basin). It is believed that they cover 7 million km² of the territory of nine countries, although today the forest itself covers "only" 5.5 million km². More than half of the planet's remaining rainforests are represented here, and it is the most species-rich ecosystem among the rainforests. In addition, the Amazon River is considered the largest in the world in terms of volume. Plus, its total water flow is more than that of all other rivers in the top ten. It accounts for about one-fifth of the world's total river flow. The Amazon also has the largest basin. And there is no bridge.
2. Halong Bay in Vietnam.
Halong Bay is located in the Vietnamese province of Quang Ninh. Length coastline- 120 km, area - about 1,553 km². It consists of a thousand limestone karsts and 1,969 islands of various sizes and shapes. Some of the islands are hollow, with huge caves, and on others there are villages of fishermen who catch 200 species of fish and 450 species of shellfish in shallow water. Another feature of Halong Bay is the abundance of lakes inside the limestone islands. For example, there are six such hidden lakes on Daub.
Ha Long Bay means "Bay of Descending Dragons". Also in the bay you can find caves and grottoes, and admire stalactites and stalagmites. Halong Bay is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
3. Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil.
The Iguazu Falls are among the largest in the world. They stretch for 2,700 m, having a semicircular shape. Of the 275 waterfalls, the Devil's Throat is the highest - 80 m. The waterfalls are located on the border of the Brazilian state of Parana and the Argentinean province of Misiones, surrounded by subtropical forests that are home to hundreds of rare and endangered species of flora and fauna.
This wonder of the world is located on the border of the Brazilian state of Parana and the Argentinean province of Misiones and is surrounded by two national parks. Both parks are subtropical forests that are home to hundreds of rare and endangered plant and animal species.
4. south korean island Chejuo.
Jeju Island or Jeju (Cheju-do) is an island of volcanic origin, 130 km from south coast Korea, the largest island and the smallest province of the country (1,846 km²). Its main attraction is Hallasan, the most high mountain in South Korea and dormant volcano(1950 m). It is surrounded by 360 satellite volcanoes.
Jeju-do is famous for the magnificent system of lava tubes (caves) Geomunoreum, created during a volcanic eruption 100 - 300 thousand years ago. There are five caves. The temperature in the caves is about 11-21°C. Jeju-do tunnels are decorated with natural stone stalactites and columns. The only natural lake in the country is located in the caldera of the volcano. There are waterfalls. The climate is predominantly subtropical. Jeju Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
5. Komodo National Park in Indonesia.
The Indonesian national park "Komodo" includes three large islands: Komodo, Rinka and Padar, as well as many small ones ( total area 1,817 km², land - 603 km²). Founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon. Later it was focused on the protection of other species, including marine animals. The islands are of volcanic origin.
The total area of the park is 75 thousand hectares. The park has a fairly diverse flora and fauna. Including the Komodo monitor lizard (komodo dragon) - the largest lizard on Earth. Komodo National Park is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
6. Underground river Puerto Princesa in the Philippines.
Puerto Princesa Underground River National Park is located about 50 km north of the Philippine city of the same name. The 8.2 km long river is navigable and flows into the South China Sea. Navigators can see stalactites, stalagmites and large karst caves. Considered the longest underground river.
The cave river is decorated with numerous stalactites and stalagmites, as well as several large grottoes. This is the longest underground river in the world. The mouth of the cave is framed by ancient trees growing right next to the water, and the beach near the entrance to the cave gives shelter to various animals.
7. Table Mountain in South Africa.
Table Mountain (Table Mountain) or Tafelberg (Tafelberg) is the symbol of South Africa and the only object on the planet, after which the constellation is named. The flat-topped mountain (1,086 m) has withstood 6 million years of erosion. It is home to the richest yet smallest floral kingdom on earth (more than 1,470 plant species) with many rare and endangered species.
The flat plateau of Table Mountain proper, Devil's Peak, Twelve Apostles Peak, Lion's Head Peak. As a landmark of Cape Town, Table Mountain attracts tourists from all over the world. It is possible to climb the mountain by cable car.
"We congratulate each of these participants on becoming New7wonders provisionally and look forward to completing the confirmation process to honor them at an official ceremony in early 2012," said New7wonders Founder President Bernard Weber, announcing the results of the competition at the organization's headquarters in Zurich.
Today we want to introduce you to natural wonders - amazing phenomena created by nature, not man. So…
halong- a bay with an area of about 1553 km². Located in the northern part of Vietnam, in the Gulf of Tonkin South China Sea, near the city of Ha Long (about 164 km south of Hanoi). It is a popular tourist attraction. It includes about 3 thousand islands, of which 989 have their own names, as well as small rocks, caves and cliffs, characterized by high biodiversity. The bay is home to 499 plant species (14 endemic) and 1847 animal species (60 endemic). The population of the region is about 1600 people, most of whom live in houseboats.
table mountain
table mountain- a mountain with a truncated, flat top, and steep (in the upper parts steep), stepped slopes. Located on the southern shore of Dining Bay, near the city of Cape Town, South Africa. The mountain covers an area of about 6500 hectares. Its height is 1085 m above sea level. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in South Africa and the symbol of Cape Town. Carried from the mountain cable car, built in 1929, capable of carrying 900 people per hour.
River Puerto Princesa- an underground river located 81 km from the city of Puerto Princesa on the island of Palawan, Philippines. The waterway and the area around it is part of national park underground river of the city of Puerto Princesa. The main attraction of the reserve, covering 22,202 hectares, is a river flowing underground, in a cave. Its length is about 8 km and before the discovery in 2007 of an underground river on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, the Puerto Princesa River was considered the longest underground river in the world. Its depth in some places reaches 8 m. For tourists, only a segment of 1.2 km is available, and then if special permission is given.
Jeju- an island of volcanic origin, located in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula, on the border of the Yellow and East China Seas. It was formed as a result of a volcanic eruption about 2 million years ago and consists mainly of basalt and lava. Belongs to the Republic of Korea. Today it is the largest island in the country. Covers an area - 1845 km². Population - 583,284 people (2011). The most high point, extinct volcano Hallasan - 1950 m.
A volcano with a height of 3170 m above sea level, located in central Mexico in the state of Michoacán, not far from the village of the same name, approximately 322 km west of Mexico City. This volcano began to form on February 20, 1943 in the cornfield of Dionisio Pulido from a small hole 7 cm in size. A few hours later it was already a heavily smoking hole 9 meters deep. After 24 hours, a 50 meter cone formed on the surface. Only in the first year of formation, the volcano reached a height of 336 m. Over the next eight years, Paricutin continued to slowly grow, spewing ash and molten rocks. Its last recorded eruption occurred in 1952, after which the volcano fell asleep, reaching a height of 424 meters. During the formation of Paricutin, three people died, two cities were completely evacuated and buried under lava, three were partially destroyed.
Iguazu
Iguazu- a cascade of 275 waterfalls on the Iguazu River, formed 130-140 million years ago. Located 23 km from the mouth, on the border of the Brazilian state of Parana (in Southern region Brazil) and the Argentine province of Misiones. 80% of the entire area of the waterfall is located within the territory of Argentina, the remaining 20% - Brazil. Enough a large number of waterfalls, located in the shape of a crescent with a length of 2700 m, attracts 1.5-2 million tourists every year. It is one of the most visited tourist attractions in South America. The height of the water fall here is 82 m, but on most cascades it is no more than 60 m. The sound made by the Iguazu Falls is heard within a radius of 20 km.
Also known as northern lights - an optical phenomenon in the sky above the polar regions of the Earth, formed as a result of the interaction of charged particles of the solar wind in the magnetosphere. Occurs at an altitude of 90–130 km above the surface of the planet. The duration of the aurora is from several minutes to several days. They are the basis of many legends and myths of the northern peoples. For example, the Vikings believed that it was the dead warriors riding horses through the sky and lighting the way to the afterlife.
Chomolungma
In third place among the natural wonders of the world is Chomolungma or Everest- the highest mountain on Earthlocated in the Himalayas on the border of China and Nepal. Its height is 8848.43 meters above sea level. status of high peak in the world attracts climbers of all categories. That is why expeditions to the summit are an important source of tourism income for Nepal. For permission to climb to the top, the extreme will have to pay $ 10,000 to $ 25,000 US dollars. The best and safest time for climbing is the beginning of May.
The world's largest coral reef system, located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Made up of billions of tiny organisms known as coral polyps, they form over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands spanning over 2,300 kilometers. Covers an area of 348,698 km². It is the largest ecosystem in the world and is home to many species of fish (1500), shellfish (5000) and plants (400 coral and 500 algae species). Big barrier reef is also largest building in a world formed by living organisms. It is also the main tourist attraction in Australia, bringing the country about 1 billion US dollars a year.
About the legendary 7 wonders of the world - the greatest creations of mankind - everyone definitely heard in childhood, even if not everyone can remember them in order. And although most of the monuments from the history textbook can no longer be seen, people managed to compile many other, alternative, lists of outstanding sights that have survived to this day, to the delight of tourists.
ancient wonders of the world
The first attempts to single out the exceptional achievements of mankind in the list of wonders of the world took shape in the written heritage of ancient Greek authors, starting from the Hellenistic era. The "selection" of the main monuments of all times took place gradually.
So, one of the first historical list of "miracles" was Herodotus: in his "History" we are talking about three grandiose structures on the island of Samos - a mountain tunnel, a dam and a temple of Hera.
Soon, other thinkers added to the list to seven attractions: seven in ancient Greece was considered a holy figure, was an indispensable attribute solar gods and myths about them.
Classic "7 Wonders of the World" ancient world, familiar to many from the school curriculum, are historically associated with the empire of Alexander the Great - the second half of the 4th century BC. e. Of these, two sights were ancient Egyptian, four were located in the territories Ancient Greece and one in Mesopotamia (more precisely, in Babylon).
The Pyramid of Cheops is the oldest, the first wonder of the world and the only one that has survived to this day. It is part of the Giza Pyramid Complex, the main attraction of Egypt.
Legendary Babylonians hanging gardens Semiramis, the second wonder of the world, supposedly existed from the end of the 7th century BC. e. until the 1st century BC e., destroyed by floods.
The temple statue of Zeus at Olympia, reaching about 12-17 meters along with the pedestal, was made of ivory, ebony and gold, stood for about nine centuries: from 435 BC. e. before the 5th century, it burned down in a fire.
The ruins of the fourth wonder of the world, Artemis at Ephesus (from the 6th to the 4th or 3rd centuries BC), are now included in the line Turkish city Selcuk (near Izmir).
Of the lost sights, the most persistent was the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Non-standard for the middle of the IV century BC. e. the architectural monument existed for 19 centuries: destroyed by an earthquake, then partially dismantled for building materials. The ruins of the mausoleum can be seen in Bodrum, Turkey - this is the name of the city with the historical location of the fifth wonder of the world.
Earthquakes caused the death of two more ancient miracles: the bronze statue of the Colossus on the island of Rhodes (it stood for only 65 years, destroyed in the same III century BC) and Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt (the seventh wonder of the world, collapsed in the XIV century).
Panorama Google Maps"At the foot of the pyramid of Cheops (Khufu)"
New seven wonders of the world
The list of new wonders of the world, each of which continues to amaze tourists, was compiled in the first decade of the 21st century, in 2001-2007. Currently, these are the most famous of these ratings and therefore, along with the UNESCO World Heritage List, the main must-see landmark for tourists actively traveling around the world. It was compiled by a specially created non-profit foundation The New 7 Wonders of the world based on international voting using the Internet and other means of communication. About 100 million votes were accepted as part of the selection of attractions, but since the conditions allowed for multiple votes, this list became questionable almost immediately after publication.
One of the undisputed leaders of the list is the Great Wall of China. It stretched across the north of the country for almost 9 thousand kilometers, and taking into account the ruins - more than 20 thousand kilometers. The most famous landmark of China is organically inscribed in the landscape and is a truly impressive sight. Several sites are open for tourists. The most popular is Badaling, connected by transport to Beijing.
The ancient Colosseum is an iconic landmark of Rome, its signature silhouette. This amphitheater, a masterpiece of architectural thought of the 1st century AD, almost immediately after its creation was proclaimed a wonder of the world in the list of the Roman poet Martial, his contemporary.
The symbol of Rio de Janeiro - the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Mount Corcovado - blesses the city, stretching out his hands over it from a height. At night, the illuminated figure of Christ is clearly visible from almost any part of the city, however best view it appears from Mount Pan de Azucar. In the list of the new 7 wonders of the world, the statue, erected in honor of the century of independence of Brazil, is the youngest attraction, its age is less than a hundred years.
Lost in the middle of the desert in Jordan, Petra, the capital of the ancient kingdoms of Idumea and Nabatea, was opened to Europeans only in the 19th century. Top attractions in Petra stone city”, - the crypts carved into the rocks of red sandstone and the rock temple of El Deir.
The pearl of Muslim architectural art in India is the mausoleum-mosque Taj Mahal in Agra, built in the 17th century at the behest of the king Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. It is not surprising that today the Taj Mahal is considered not only an outstanding architectural and spiritual monument, but also a symbol of love. Annually marble complex becomes a place of pilgrimage for millions of people from all over the world.
The Lost Inca City of Machu Picchu is located in what is now Peru. This sixth new wonder of the world was created as a sacred mountain retreat during the Inca rule of Pachacutec in the middle of the 15th century. However, the mountainous city remained inhabited for less than a century - until the invasion of the Spaniards, who, however, never reached it. The worldwide discovery of the Inca "city among the clouds" took place only in 1911. Many mysteries of Machu Picchu have remained unsolved, and they still haunt researchers.
Completes the list modern wonders light legacy of the Maya - another lost civilization of America. holy city Chichen Itza in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula was founded around the 7th century AD, later the Toltecs who captured it contributed to the architecture of the complex. It is not known exactly why such a developed city was deserted at the end of the 12th century. The complex of surviving monuments of Chichen Itza includes pyramid temples, gaming "stadiums", ruins of colonnades, a well of sacrifices and an observatory.
