Christ the Redeemer

For other statues with this name and for other uses, see Christ the Redeemer.

Christ the Redeemer

Coordinates	22°57′7″S 43°12′38″WCoordinates: 22°57′7″S 43°12′38″W
Location	Corcovado mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Designer	Created by French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by the engineer Heitor da Silva Costa Brazil in collaboration with the French engineer Albert Caquot. Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonidacreated the face of the statue.
Material	Soapstone
Height	30 metres (98 ft) and 38 metres (125 ft) tall with its pedestal
Completion date	Dedicated October 12, 1931
Consecrated October 12, 2006 New Seven Wonders of the World July 7, 2007

Christ the Redeemer (Portuguese: Cristo Redentor, standard Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈkɾistu ʁedẽˈtoʁ], local dialect: [ˈkɾiɕtŭ̻ xe̞dẽ̞ˈtoɦ]) is an Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, created by French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by the Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, in collaboration with the French engineer Albert Caquot. Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida fashioned the face. The statue is 30 metres (98 ft) tall, not including its 8-metre (26 ft) pedestal, and its arms stretch 28 metres (92 ft) wide.^[1][2]

The statue weighs 635 metric tons (625 long, 700 short tons), and is located at the peak of the 700-metre (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca ForestNational Park overlooking the city of Rio. A symbol of Christianity across the world, the statue has also become a cultural icon of both Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, and is listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.^[3] It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone, and was constructed between 1922 and 1931.^[4][5][6]

Taj Mahal

For other uses, see Taj Mahal (disambiguation).

Taj Mahal ताजमहल
Location	Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Coordinates	27°10′30″N78°02′31″ECoordinates: 27°10′30″N 78°02′31″E
Height	73 metres (240 ft)
Built	1632–53[1]
Architect	Ustad Ahmad Lahauri
Architectural style(s)	Mughal architecture
Visitors	7–8 million[2] (in 2014)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	(i)
Designated	1983 (7th session)
Reference no.	252
State Party	India
Region	Asia-Pacific
Location of Agra within India

The Taj Mahal (/ˌtɑːdʒ məˈhɑːl/, more often /ˈtɑːʒ/;^[3] Persian for Crown of Palaces^[4]) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamunariver in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658), to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre)^[5] complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.

Construction of the mausoleum was essentially completed in 1643 but work continued on other phases of the project for another 10 years. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around 32 million rupees, which in 2015 would be approximately 52.8 billion rupees (US$827 million). The construction project employed some 20,000 artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by the court architect to the emperor, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.

The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". Described by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore as "the tear-drop on the cheek of time", it is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of India's rich history. The Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year. In 2007, it was declared a winner of the New7Wonders of the World (2000–2007) initiative.

Machu Picchu

Shown within Peru
Location	Cuzco Region, Peru
Coordinates	13°09′48″S 72°32′44″WCoordinates: 13°09′48″S 72°32′44″W
Height	2,430 metres (7,970 ft)
History
Founded	c. 1450
Abandoned	1572
Cultures	Inca civilization
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu
Type	Mixed
Criteria	i, iii, vii, ix
Designated	1983 (7th session)
Reference no.	274
State Party	Peru
Region	Latin America and the Caribbean

Machu Picchu (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmatʃu ˈpiktʃu]) or Machu Pikchu ([ˈmɑtʃu ˈpixtʃu]), is a 15th-century Inca citadel situated on a mountain ridge 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level.^[1][2] It is located in the Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, Machupicchu District in Peru,^[3] above the Sacred Valley, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows.

Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often mistakenly referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas" (a title more accurately applied to Vilcabamba), it is the most familiar icon of Inca civilization. The Incas built the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was not known to the Spanish during the colonial period and remained unknown to the outside world until American historian Hiram Bingham brought it to international attention in 1911.

Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its three primary structures are the Inti Watana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. Most of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed in order to give tourists a better idea of how they originally appeared.^[4] By 1976, thirty percent of Machu Picchu had been restored^[4] and restoration continues.^[5]

Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.^[2] In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide Internet poll.

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza (/tʃiːˈtʃɛn iːˈtsɑː/,^[1] Spanish: Chichén Itzá [tʃiˈtʃen iˈtsa], tchee-tchen eet-sa, often with the emphasis reversed in English to /ˈtʃiːtʃɛn ˈiːtsə/ chee-chen eet-suh from Yucatec Maya: Chi'ch'èen Ìitsha' [tɕʰiʔtɕʼèːn ìːtsʰaʔ];^[2] "at the mouth of the well of the Itza people") was a large pre-Columbian city built by the Maya people of the Terminal Classic period. The archaeological site is located in Tinúm Municipality, Yucatán State, Mexico.^[3]

Chichen Itza was a major focal point in the Northern Maya Lowlands from the Late Classic (c. AD 600–900) through the Terminal Classic (c. AD 800–900) and into the early portion of the Postclassic period (c. AD 900–1200). The site exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, reminiscent of styles seen in central Mexico and of the Puuc and Chenes styles of the Northern Maya lowlands. The presence of central Mexican styles was once thought to have been representative of direct migration or even conquest from central Mexico, but most contemporary interpretations view the presence of these non-Maya styles more as the result of cultural diffusion.

Chichen Itza was one of the largest Maya cities and it was likely to have been one of the mythical great cities, or Tollans, referred to in later Mesoamerican literature.^[4] The city may have had the most diverse population in the Maya world, a factor that could have contributed to the variety of architectural styles at the site.^[5]

The ruins of Chichen Itza are federal property, and the site’s stewardship is maintained by Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History). The land under the monuments had been privately owned until 29 March 2010, when it was purchased by the state of Yucatán.^{[nb 1]}

Chichen Itza is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico; an estimated 1.4 million tourists visit the ruins every year.

The Colosseum

The Colosseum or Coliseum (/kɒləˈsiːəm/ kol-ə-see-əm), also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium; Italian: Anfiteatro Flavio [amfiteˈaːtro ˈflaːvjo] or Colosseo [kolosˈsɛːo]), is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. Built of concrete and sand,^[1] it is the largest amphitheatre ever built. The Colosseum is situated just east of the Roman Forum. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in AD 72,^[2] and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir Titus.^[3] Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian (81–96).^[4] These three emperors are known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheatre was named in Latin for its association with their family name (Flavius).

The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators,^[5][6] having an average audience of some 65,000;^[7][8] it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles (for only a short time as the hypogeum was soon filled in with mechanisms to support the other activities), animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.

Although partially ruined because of damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is still an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and has also links to the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.^[9]

The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.

The Colosseum

The Colosseum's original Latin name was Amphitheatrum Flavium, often anglicized as Flavian Amphitheater. The building was constructed by emperors of the Flavian dynasty, following the reign of Nero.^[10] This name is still used in modern English, but generally the structure is better known as the Colosseum. In antiquity, Romans may have referred to the Colosseum by the unofficial name Amphitheatrum Caesareum (with Caesareum an adjective pertaining to the title Caesar), but this name may have been strictly poetic^[11][12] as it was not exclusive to the Colosseum; Vespasian and Titus, builders of the Colosseum, also constructed an amphitheater of the same name in Puteoli (modern Pozzuoli).^[13]

The name Colosseum has long been believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby^[4] (the statue of Nero was named after the Colossus of Rhodes).^{[citation needed]} This statue was later remodeled by Nero's successors into the likeness of Helios (Sol) or Apollo, the sun god, by adding the appropriate solar crown. Nero's head was also replaced several times with the heads of succeeding emperors. Despite its pagan links, the statue remained standing well into the medieval era and was credited with magical powers. It came to be seen as an iconic symbol of the permanence of Rome.

In the 8th century, a famous epigram attributed to the Venerable Bede celebrated the symbolic significance of the statue in a prophecy that is variously quoted: Quamdiu stat Colisæus, stat et Roma; quando cadet colisæus, cadet et Roma; quando cadet Roma, cadet et mundus ("as long as the Colossus stands, so shall Rome; when the Colossus falls, Rome shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world").^[14] This is often mistranslated to refer to the Colosseum rather than the Colossus (as in, for instance, Byron's poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage). However, at the time that the Pseudo-Bede wrote, the masculine noun coliseuswas applied to the statue rather than to what was still known as the Flavian amphitheatre.

The Colossus did eventually fall, possibly being pulled down to reuse its bronze. By the year 1000 the name "Colosseum" had been coined to refer to the amphitheatre. The statue itself was largely forgotten and only its base survives, situated between the Colosseum and the nearby Temple of Venus and Roma.^[15]

The name further evolved to Coliseum during the Middle Ages. In Italy, the amphitheatre is still known as il Colosseo, and other Romance languages have come to use similar forms such as Coloseumul (Romanian), le Colisée (French), el Coliseo (Spanish) and o Coliseu (Portuguese)

Petra Raqmu

This article is about the ancient Jordanian city of Petra. For other uses, see Petra (disambiguation).

Petra Raqmu
Al Khazneh or The Treasury at Petra
Location	Ma'an Governorate, Jordan
Coordinates	30°19′43″N 35°26′31″ECoordinates: 30°19′43″N 35°26′31″E
Area	264 square kilometres (102 sq mi)[1]
Elevation	810 m (2,657 ft)
Built	possibly as early as 5th century BC [2]
Visitors	596,602 (in 2014)
Governing body	Petra Region Authority
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, iii, iv
Designated	1985 (9th session)
Reference no.	326
State Party	Jordan
Region	Arab States
Website	www.visitpetra.jo
Location of Petra Raqmu in Jordan

Petra (Arabic: البتراء, Al-Batrāʾ; Ancient Greek: Πέτρα), originally known to the Nabataeans as Raqmu, is a historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan. The city is famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. Another name for Petra is the Rose City due to the color of the stone out of which it is carved.

Established possibly as early as 312 BC as the capital city of the Arab Nabataeans,^[3] it is a symbol of Jordan, as well as Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction.^[4] The Nabateans were nomadic Arabs who benefited from the proximity of Petra to the regional trade routes, in becoming a major trading hub, thus enabling them to gather wealth. The Nabateans are also known for their great ability in constructing efficient water collecting methods in the barren deserts and their talent in carving structures into solid rocks.^[5] It lies on the slope of Jebel al-Madhbah (identified by some as the biblical Mount Hor^[6]) in a basinamong the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.

The site remained unknown to the western world until 1812, when it was introduced by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. It was described as "a rose-red city half as old as time" in a Newdigate Prize-winning poem by John William Burgon. UNESCO has described it as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage".^[7] Petra was named amongst the New7Wonders of the World in 2007 and was also chosen by the Smithsonian Magazineas one of the "28 Places to See Before You Die".^[8]