 |
They also left off Apple's new store in New York. What are they thinking?! |
Posted on 01/29/2007 6:54:51 AM PST by presidio9
Egypt is scoffing at a global contest to name the new seven wonders of the world, saying it is a disgrace that the ancient Pyramids of Giza — the only surviving structure from the traditional list of architectural marvels — must compete for a spot.
ADVERTISEMENT
Top Egyptian officials have criticized the popular contest that urges people around the world to vote for their top sites from a list of 21 finalists that lumps the pyramids with upstart wonders like the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower and Peru's Machu Picchu.
The pyramids are "living in the hearts of people around the globe, and don't need a vote to be among the world wonders," said the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass, according to the state-run Middle East News Agency.
Egyptian officials refused to meet with the organizer of the "New 7 Wonders of the World" contest, the Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber, when he visited Egypt earlier this month, said the contest's spokeswoman Tia B. Viering. When Weber tried to hold a press conference near the pyramids, she said, police shut it down.
Organizers say the hostility is unwarranted, claiming the competition is supposed to renew international interest in culture and history, not strip the pyramids of their ancient status.
"The contest is not about taking something away, it's about moving something into modern times," Viering said.
The Egyptian pyramids are the only surviving structures from the traditional list of seven wonders of the ancient world, derived by later authors from various lists of marvels cited by ancient Greek and Roman writers.
Besides the pyramids, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the best known list includes the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus of Rhodes, the ancient lighthouse that once stood on the island of Pharos in Alexandria, Egypt, and three other long-vanished edifices.
Choosing a new roster of world wonders has attracted ongoing interest over the years: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, list of World Heritage Sites includes 830 selections.
Weber started his project in 1999, collecting nearly 200 nominations. That list was eventually narrowed to 21 by a panel of architectural experts, chaired by former UNESCO chief Federico Mayor.
But Weber wanted the masses to pick the top seven. People can vote on the Internet, by phone or by sending a cell phone text message until July 6. The seven winners will be announced on the symbolic date of July 7.
Half of the revenues raised by the campaign will go toward restoring historic sites, including the Bamiyan Buddha statue in Afghanistan, which was destroyed by the Taliban regime.
As part of the campaign, Weber is visiting each of the 21 sites, which also include the Great Wall of China, the Sydney Opera House, Stonehenge and the Acropolis in Athens.
Almost everywhere Weber has gone, he has been welcomed, but not in Egypt.
"We think it's about ego, and we don't know why the hostility is there," Viering said in a telephone interview from Belgium this weekend.
Egypt's Culture Minister Farouk Hosni, according to the Middle East News Agency, called the contest "nonsense" and "an attempt to seek celebrity and their efforts to meet Egyptian officials to give the contest significance won't take place. They have to understand the archaeological and the historical stature of the pyramids."
Egypt's ire may not hurt the pyramid's chances of making it on the new list. With more than 24 million votes so far, Viering said tombs — which are more than 4,000 years old — are in the top seven.
"We know that people all around the world want the pyramids as part of this as do people in Egypt," Viering said.
___
Uh, no.
All were destroyed long before Muhammad came along in the 7th Century AD and started Islam.
(That's why they called Wonders of the Ancient World) /s
The Leaning Tower Of Pizza was named number six by the World Panel, but left off of the final list for some reason.
The Leaning Tower should be on the list of seven greatest architectural mistakes. Had it not been built on soft ground, it would be just another tower - albeit a nice one. The real wonder is that it has not already toppled.
awwww. My 7th and 8th grade students are doing projects on the 21 finalists. They are actually very excited! I can sort of understand Egypt's point, though. But I don't really care either way! its just a list. VH-1 will probably do a 20 part series on the list like they do everything else.
Maybe I'm confused, but aren't these "Wonders of the 'New' World" we're talking about?
There's no doubt about the Pyramids being "Wonders of The Ancient World"
(And no I don't work for the UN. I stopped when the Oil for Food scam was exposed and my checks stopped coming) /s
My thought is that 'wonders' should be amazing, in that they seem to greatly exceed what you'd expect people to be able to build with the technology available to them. That excludes things like the Sydney opera house or the Eiffel Tower.
My votes:
Taj Mahal
Pyramids
Petra
Great Wall
Machu Picchu
Colosseum
Acropolis
The first 6 were no-brainers, IMO. I finally settled on Acropolis instead of Chichen Itza for #7.
Borobudur should be on there.
Hey Egypt! What have you people accomplished in the 4500 years since you finished that pile of granite?
|
They also left off Apple's new store in New York. What are they thinking?! |
I threw in "Christ The Redeemer." Not because I think it is all that great, but just because I think this list is idiotic without at least one Catholic Church.
This criteria siqualifies the Colosseum.
As long as we're talking about NYC icons, I nominate the Freedumb Tower, which ought to be completed any day now.
But you have the Acropolis in there. How much younger than the Lighthouse or The Library can that be?
Notre Dame should have been in there.
That picture is ginormously gargantuated.
No, it's that big in real life.
All destroyed by Moslems.
The Pyramids and the Sphinx are still standing only because the Moslem attempts to destroy them were not successful.
Nonsense.
The purpose of the original list of wonders was to point out the sights that a traveller of that time should endeavor to see. The purpose of this list should be the same, for a modern tourist.
Since the Pyramids of Giza still exist, they're a candidate for this list. But their spot shouldn't be guaranteed: maybe since then, seven things have been built that are more worth one's time.
If the Hanging Gardens of Babylon still existed, they'd also be a candidate for this list. Or maybe not: they were great back in the day, but lots of awe-inspiring stuff has been built since. But since you can't see the Gardens, they can't be on the list.
I would put Manhattan itself on the list. The people who built the pyramids would have feinted dead away to see it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.