Posted on 05/21/2007 9:05:57 AM PDT by E Rocc
GENEVA (AFP) - More than 45 million people have voted so far in an Internet campaign to choose the seven "new" wonders of the world out of 21 shortlisted historical buildings or monuments, the organisers said Monday.
The contest, aimed at raising global awareness about the world's shared cultural heritage, was set up by a Swiss filmmaker, curator and traveller Bernard Weber, following the destruction of Afghanistan's giant Buddha statues at Bamyan by the Taliban in 2001.
In the most recent count published on May 7, the top 10 were the Acropolis in Greece, the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico, the Coliseum in Rome, the Eiffel tower in Paris, the Great Wall of China, the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, Petra in Jordan, the statues on Easter Island, Britain's Stonehenge and the Taj Mahal in India.
The organisers say they are trying to get ordinary people to follow the spirit behind the ancient seven wonders selected by intellectuals in the Mediterranean and Middle East around 200 BC. Only one of them, the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, still survives.
"This is something that is supposed to create global memory, really for the first time: Seven symbols of global unity, seven symbols of shared global heritage," said New7Wonders spokeswoman Tia Viering.
"If you appreciate someone else's culture it's a lot harder to go to war with them," she told AFP.
Viering said votes were coming in from all over the world.
"We get a really incredible amount of enthusiasm from places where people are not used to voting and deciding things on their own," she added. The competition closes on July 7 when the result is due to be announced in Lisbon.
Much of the intenet and phone text message voting so far has also avoided national preferences, according to Viering.
Egypt's pyramids were granted the status of "honorary" New7Wonders candidate -- and removed from voting -- after Egyptian authorities protested that their historical value could not be called into question.
Egyptian antiquities supremo Zahi Hawass dismissed the contest as a "publicity stunt" even after the change earlier this year.
"I am against this subject totally. I cannot accept a Greek historian choosing the seven wonders of antiquity and have a tourist company choosing the new ones," he said.
But Viering defended the popular vote.
"It's a different concept to what the Egyptians are saying. We think that culture is a supremely bottom up concept," she explained.
The other shortlisted sites are the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia, the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the Kiyomizu Temple in Japan, the Kremlin and Red Square, Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Germany, New York's Statue of Liberty, the statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooking Rio de Janeiro, Sydney Opera House and the ancient city of Timbuktu in Mali.
Originally, the venture was also aiming to raise funds for a project to reconstruct the larger, 55 metre-tall Bamyan Buddha, which is expected to cost up to 50 million dollars.
However, only small donations have come through, forcing the organisers to focus on helping to preserve the 21 sites.
The shortlist was chosen by panel of world renowned architects and ex-UNESCO chief Federico Mayor, in January 2006, out of 77 public nominations.
In a similar vein, the UN Education, Science and Cultural Organisation oversees the growing list of World Heritage sites, which now embraces 830 places of cultural or natural importance.
"The UNESCO world heritage is a very important list but I would challenge you to name say 20 of them. It's simply too many. It's not very alive in the hearts of people around the world," Viering commented.
Considering that America's bloodiest wars have been against the British, ourselves, and a nation that has provided many of our immigrants (Germany), history does not support this view.
But the idea that culture is a "bottom up" concept makes sense...which is why the first true "popular culture" is sweeping the globe.
-Eric
Hmmm...now what did that used to be...any other wonders on the "conquered by islam and converted to a mosque list?"
I vote for John Edwards house..........
“If you appreciate someone else’s culture, it’s a lot harder to go to war with them.”
“The Germans always were the world’s best toy makers.” - Col. Martin Hessler: The Battle of the Bulge(1965)
Are Pam Anderson's breasts up for consideration?
Graceland baby.
Obvious nonsense. The Brits fought the French very nearly continuously for six centuries, despite French culture being very influential in Britain throughout this period.
Yes, it did make it harder to bomb Saddam's air force when he parked the airplanes next to historical sites he knew we wouldn't bomb, but we did destroy his aircraft anyway. This was one of the reasons the Air Force started bombing with cement bombs.
I hope the Statue of Liberty makes it to the list. That way the muslim terrorists will think twice about ever blowing it up.
This is the only modern structure listed in the top ten. I think the The Chrysler Building in NY would be a far better choice.
Unless, of course, they come to your shores and start it by slaughtering 3000 innocent businesspeople. That made me "understand" everything I need to know about their nonsensical, death-based "culture" and dismiss it in a heartbeat.
My pick is the Dallas Cowboys new stadium. It’s not open yet but it’s going to be a fine facility.
GO COWBOYS!!!!!
This is the only modern structure listed in the top ten. I think the The Chrysler Building in NY would be a far better choice.Why Chrysler and not Empire State? I'm not disagreeing, though I would lean towards the latter.
-Eric
Hmmm...now what did that used to be...any other wonders on the "conquered by islam and converted to a mosque list?"Actually, Hindu extremists try to claim that the Taj Mahal was originally a Hindu temple.
IIRC, Haga Sophia is now a museum that honors both of the cathedral/mosque's pasts.
-Eric
The Chrysler is not as tall. But artistically I believe that is way outshines the Empire State. I am neither an artist, an architect nor an archaeologist. Therefore, my opinion is not particularly informed.
I vote for the Stucky’s Nougat Log.
This is the only modern structure listed in the top ten. I think the The Chrysler Building in NY would be a far better choice.
Oh, I agree. Plus the Golden Gate Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Panama Canal, the Suez Canel, the lighthouse on Bell Rock of the coast of northern Great Britain, and Hoover Dam. All magnificent pieces of engineering. All witness to the power of the human mind.
(sigh 'Course these were mostly done by a bunch of white guys...)
Arguing for Empire is the speed at which it was built (just over 15 months) and the fact that its height was not surpassed for over forty years.
A case can be made for making Manhattan Island itself the wonder. Between its completion in 1930 and the mid 1950s, the tallest building in the world outside NYC was Terminal Tower in Cleveland, which is less than 60% the height of Empire. Manhattan contained numerous higher buildings during that time.
-Eric
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