Have you ever wished to see the top 10 Man-made Wonders of the World, but not sure where to start or find them? Some of the most amazing things man has created are not only definitely worth a trip to see, but can act as inspiration for you to create the next great thing. These phenomenal structures all started in someone’s imagination.
Check them out to see what people, you included, can do if they set their minds to it.
The Top 10 Man-made Wonders of the World Facts
Pyramids of Egypt Man-made Wonder in Egypt
The Egyptian Pyramids are huge pyramid shaped structures made of masonry in Egypt. Egyptians believe the earth was created out of a “primordial mound” in the shape of a pyramid so this shape is extremely significant to them. As of 2008 there were 138 discovered pyramids and it is believed that most of these are tombs of various pharaohs. Researchers differ on exactly how many workers were required to build these massive edifices, but all agree it was a lot; at least 1,000 up to 100,000. The most famous pyramids are at Giza on the outskirts of Cairo.
Great Wall of China Man-made Wonder in China
The Great Wall of China is just that, a great, big wall. It runs east to west along the historical northern border of China. It started out as a lot of smaller walls that have been joined together and fortified over the years. Most of the Great Wall was constructed during the Ming dynasty. During the Ming dynasty bricks, tile and stone were used to build and repair the wall as opposed to the rammed earth and wood that was used earlier. Contrary to popular belief, the Great Wall of China actually cannot be seen from the moon.
Taj Mahal Man-made Wonder in India
The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum in Agra, India whose name translates to “crown of palaces”. Shah Juhan built this “jewel of Muslim art in India” starting in 1632 to honor the memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The huge, domed mausoleum is the most famous feature of the Taj Mahal, but is really just the center of a complex of several different structures.
Machu Picchu Man-made Wonder in Peru
The Incan estate of Machu Picchu is believed to have been built for the Inca Emperor Pachacuti around 1450. The layout of the estate follows the natural contours of the peak on which it is built. About 200 buildings are arranged in wide terraces surrounding a central square. After only a century the estate was abandoned, so between the Spanish Conquest and 1911 when American historian Hiram Bingham rediscovered the site and brought it to international attention. Now it is a popular tourist attraction. Because the estate is such an important attraction many of the buildings have been restored to show people how they were originally built. Now the government is trying to protect this historical site, but needs the income from the tourists to help maintain it; a difficult balance to keep.
Angkor Wat Man-made Wonder in Cambodia
Angkor Wat in Cambodia is the largest religious monument in the world. Built as the estate of the Khmer King in the early 12th century, it later became his mausoleum. The temple complex was initially dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Vishnu, but was later converted to Buddhism. Today Angkor Wat is the only temple at the site that has been a significant religious center since it was originally built. As a result, it is also the best preserved. The continued maintenance is a good thing as this serves as the country’s star attraction for visitors.
Forbidden City Man-made Wonder in China
Sounds a little scary, doesn’t it? Somewhere you really do not want to be. In reality it was the Imperial Palace in the Chinese capital of Beijing and it was forbidden to anyone who did not have the Emperor’s permission to be there. Emperors from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty lived and ruled from there. For more than 500 years this complex played several roles: home to the Emperor, his family and staff; China’s political hub; and its ceremonial center. Now it is the Palace Museum.
Bagan Man-made Wonder in Myanmar
For four centuries the city of Bagan was the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan. That Kingdom was the first to bring together all the regions that make up Myanmar. This ancient city and the 10,000 Buddhist temples and pagodas on the Bagan plains are found in the Mandalay region of Burma. Well, not all of the 10,000 structures are still standing, but the remains of 2,200 of them are still around. Most of these temples, pagodas and some monasteries were constructed between the 11th and 13th centuries when the Kingdom of Pagan was at its most powerful. Tourists come from all over the globe to visit these structures within the Bagan Archeological Zone.
Colosseum Man-made Wonder in Italy
If you don’t recognize the word Coliseum, think of gladiators. The coliseum in the center of Rome is famous as the main arena for gladiatorial competitions and other public spectacles. Although it has been over a thousand years since the last real gladiator stood in the sands he has been recreated in movies and television often enough to be well known even today. Also known as the Flavian Amphitheater for the line of Emperors that built it, the Coliseum could hold 50,000 to 80,000 spectators. Finally finished in 80 A.D., the games to celebrate its completion were huge. Over 9,000 wild animals were killed in sport during these festivities. Gladiators fought in the sands until about 435 A.D., but animal hunts continued until about 450 A.D. after which a church was added to the structure and the arena became a graveyard. Over the years it was used to house a religious order, workshops, general housing and even a quarry. Now it is a primary tourist attraction in Rome.
Easter Island Man-made Wonder in Chile
Easter Island is not named for the 887 Moai statues that adorn the landscape. It is not named Easter Island for the Polynesian people who first settled the island during the first millennium A.D. and erected the Moai, the Rapa Nui. It holds that title because Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen named it so when he encountered the island on Easter Sunday in 1722. The Rapa Nui people still live on the island though there numbers have dwindled dramatically through epidemics, slave raids, colonization and near total deforestation of their island. Today this “special territory” of Chile is renowned for the carved stone heads, Moai, that represent the ancestors of the Rapa Nui people.
Christ the Redeemer Statue Man-made Wonder in Brazil
Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is home to the largest art deco statue in the world. A 30 meter tall (not counting the pedestal) statue of Jesus Christ with outstretched arms stands on the peak of Corcovado mountain overlooking the city. It took nine years to construct this reinforced concrete and soapstone monument that was finally opened to the public on October 12, 1931. What began as an acknowledgement and honoring of Christianity in Brazil has come to be the iconic symbol of both Rio de Janeiro and Brazil itself.
Top 10 Man-made Wonders of the World Videos
Enjoy watching these fantastic videos of top 10 man-made wonders of the world to learn more about them.
Here is the Pyramids of Egypt man-made wonder video:
Watch the man-made wonder video of the Great Wall of China:
Here’s a video all about the man-made wonder video of the Taj Mahal in India:
Watch the Machu Picchu man-made wonder video:
Here is the Angkor Wat man-made wonder video:
Watch the man-made wonder video of the Forbidden City in China:
Watch the Bagan man-made wonder video:
Here you find the man-made wonder video of the Colosseum in Italy:
Watch the Easter Island man-made wonder video:
Here is the man-made wonder video of the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Brazil
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