Timbuktu, Mali and the election of the New Seven Wonders of the World

Only one of the ancient wonders of the world still survives -- now history lovers are being invited to choose a new list of seven.

Among 20 locations short listed for the worldwide vote is the Timbuktu, Mali, West Africa. Home of the prestigious Koranic Sankore University and other madrasas, Timbuktu was an intellectual and spiritual capital and a centre for the propagation of Islam throughout Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its three great mosques, Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, recall Timbuktu's golden age. Although continuously restored, these monuments are today under threat from desertification.

Timbuktu, Mali will be up against sites including the Machu Picchu in Peru; the Statue of Liberty in New York; and the last remaining original wonder, the Pyramids of Giza in Cairo.

An original list of nearly 200 sites nominated by the public was narrowed to 20 by the organizers and experts, including the former director general of Unesco Professor Federico Mayor.

The vote is organized by a Swiss foundation called New7Wonders which specializes in the preservation, restoration and promotion of monuments, and the results will be announced on July 7, 2007 -  07.07.07, in Lisbon, Portugal, considered a neutral venue as the country has no contending landmark of its own.

About 40 million votes have already been lodged, including many from India, for the Taj Mahal; China, for the Great Wall and from Peru for Machu Picchu, the fortress city of the Incas.

The original Seven Wonders of the ancient world were selected by Greek philosopher Philon of Byzantium more than 2,000 years ago. Only the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is is an Honorary New7Wonders Candidate, is still standing. The other original seven wonders of the ancient world were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; the Statue of Zeus at Olympia; the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus; the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus; the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Tia Viering, spokeswoman for New7Wonders, said: "Apart from the Pyramids, the seven ancient wonders of the world no longer exist."

The only criteria for the new list is that the landmarks were built or discovered before 2000.

Votes can be made online, at www.new7wonders.com
 

The 20 finalists for the New Seven Wonders of the World, alphabetically:

1. Acropolis, Athens, Greece

2. Alhambra, Granada, Spain

3. Angkor, Cambodia

4. Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico

5. Christ Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

6. Colosseum, Rome, Italy

7. Easter Island Statues, Chile

8. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

9. Great Wall, China

10. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey

11. Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan

12. Kremlin/St.Basil's, Moscow, Russia

13. Machu Picchu, Peru

14. Neuschwanstein Castle, Fussen, Germany

15. Petra, Jordan

16. Statue of Liberty, New York, USA

17. Stonehenge, Amesbury, United Kingdom

18. Sydney Opera House, Australia

19. Taj Mahal, Agra, India

20. Timbuktu, Mali

Pyramids of Giza out of contest for New Wonders
Honorary New7Wonders Candidate
April 20, 2007. Source: New7Wonders Foundation

After careful consideration, the New7Wonders Foundation designates the Pyramids of Giza—the only remaining of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World—as an Honorary New7Wonders Candidate.

The 7 New Wonders of the World will now be chosen by the people across the globe from the 20 active New7Wonders candidates.