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The privately owned New7Wonders Foundation conducted a worldwide poll asking people to vote for the new or Modern Seven Wonders of the World. The only restriction was that each Wonder had to be man made. The poll ended in 2007 and the winners were announced on July 7, 2007. In addition to the seven winners the New7Wonders Foundation also announced the 13 other finalists or runner-ups in the polling. Here are seven of the runner-ups in no particular order since vote totals for each individual site were not announced.

Stonehenge

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Stonehenge is a circular setting of large standing stones surrounded by earthworks that was built around 2500 BC in the county of Wiltshire in England. Today no one is exactly sure why Stonehedge was built but some theories are it was built as a temple or church dedicated to the worship of ancient earth deities, an astronomical observatory or a sacred burial site. Each stone in the prehistoric monument weighs roughly 50 tons so exactly how it was built is another mystery. Stonehenge is one of the most famous sites in the world today and is visited annually by nearly a million people who used to be able to freely walk among the stones but that was banned in 1977 due to erosion.

Acropolis of Athens

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Built atop what is known as the “Sacred Rock” of Athens, the Acropolis contains magnificent structures built to radiate power and protection for the citizens of Athens. The temples of the Acropolis have become the some of most famous architectural landmarks of ancient and modern history including the Parthenon, the Erechtheum, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Theatre of Dionysus, the Sanctuary of Asclepius and the Old Temple of Athena. Today the Acropolis stands as a magnificent symbol of Ancient Greek civilization.

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Angkor Wat

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Angkor Wat is located in Cambodia and was built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city.  It is the most important monument of the south-east Asian Khmer Empire and the world’s largest sacred temple. Angkor Wat is noted for its intricate ornamentation and striking beauty.

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With its water moats, concentric walls and magnificent temple mountain in the center, Angkor Wat symbolizes the Hindu cosmos with its oceans at the periphery and the Meru mountain at the center of its universe.

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Angkor Wat is a symbol of Cambodia today and a popular tourist attraction.

Moai of Easter Island

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Moai are the enormous sculptured stone figures found around the perimeter of the island of Rapa Nui also known as Easter Island. The stones were quarried from Rano Raraku, a volcanic crater on the island. The statues are up to 33 feet high and weigh up to 75 tons. They were sculpted and placed around the island between the 10th and 16th centuries but but how such enormous statues were moved around the island remains a mystery to this day.

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Neuschwanstein Castle

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Neuschwanstein Castle is a beautiful, romantic composition of towers and walls in the perfect setting of mountains and lakes in Bavaria, Germany. The castle is the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle at both Disneyland Park and Hong Kong Disneyland and for the Cinderella Castles at the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland.

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Neuschwanstein Castle was not built in the Middle Ages when most castle construction took place but was built in the 19th century by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to composer Richard Wagner. Visitors were not allowed into the castle during Ludwig’s lifetime but it was opened to the public after his death in 1886. Since then over 50 million people have visited the castle and roughly 1.25 million people visit annually today.  

Alhambra

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The Alhambra was built by the Moors when they ruled Spain. Original construction took place over the years 1338 to 1390. Many more additions have been added since then as Alhmabra changed hands. The Moors relinquished control in the year of Columbus, 1492 to King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile. Reportedly Napolean wanted to blow the Alhambra to smithereens but was thwarted by a disloyal soldier. Over the centuries gardens, fountains, streams, and even a palace have been added to the Alhambra. Thousands of people a day visit the Alhambra.

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Eiffel Tower

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The Eiffel Tower stands 1,063 feet high and is the tallest building in Paris. Named after its engineering creator, Gustave Eiffel, over 200 million people have visited the Tower. It is easily one of the most recognizable structures in the world today and the Eiffel Tower is visited by some 6 million tourists annually.

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