A privately funded organisation, the New 7 Wonders Foundation, has put forward a shortlist of 21 landmarks from across the globe. They include Rome's Colosseum, Jordan's ancient city of Petra, Britain's Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China.
The Swiss-based foundation is asking people to vote for their favourites by phone during 2006. The winning septet will be announced on New Year's Day 2007. Half of the money raised will go towards funding the Foundation's heritage work.
Man-made monuments
The list also includes a number of more modern candidates, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, New York's Statue of Liberty and the Sydney Opera House. The Great Pyramid of Giza, which is included in the new list, is the only original wonder to remain in contention.
The Seven Wonders of the ancient world were selected by a Greek philosopher, Philon of Byzantium, over 2,000 years ago. All of his choices were situated around the Mediterranean basin. To be included on the new list, the wonders had to be man-made, completed by 2000, and in an "acceptable" state of preservation.
The New Seven Wonders Foundation, which includes among its members the former head of the United Nations cultural agency, Unesco, says it is using its survey to alert the world to the destruction of the world's cultural heritage.
NEW WONDERS?
- Acropolis, Athens
- Alhambra, Spain
- Angkor Wat, Cambodia
- Chichen Itza, Mexico
- Kyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan
- Kremlin, Moscow, Russia
- Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
- Taj Mahal, India
- Timbuktu, Mali
- Sultan Ahmed, Istanbul
- Aya Sofia, Ýstanbul
- Al Hamra Palace, Spain
