The Seven Wonders of the Modern World - Fifth Entry.
The Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
Second Position – Petra.
Petra owns
the second position because of its architecture. The architecture of the whole
city and of the Treasury simple
seems to me to be completely out of this world. It is absolutely mesmerizing
every detail of this city, the form of the rocks and of many other edifications
of the site, such as the Petra Theater.
In addition to all of this, the rose-colored rocks suits just too well with the
general architecture of the place. These are my reasons why I believe Petra
belongs in the second position. Truly a masterpiece considering the time it was
built, so much so that it still continues amazing people even to these days.
About the Wonder:
History:
The Petra is ancient city entre of an
Arab kingdom in Hellenistic and Roman times. Edomites, an ancient kingdom which
most of its former territory is now divided between Israel and Jordan, are
known to have occupied the area about 1200 BC. The Nabataeans, an Arab tribe,
occupied it and made it the capital of their kingdom centuries later. The spice
trade of Petra influenced very different kingdoms at the time. such as China,
Egypt, Greece, and India, and the city’s population swelled to between 10,000
and 30,000. However, the Nabataeans were defeated by the Romans in 106 AD and
Petra became part of the Roman province of Arabia and continued flourishing
until changing trade routes changed and this caused its gradual commercial
decline. In the 7th century, the Islamic invasion occurred, and a Crusader armed forces movement is
evidence of activity there in the 12th century. In 1812, traveler Johann Ludwig
Burckhardt rediscovered it and the city became known to the Western World.
Importance and significance:
The importance of this site is due to many things
that make this place one of the most incredible and unique around the world.
Its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system at that time makes it very
interesting for the studying of archaeologists; it also includes 800 individual
monuments that include buildings, tombs, baths, funerary halls, temples, arched
gateways, and colonnaded streets. The large concentration of these heritage
monuments, the fact that it worked as a metropolis in the past, and the time it
was first established, is more than enough to think that it is a historical
treasure of ridiculous proportions of the Arabian civilizations; and it
consequently needs to be considered as Wonder of the world (due to its
architecture and general design) and UNESCO World Heritage Site (due to its
historical value).
First Position. – Taj Mahal.
The Taj
Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum located on the southern bank
of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra.
About the Wonder:
The mausoleum is located on Agra, India. Its total area is 17 hectares and its height is 73 meters (240 ft.)
History:
Everything
began in 1631, when Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan’s wife, died during the birth of
her fourteenth birth, as cause of postpartum hemorrhage. The temple’s
construction, begun one year later, planned to be the resting place of Mumtaz
Mahal. Even to these days, we can witness on almost every detail of the
mausoleum its romantic nature. The construction of the Taj Mahal dured 21
years, beginning in 1632 and concluding in 1653. During the construction,
thousands of skilled laborers and craftsmen worked day in and day out. The
principle designer of the Taj Mahal was Ustad Ahmad
Lahauri, a Persian architect.
The main
tomb took aroun d twelve years to complete. The whole structures surrounding
it, which includes a mosque, minarets and gateways, took another 10 years. Raw
materials were imported from many parts pf Asia. The total cost estimated at
the time to be around 32 million rupees, which in 2020 would be approximately 70 billion rupees
(about U.S. $916 million).
Finally, attracting 7–8 million visitors a year, it was declared a winner of
the New 7 Wonders of the World in 2007.
Importance and significance:
The Taj
Mahal is an example of architectonic perfection and brilliance.
Moreover, what makes it truly special is its beauty, as result of the
combination of many archtiecture styles, such as the Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian
architecture. Since is almost impossible to get such a fine result out of so
many architecture styles, and the perfect balance of the whole temple’s design in terms of
architecture and decoration visibility, influenced by many cultures, makes it a
relic in all senses.
The
incredible details of the Taj Mahal are easily visible. In the
mausoleum’s interior, inlaid semiprecious stones, carvings and Koranic verse in
calligraphy create a unique design for the interior. The marbles dome of the
mausoleum are framed by four minarets from which Muslims are called to prayer.
The Taj
Mahal is a perfect balance of the many architectonic influences. The
background of the mausoleum construction makes it more interesting and
endearing; and the beauty of both the external and internal part, the details,
the gardens, etc., makes it the most beautiful example of a mausoleum ever
known.
Comentarios
Publicar un comentario