Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to the present day, to catalogue

the world's most spectacular natural wonders and manmade structures

1. Taj Mahal, India

The Taj Mahal, in Agra, India, is the spectacular mausoleum built by Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to honor the memory of his beloved late wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

2. Christ the Redeemer Statue, Brazil

The 105-foot-tall (38-meter-tall) "Christ the Redeemer" statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was among the "new seven wonders of the world" announced July 7 following a global poll to decide a new list of humanmade marvels.

3. The Colosseum, Rome, Italy

The only finalist from Europe to make it into the top seventhe Colosseum in Rome, Italyonce held up to 50,000 spectators who came to watch gory games involving gladiators, wild animals, and prisoners.

4. Chichn Itz, Mexico

Chichn Itz is possibly the most famous temple city of the Mayas, a pre-Columbian civilization that lived in present day Central America. It was the political and religious center of Maya civilization during the period from A.D. 750 to 1200.

5. Great Wall of China

This newly elected world wonder was built along China's northern border over many centuries to keep out invading Mongol tribes.

6. Machu Picchu, Peru

One of three successful candidates from Latin America, Machu Picchu is a 15th-century mountain settlement in the Amazon region of Peru.

7. Petra, Jordan
Perched on the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to A.D. 40).