There are two lists of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are the Great Pyramid of Giza, 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; only the Great Pyramid survives. The New Seven Wonders, chosen in a public poll and announced on 7 July 2007 in Lisbon, are the Great Wall of China, Petra, Chichén Itzá, Christ the Redeemer, the Colosseum, Machu Picchu and India’s Taj Mahal.
Updated 6 October 2026.
What are the New Seven Wonders of the World?
| Wonder | Country |
|---|---|
| Great Wall of China | China |
| Petra | Jordan |
| Chichén Itzá | Mexico |
| Christ the Redeemer | Brazil |
| Colosseum | Italy |
| Machu Picchu | Peru |
| Taj Mahal | India |
The results were announced on 7 July 2007 at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon. The New7Wonders Foundation, based in Zürich and led by the Swiss-Canadian Bernard Weber, ran the campaign, which began with almost 200 nominations and was narrowed to 21 finalists in 2006. The foundation says over 100 million votes were cast. It also states that the seven are all equal, with no ranking. The Great Pyramid of Giza was given honorary status after Egypt objected to it competing, as the only one of the ancient wonders still standing.
What are the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?
| Ancient wonder | Where | Survives today? |
|---|---|---|
| Great Pyramid of Giza | Egypt | Yes, the only one |
| Hanging Gardens of Babylon | Babylon (modern Iraq) | No |
| Statue of Zeus at Olympia | Greece | No |
| Temple of Artemis at Ephesus | Ephesus (modern Turkey) | No |
| Mausoleum at Halicarnassus | Halicarnassus (modern Turkey) | No |
| Colossus of Rhodes | Rhodes, Greece | No |
| Lighthouse (Pharos) of Alexandria | Egypt | No |
The ancient list was a kind of travel guide for Greek visitors, and all the sites were around the Mediterranean and the Near East. Sources attribute the best-known versions to different writers: one credits Antipater of Sidon in the second century BCE, another credits Philon of Byzantium around 200 BCE, so the exact origin of the list is uncertain. The Colossus of Rhodes, for example, is described as a statue of the sun god Helios about 37 metres tall.
Is the New Seven Wonders list official?
It was a popular poll, not an official ranking. UNESCO stated publicly in 2007 that it was not involved in the campaign and said the result reflects the opinions of people with internet access, not of the whole world. UNESCO’s own World Heritage List is a separate, expert-reviewed list, on which the Taj Mahal has been inscribed since 1983; see our complete list of India’s World Heritage Sites.
Why is the Taj Mahal a New Wonder?
It is a white marble mausoleum in Agra, built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal between about 1632 and 1653, and widely seen as a monument to love. Read our full guide to the Taj Mahal: tickets, timings and history.
Sources used for this article: the New7Wonders Foundation’s declaration of 7 July 2007 and its page on the ancient wonders; Wikipedia’s entries on the New 7 Wonders of the World and the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; VOA Learning English’s 2007 report; Springer’s Encyclopedia entry on the campaign; Wikinews; BollySpice; and Maps of India’s overview. Where sources differ, the text says so. The photograph is used under a Creative Commons licence with credit shown beneath it.
Frequently asked questions
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What are the seven wonders of the world?
There are two lists. The New Seven Wonders (2007) are the Great Wall of China, Petra, Chichén Itzá, Christ the Redeemer, the Colosseum, Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal. The ancient list is the Great Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes and Lighthouse of Alexandria.
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Which Indian monument is one of the seven wonders?
The Taj Mahal in Agra is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, announced on 7 July 2007.
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When were the New Seven Wonders announced?
On 7 July 2007 at a ceremony at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal.
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Which of the ancient wonders still exists?
Only the Great Pyramid of Giza survives. The other six no longer stand.
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Is the Great Pyramid of Giza one of the New Seven Wonders?
It was given honorary status instead of competing, because it is the only surviving ancient wonder and Egypt objected to its inclusion in the vote.
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Did UNESCO choose the New Seven Wonders?
No. UNESCO stated in 2007 that it was not involved. The list was chosen by a public poll run by the New7Wonders Foundation.
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Are the New Seven Wonders ranked?
No. The New7Wonders Foundation says the seven are all equal and were announced in random order.
