Seven Greatest Wonders of the World and Its Fascinating Stories

Stonehenge

Located at the English county of Wiltshire.

The mystery of Stonehenge still remains unanswered as historians are still searching for answers, why was it built? What purpose did it serve? How did our ancestors lift such heavy stones (some of them weighting up to 50 tonnes each!) in it's position?

Colosseum

Located in the city centre of Rome, Italy.

The Colosseum was used to host gladiatorial shows as well as a variety of other events. Sometimes execution took place in the form of drama, where the hero (the condemned person) was killed in a gruesome manner for example being mauled by beasts or burned to death.

Taj Mahal

Agra, India.

Tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal

Jali screens surrounding the cenotaphs, it is inlaid with semiprecious stones on the surface.

A love story between a king and his queen. There is a story that is inspired by Rabindranath Tagore's description of the tomb as "one tear-drop… upon the cheek of time" where once a year, during the rainy season, a single drop of water falls on the cenotaph.

The Great Wall of China

It has been estimated that between 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of the project of building this defensive wall.

The watch towers were important as communication was passed from one tower to another in times of impending attack.

Someone claimed it was "the only man made structure that is visible to the naked eye from the moon." Do you know where to look? This photo is taken from the Space Shuttle in April 1994.

The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing

It is also known as a "Temple of Gratitude". A beautiful octagonal tower laid with white porcelain bricks was designed by the Chinese Emperor Yongle. The suns rays would be reflected in the day, and at night as many as 140 lanterns were hung on the tower to illuminate it.

It was destroyed during 1856 by the Taiping, to prevent the hostile fraction to use the tower as an observation post. The ruins have lain forgotten until recently, as some works are being carried out to try to rebuilt this landmark.

Hagia Sophia

Located in Istanbul, Turkey.

It was first a patriarchal basilica, then a mosque and now a museum.

Fountain (Şadirvan) for ritual ablutions

The mihrab located in the apse where the altar used to stand, pointing towards Mecca

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

It is a free standing bell tower of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. Due to poorly laid foundation and loose substrate, the tower is tilting in the southeast direction.

On February 27, 1964 a team of historians, mathematicians and engineers came together to try to stabilize the tower. In May 2008, engineers have announced that the Tower has stopped moving for the first time in history!