These
historic sites are all part of the magnificent Seven Wonders of the Medieval
World.
Since before
recorded history, humans have left their legacies on the Earth in the form of
architectural structures. These have ranged in scope from mounds and simple
markers to spectacular feats of construction. Many have been destroyed by war
or natural disasters, but some survive as ruins, reconstructed replicas or
meticulously-maintained structures.
Leaning
Tower of Pisa
The leaning
tower of Pisa is a freestanding bell tower near the cathedral in the city of
Pisa, Italy. The building began to tilt almost immediately during its
construction in the twelfth century, caused by soft ground and poor foundation
engineering. Construction continued into the fourteenth century, and the
unintentional tilt gradually increased. At its apex, the tower leaned at an angle
of five and a half degrees, with the top of the tower displaced more than
eighteen feet from the center. The tilt was partially corrected and the
building was stabilized by preservation architects in 2001.
Hagia
Sophia
Hagia Sophia
is a Greek Orthodox basilica in Istanbul, Turkey. Commissioned by Emperor
Justinian I and completed in 537 AD, Hagia Sophia was the largest cathedral in
the world for almost 1,000 years. With its characteristic massive dome, this
masterpiece of Byzantine architecture also contains a vast array of decorative
influences characterizing the historical and cultural changes in the region.
Hagia Sophia served as the Roman Empire's first Christian Cathedral until the
Ottoman Empire conquered the city in 1453. Although much of the city was left
in disrepair, Hagia Sophia was maintained and converted into a mosque. It
served as the principal mosque of the city for almost two hundred years. In
1935, the building was decommissioned as a church and converted into a museum.
Porcelain
Tower of Nanjing
The
Porcelain Tower of Nanjing was a fifteenth century pagoda, built during the
Ming Dynasty on the banks of the Qinhuai River. One of the tallest buildings in
China at the time of its completion, the tower rose nine stories high to a
height of 260 feet. A 184-step spiral staircase rose through the center of the
pagoda, and the roof was crowned with a golden pineapple. The outside of the
tower consisted of white porcelain bricks which reflected the sun's rays in
dazzling fashion. At night, lamps were hung on the outside for further
illumination. Landscapes, flowers, animals and Buddhist images adorned the
sides of the tower through decorative stonework and glazes. Considered by some
to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing was
a well-known landmark and cultural icon for hundreds of years.
Although
there had been plans to increase its height, the tower was destroyed during the
Taiping rebellion of the 1850s. The rubble was used for other building
projects, and the site was eventually abandoned. However, in 2010 a private
individual donated one billion yuan (approximately 156 million US dollars) to
the city of Nanjing to finance a reconstruction.
Great
Wall of China
The Great
Wall of China spans from Dandong to Lop Lake, in an arc that runs from east to
west, roughly parallel to ancient China's northern border. Construction began
in multiple locations in the seventh century BC; these walls were later joined
together and fortified. The wall has been destroyed, rebuilt and maintained
numerous times over the centuries, with the majority of the existing structure
dating back to the Ming Dynasty of the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries.
Built to withstand raids and invasions by the Eurasian nomads, the Great Wall
was built from stone, brick, wood, and packed earth, among other materials. In
areas most vulnerable to attack, fortifications were enhanced with military
housing and stations, watch towers, and smoke-signalling stations. The wall was
also utilized for emigration control, commerce, and trade regulation.
Catacombs
of Kom el Shoqafa
The
catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa are located in the western necropolis of
Alexandria, Egypt. Constructed during the reign of the Antonine emperors in the
second century AD, the catacombs consist of tombs carved into three levels
solid rock, although the lowest level is currently submerged by groundwater.
These tombs contain statues, friezes and other artifacts showing the influence
of Roman, Greek and Egyptian cultures. Originally accessible by a circular
staircase through an access shaft, the catacombs were used as a burial site
from the second to the fourth centuries AD. On the first level, the Hall of
Caracalla houses the bones of Christians who were massacred by the emperor of
the same name in 215 AD.
"Kom El
Shoqafa" means "mound of shards", named for the heaps of broken
terra cotta jars and other objects found by archaeologists during excavation of
this site. It is believed that ancient visitors to the tombs brought food and
wine and, due to superstition, broke the containers and left them in the
catacombs rather than bring them home again.
Colosseum
An iconic
symbol of the Roman Empire, the Colosseum is one of Rome's major tourist
attractions. The oval amphitheater, located in the city center, was built and
improved upon between 72 and 96 AD during the Flavian dynasty, a group of three
emperors including Vespasian, Titus and Domitian. Now partially ruined due to
human destruction and natural disasters, this impressive structure of concrete
and sand has never been surpassed in size. The Colosseum is the largest
amphitheater ever built, and once hosted audiences of 50,000 to 80,000 people.
Spectators enjoyed events that included staged animal hunts, executions,
historical re-enactments, mythological dramas, and gladiator battles. During
the early medieval era, the Colosseum was later repurposed for housing,
religious services, workshops, fortifications, and eventually used as a quarry
for other building projects.
Stonehenge
Stonehenge
is a ring of standing stones, built by prehistoric peoples during the Neolithic
and Bronze ages. Rising out of the countryside near what is now Wiltshire,
England, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered to be a cultural icon.
The stones, partially buried beneath the ground, are roughly thirteen feet
high, seven feet wide and weigh approximately 25 tons. This circular monument
sits above several hundred burial mounds which contain human remains dating
back to 3000-2500 BC. Construction of the site appears to have begun with an
earthen embankment and ditch around 3100 BC, while the stones are believed to
have been placed there between 2400 and 2200 BC.
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