10. Hagia Sophia
The Hagia Sophia (Greek for “Holy Wisdom”) is a former basilica and mosque in Istanbul that is often referred to by art historians as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Like Red Square or Angkor Wat in Cambodia, which were also considered for this list, the Hagia Sophia has both artistic and cultural significance. The third such structure built on that site, the current Hagia Sophia was finished in 562. Its complex system of vaults and domes represents a monument to the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, and its technical ingenuity distinguishes it from other massive temples. For centuries, scholars have debated how 6th century artisans, with limited technology and equipment, could create a more than 100-foot-wide dome rising 183 feet into the air — and supported by only four arches. The verdict is still out.
9. Channel Tunnel
As far as the American Society of Civil Engineers is concerned, the Channel Tunnel connecting France and England by way of an underwater tunnel deserves seven-wonder status. Since those spots are already taken, the “Chunnel” must settle for also-ran status. Remarkably, the 31-mile-long Chunnel is not the longest, nor the deepest — with a maximum depth of 246 feet — such tunnel. That honor goes to Japan’s Seikan, which stretches more than 33 miles and dips down nearly 790 feet. But wait … when it comes to the tunnel that boasts the longest stretch of rail under water, that honor goes to the Chunnel; more than 23 of the tunnel’s 31 miles are under the English Channel. So it’s fair to say that this engineering feat, which was originally conceived of in 1802 and opened in 1994, reigns as the longest undersea tunnel.
8. Lake Baikal
Move over, Great Lakes. Lake Baikal blows all other lakes out of the water. Located in the southeastern reaches of frigid Siberia, to get to Baikal’s floor you’d have to plunge more than 1 mile down. Baikal’s not only deep, but it’s vast; it holds 20 percent of the world’s unfrozen fresh water, according to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Lake Baikal holds a third title — that of the world’s oldest such body of water, at 25 million years. Given Baikal’s isolation, age and sheer size, as you might expect, it’s an alien world. Some of Baikal’s creatures can only be found here, like the nerpa, a freshwater seal that can spend up to 45 minutes underwater before coming up for air. Like those seals, Baikal is a wonder, and a very strange one at that.
7. Stonehenge
Always a bridesmaid, but never a bride, Stonehenge is frequently listed as an eighth wonder, but it didn’t quite make the cut for the new seven-wonders list. A lot of this site’s wonder lies in its mystery. What do those strategically placed stones dotting the English countryside mean? Were they used for sacred ceremonies, or astronomical studies? And how did people of the Neolithic and Bronze ages haul and manipulate stones weighing, in some cases, more than 110,000 pounds? There are many theories — from aliens who visited our ancient ancestors to the miraculous work of Merlin the wizard — but the more “down-to-earth” explanations for how mere mortals moved these stones include an elaborate system of sledges and ropes, which would have required the work of 600 men to pull the largest of what’s called the “Sarsen” stones.
6. Great Barrier Reef
Off the coast of Queensland exists a world-within-a-world of sorts — nearly 3,000 separate coral reefs and hundreds of islands stretching from northeast Australia to the coast of Papua New Guinea. This reef system boasts the world’s largest collection of coral, with some 360 species, as well as some 1,500 fish species and many endangered species, such as the dugong or “sea cow” and the large green turtle. It’s also home to hundreds of islands, many of them featuring stunning tropical rain forests. In echoing the many who have coined this surreal, undersea community among the wonders of the world, there is only one Great Barrier Reef.
5. Milford Sound
If you think this UNESCO World Heritage site, located on New Zealand’s South Island, isn’t worthy of eighth-wonder status, then you’re disagreeing with a literary genius — Rudyard Kipling — who famously labeled the sound as such. More recently, TripAdvisor.com named this inlet, hugged by steep cliff faces, as the world’s top travel destination in its Travelers’ Choice awards. Aside from being gorgeous, Milford Sound is, like its “neighboring” Aussie wonder, the Great Barrier Reef, a unique site. It’s home to an extensive network of black coral trees, which may be viewed along with other marine life from an underwater observatory. Some animals, such as the clam-like brachiopod, have remained unchanged over the past 300 million years. And when it rains — as it does 182 days out of the year — hundreds of temporary waterfalls cascade as much as 3,000 feet down the cliff faces.
4. Panama Canal
This 50-mile canal boasts a strong credential for wonder status: the 1998 documentary, Panama Canal: The Eighth Wonder of the World. The concept of creating a canal to bridge the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was hardly new; 16th century European explorers wanted to build such a structure across the Isthmus of Panama more for strategic military reasons than for promoting international trade. But it wasn’t until the 1880s that the French began the excavation, according to the Canal de Panama website. That project was abandoned in 1894 as worker casualties ran into the thousands due to landslides and illnesses. With the help of the U.S., the project began anew in 1904. Ten years later, the first vessel made its way through the canal.
3. Easter Island Moai
You could say these imposing statues are already an uncontested eighth wonder; after all, the Moai of Easter Island (or “Rapa Nui,” as this remote Chilean territory is known to natives) ranked eighth in the 2007 new seven-wonders poll. The 15-mile-long island, whose closest populated neighbor resides some 1,300 miles to the west, contains almost 900 moai. The largest one is nearly 72 feet and weighs at least 145 tons — roughly the weight of an adult blue whale. It’s believed that the Rapanuins carved these statues between 1400 and 1600, making them in the likeness of powerful chiefs or departed elders. The statues were then rolled and moved upright using ropes, logs and levers. We’ll never know exactly how the Rapanuins accomplished such a feat; not only was the culture almost entirely destroyed by the onslaught of European colonization, but there are no written records, the oral tradition is limited and existing pictographs can’t be deciphered.
2. Mount Everest
Is it enough for a peak to be named among this select few, only because it’s the world’s tallest mountain? Everest, standing more than 29,000 feet above sea level, is more than merely tall; it’s one of the most imposing and inhospitable places on Earth. Winds up to 125 miles an hour constantly batter the summit. Climbers are also subject to avalanches, sudden storms and temperatures falling below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Climbers at the 25,000-foot level have one-third the oxygen available to them at sea level. Despite all these dangers, nearly 3,000 people have survived the climb. Many of the more than 200 people who have perished on the mountain remain there, as attempts to recover the bodies are often considered too dangerous. As daunting as this seems, Everest is by no means the deadliest mountain; also in the Himalayas, Annapurna I boasts that dubious claim, as nearly 40 percent of those who attempt the climb die on the mountain. That said, far fewer people — around 210 — have even tried to trek up this comparatively “puny” mountain, which is the 10th tallest in the world.
1. Grand Canyon
In 2006, this 277-mile-long canyon in northwestern Arizona was crowned “Eighth Wonder of the World” by USA Today readers, decades after Teddy Roosevelt made the same claim. We all know of its vastness — the 21-mile trek across the canyon on foot, the mile-long drop at its deepest point — but there are other canyons that are slightly longer (in Tibet) and much, much deeper (in Nepal). What captures the imagination of so many people is the Grand Canyon’s unique appearance; there are dozens of colorful rock layers that trace the history of the Colorado River basin back as far as 2 billion years. Nearly 4.4 million people visited Grand Canyon National Park in 2010 to take in the sights.
