... Mali! (a country in northwest Africa)
In the 12th century, Timbuktu was the crossroads of the four most important caravan paths supplying the Arab world. It was the site of one of the earliest universities. Most recently, it was on the list of 21 finalists to be named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.
Speaking of the new seven wonders, here's a story from Saturday's 7-7-07 announcement of the new seven.
I agree with most, but take issue with a couple.
The Great Wall of China, The Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu and the Colosseum... all worthy of the honor.
Jordan's Petra, well, I don't know much about it, so I can't say one way or another.
Chichen Itza? I was there in April, and while it was cool, I've seen more impressive ruins elsewhere and imagine that Machu Picchu holds more historical significance.
It's said that Brazil's statue of Christ the Redeemer made the list thanks to tons of multiple votes via text messaging done by Brazilians. Not that the statue isn't impressive, but, it's a statue.
More important is what was left off because of the statue's controversial inclusion: Easter Island, The Kremlin and other, more significant sites.
The Pyramids in Egypt, which is the only wonder left from the original seven, is still considered a wonder, so technically, there are eight.
Leave a comment and tell us what you think of the new list. Did they pick the right ones?
I keep telling you!! Machu Picchu? Not impressive!! Much less significance than Chichen Itza. Petra? Very Impressive! A great historical enigma. I agree with Easter Island and Statue of Christ. South Americans had too much free time to text message more than once.
Chichen Itza was built by the mayans, which as civilization, were more significant than the Incas.