Wonders of The World

The infamous Wonders of The World. Everyone's heard of them. Maybe you can even reel them off one-by-one. But have you ever stopped to think about where this list may have come from?

Well, a wee while ago, in 1572 to be precise, a Dutch engraver called Philips Galle, created the "Octo Mundi Miracula". Those of you who speak Latin, or perhaps a Latin-based language will guess this roughly translates to "Eight World Miracles". This is the first-known existence of such a list, and was in the form of engravings. No Generative AI back in those days guys!

Hang on a minute... aren't there just Seven Wonders of The World, I hear you say? Here is where the plot thickens. An engraving of an Eighth Wonder was made of The Colosseum of Rome, but I guess it never made the final cut of the list itself. Maybe this is the "Lost Wonder of The World"?!

Since then, they have come to be known as the Seven Ancient Wonders of The World, and new lists have popped up over time. Perhaps the most famous in modern times is the New Seven Wonders of The World. This one is defined by an organisation in Switzerland - hardly the romantic backstory of times gone by, but at least it is put down to the public vote.

These lists are now firmly fixed in avid adventurers minds, and the sights still standing should definitely be etched onto your own travel bucket lists!

Of course, we will also have our own idea of what World Wonders look like, and I have indeed also curated my very own Timbuk2Stu's World Wonders, including stunning sights from my own escapades, which I feel have narrowly missed out.

For more, see my dedicated posts on:

• New 7 Wonders of The World
• Ancient Wonders of The World (coming soon...)

I would also love to hear about your own World Wonders. Comment below, or send a personal message to info@timbuk2stu.com.

Image: A collage of The Seven Wonders of the (ancient) world, depicted by 16th-century Dutch artist Maarten van Heemskerck - see on Wikimedia Commons.