Tales of the Taj Mahal and Other Wonders Quiz

Answer: Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal was built in Agra, India, to serve as a mausoleum or tomb for one of the wives of Shah Jahan. Her name was Mumtaz Mahal; she died giving birth to their fourteenth child. Both she and her husband are buried there, although that was not originally the plan.

When his father died, Aurangzeb, their son, buried him in a simple crypt (the Islam religion does not allow intricate ornamentation on graves) next to his favorite wife. The complex includes not only the tombs, but also a guesthouse and a mosque. Did you know that the Taj Mahal appears to change colors throughout the day? It is said that it appears to be pinkish in the morning, white in the evening, and golden at night. Shah Jahan said that the reason for the change in colors represented the changing moods of his wife.

Answer: Great Pyramid

The Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt, was the only structure to make both Seven Wonders lists - in a different way. The oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one still mostly unscathed, the Great Pyramid was given an honorary position on the New7Wonders list. Why? The Great Pyramid, built in 2560 BC, is still amazing and prompts endless debate over how it was built and why.

The tallest building in the world for more than 3,800 years, it is difficult for this author to accept the theory that the pyramid was used as a tomb for Pharaoh Cheops, although that theory does remain as one of the reasons why it was built.

It seems more likely that it was built as a monument to Pharaoh's wealth and power. Who knows? Maybe some day the mystery will be uncovered.

Answer: Great Wall

Parts of the Great Wall of China were constructed beginning in the 7th century BC; the Wall continued to be built over several centuries up to the 1600s. During this long span of time the various walls were joined together, rebuilt, and enhanced with towers and even held accommodations for troops stationed in various locations along China's long frontier. Back then the wall was constructed to keep invaders out of China; today it also enables the government to control China's borders and regulate trade. Covering an area that is estimated to be 13,171 miles long (including the wall and all its branches), the wall cannot really be seen from the moon; this story, however, has been in existence since 1754.

Answer: Petra

The construction of Petra, in modern Jordan, began as early as the fourth century BC. It is believed to have served as the capital of the Nabataeans, Berbers who roamed with their herds throughout the desert. The people who lived at Petra were excellent stone workers and were also skilled farmers, who learned how to collect rainwater and form a conduit system throughout their city. Trade, however, formed the basis of the city's eventual wealth. Located at the intersections of two trade routes, one to Asia and one to Arabia, caravans were offered water and respite - at a cost! The city's eventual control of the incense trade from Arabia made the Nabataeans a very wealthy nation; it also, however, attracted invaders.

Although the attempt of the Greeks to take over the city was repelled in 312 BC, it became part of the Roman Empire in 106 AD.

Answer: Colosseum

Completed in 80 AD, the Colosseum is the largest amphitheater that has ever been constructed to this very day! Believed to have held 50,000-80,000 spectators, there was a wide variety of entertainment that could be seen there including animal hunts, animal fights, gladiatorial combats, horse racing, persecutions of the Christians, mock naval battles, and more. Romans would spend days on end at the Colosseum during religious festivals and state celebrations; political careers could be made or lost according to the crowds' opinion of the events on the program.

In the fourth century AD the building was badly damaged by an earthquake; after that many stones were taken from the site for other building projects in the city.

Answer: Chichen Itza

The city of Chichen Itza was constructed in phases. Originally founded in the early 400s AD by the Mayans, historians believe that the Toltecs arrived sometime in the 10th century, and the two cultures blended. It is the step pyramid known as the Temple of Kukulcan that really helped Chichen Itza find a place on the New7Wonders of the World list. Believed to have been built between the 9th-12th centuries, the step pyramid temple was dedicted to Kukulkan, who was the Maya Feathered Serpent deity.

While it is still debated as to whether the temple was used for astronomy as well, during the spring and autumnal equinoxes the sun strikes the pyramid in such a way that the shadow looks like a moving feathered serpent. Is it a coincidence that the temple has 365 steps? No one knows for sure, but it is true that the Mayans were gifted astronomers!

Answer: Machu Picchu

Many historians believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for Emperor Pachacuti sometime in the mid-fifteenth century. The architecture of the city is exquisite; the stones were placed together without the use of mortar, yet still today a knife blade cannot be slipped between them. Located 7970 feet above sea level, it is believed that the city was population by approximately 750 people who lived there and took care of the emperor's estate.

After being used for about eighty years, the site was abandoned for reasons that are not clear to us today. Was there a smallpox epidemic that wiped out the inhabitants? Did the arrival of the Spanish have anything to do with it? We may never know.

Answer: Christ the Redeemer

Completed in 1931, Christ the Redeemer just made it onto the list of the New7Wonders of the World. Located on Corcovado Mountain, the statue itself is 98 feet tall - 124 feet if you count its pedestal. Christ's arms reach a distance of 92 feet. The potential project was discussed and debated several decades before the group called the Catholic Circle of Rio found success in gaining donations in the 1920s.

They believed the building of the statue was important at the time because society had become "Godless" in their opinion. Strong winds, erosion and lightning strikes pose a danger to the statue, which is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone.

Answer: Stonehenge

Also receiving votes, but not making it onto the New7Wonders List, Stonehenge has been baffling historians for centuries. Believed to have been built in several stages from 3000-2000 BC, both the purpose of Stonehenge, as well as how it was constructed are still debated today.

Many agree that it was probably more than an astronomical observatory. It may have had its beginnings as a spiritual location, a gathering place, or, judging from artifacts found, perhaps even a graveyard. The placement of the stones, however, have led some scientists to believe that the monument was used as a solar calendar to keep track of the seasons because the monument's entrance faces the rising sun on the day of the summer solstice.

Answer: Moai

It is believed that the moai statues on Easter Island were built to honor chiefs or other important people who had passed away. The platforms on which the statues were placed are called ahu, and they are tombs for the people represented on the statues.

Many people believe that the statues only have heads, however, they also do have torsos. They have just been buried up to the neck in soil. Carved from 1100-1680, 887 statues were placed on the perimeters of the island. Does that sound like a lot of statues? It is estimated that only 25% of the statues that were made were used.

Many were left behind at the quarry where they were made.