Throughout the ages, from antiquity to the modern era, lists have been compiled that describe “wonders” of the world. With natural and man-made wonders around the entire globe, there is certainly no shortage of subjects to choose from. From the deepest canyons to the highest mountains, from mausoleums to skyscrapers and bridges, there are many truly astounding wonders.
So, which one is the tallest?
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
During Greek antiquity, more than one list was compiled by different authors who made their own choices as to what the “Seven Wonders” were. Their lists were mostly in agreement with each other, and all of them included the Pyramids of Giza, or at least, the Great Pyramid of Cheops, the biggest of the pyramids at Giza.
Standing at around 454 feet (138.5 m), this pyramid was likely the tallest structure in the world, although it has to be said that nobody knows the dimensions of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Some academics even deny this Wonder ever existed.
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Nevertheless, while the other Wonders crumbled and fell, the Great Pyramid remained. And it did so as the tallest structure on Earth for several millennia.
The 19th and 20th Centuries
Given the age of the list, and the fact that six of the seven Wonders no longer existed, in the 19th and 20th centuries, authors attempted to promote their own lists. These lists contained a wide variety of subjects from all over the world, but none of them gained traction to become respected as definitive. They did, however, expand the scope of the original list from antiquity, which was localized to the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
New 7 Wonders
In 2001, an initiative gained traction to create a new and definitive list of 7 Wonders. The Wonders would be voted on by public from all over the world, and the candidates would reflect this global outlook. The “New 7 Wonders” gained massive popularity and has since gained respect enough for the winners to be classified with some kind of official recognition as being one of the “7 Wonders”
A new list of 7 Wonders was announced in 2007. Disregarding elevation (Machu Picchu was one of the winners), the Taj Mahal was the tallest Wonder on the list, standing at 240 feet (73 meters). This is still shorter than the second tallest of the original Ancient Wonders – the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which stood around 384 feet (117.0 meters).
Other New 7 Wonders
On the back of the New 7 Wonders campaign, another campaign was launched to determine the New 7 Wonders of Nature. In 2011, the winners were announced. If one were to count elevation as being relevant to the tallest Wonder question, then one would have to consider the Amazon rainforest’s highest point, Neblina Peak, whose pinnacle sits at 9,888 feet (3,014 meters) above sea level.
The next campaign was to create a list of New 7 Wonders cities. Of the seven cities that were chosen, Kuala Lumpur has the tallest skyscraper, Merdeka 118, which stands 2,227 feet (678.9 meters) tall.
Other Modern Lists
Many publications have designated their own seven wonders. Author Deborah Cadbury published a book detailing her choice for the Seven Wonders of the Industrial World. Of her list, the Hoover Dam would be the tallest at 726.4 feet (221.4 meters). Her book was turned into a docudrama and aired on BBC in 2003.
Astronomy magazine also published its own list of the Seven Wonders of the Solar System. Olympus Mons, the tallest mountain in the solar system, and which is situated on Mars, was named. The surface of the sun was also named, and if one regarded solar flares to be “tall”, then the surface of the sun would surely be the tallest wonder! The American Society of Civil Engineers also published its own list of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Of their choices, the CN Tower in Ontario, Canada, was the tallest, standing at 1,815.3 feet (553.3 meters).
Conclusion
When deciding what the tallest Wonder is, it’s important to realize that no list is actually definitive. Some are traditionally accepted while others are mere curiosities that are destined to be forgotten. So, the idea of the tallest Wonder is a difficult one to define. However, for those who subscribe to the first recorded list of World Wonders, then the Great Pyramid of Giza remains the tallest!
