7 wonders of the modern world

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Originally Posted by Ovidiucucu

It looks at Taj Mahal like to a little baby... :D ;)

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Babies are cute... :D

On size-based parameters, here is an interesting listing -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_building

The Parliament house in Buchasrest is the largest in "mass" i.e. heaviest.

// BTW, the Taj is a lot bigger than what a lot of people think it is. The work on it is so intricate that if you stand below it, you will be able to perceive the caligraphy inscribed over it's entrance as one of the same font-size due to the efforts of artisans - they actually compensated for the height of the monument in the size of the inscribed characters... It is a result of Persian / Iranian islamic architecture and when it was completed it looked so pretty that the Emperor ordered that the artisans lose their hands. :eek:

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Originally Posted by Siddhartha

when it was completed it looked so pretty that the Emperor ordered that the artisans lose their hands. :eek:

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That's not a unique story. Just take a look at Meşterul Manole.
Additionally, you can find there yet another one Romanian priority in front of the americans which believe they invented everything (including the flying)... :D

That's right... Almost all majestic old structures have a brutal side to them... Even the Colloseum that did make it - most probably the single-handed cause of death and injury to thousands of slaves and animals.

Here is a new wonder unveiled yesterday:
http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/...70708b_nr.html

(It is big, heavy and it can fly :D)

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Originally Posted by Sid

On size-based parameters, here is an interesting listing

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Amazing:

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Mall Location Size (millions of square feet) Size (square meters)
Dubai Mall Dubai, United Arab Emirates 12.1 1,100,000
Mall of Arabia Dubai, United Arab Emirates 10 900,000

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Dubai will increase its shopping areas with 2 million square meters when the two malls will be finished. Wow!

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Originally Posted by Siddhartha

Almost all majestic old structures have a brutal side to them...

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That's a very superficial interpretation.
In fact, "Mesterul Manole" like many other similar myths, tells us about the sacrifice some people have to make for an ideal, aside with the rulers' gratitude.
Many contemporary authors were inspired from Mesterul Manole, as for example Orson Scott Card. :)

Well... I said that in context of the Taj and the Colloseum - those were people who were sacrificed, and not of their own free will. It was convenient for the emperors in question to sacrifice them (to feed his ideals?).

Here's the reason why the pyramid is not available for voting,
http://www.new7wonders.com/index.php?id=391&L=0. It has been considered an Honorary Candidate.

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Originally Posted by Siddhartha

when it was completed it looked so pretty that the Emperor ordered that the artisans lose their hands. :eek:

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That is just an urban myth from ancient days. No ruler who want's to encourage the arts in his country would do things like that to ensure no one creates a duplicate. Furthermore, majority of these artisans were imported from Turkey, Persia, Syria, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan etc. After word of something like that get's out, he practically kills all his chances of being able to do overseas recruitment for his next project.

BTW, much of the calligraphy was by Amanath Khan , Shajahan's own court calligrapher, and there is no record of Amanath Khan having come to a sticky end after the Taj Mahal project.

I would be quite willing to believe that that is an urban myth... Just that the guide I had gave me this piece of information. :eek:

However, I could not substantiate it in Wikipedia... So...

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However, I could not substantiate it in Wikipedia... So...

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Ah, not everything on wikipedia is 100% correct. There was a case study made on wikipedia and encyclopedia britannica on 50 articles on the same topics, revealed that the former has 3.86 errors per article. Moreover, you can't expect to find in an article, all the information about that topic.

Here is an interesting blog on the urban myth surrounding the Taj (Sahir was correct).

http://annalysis.blogspot.com/2006/1...maimed-in.html

One reason that makes it easy to believe such stories is the Mughal Dynasty's brutal history... Including one of sons revolting against fathers and intra-family bloodshed. Shahjahan revolted against his father Jehangir who had revolted against his father Akbar. He was in turn arrested by his own son Aurangzeb who took control after killing his siblings and arresting his father. So, when a so-called official tourist guide tells people such stories, it is easy to believe him!

Here are some excerpts taken from the above:

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Okay, now I've actually looked at Ebba Koch's very fine book at my favourite local bookshop.

The relevant chapter is actually "Everybody's Taj Mahal" and "Myths of the Taj" is a section heading. The full title of her book is, The Complete Taj Mahal and the Riverfront Gardens of Agra.

The myths (pp. 249-250) she mentions are:
1. A complementary "Black Taj" was also intended to be built.
2. The Taj Mahal was built by an European architect, the Venetian Geronimo Veroneo.
3. Contemporary Western scholars have created other extravagant theories—with a sexist tint, (a) Wayne Begley: Taj Mahal not just a tomb for Mumtaz but was meant to represent the Throne of God (b) Henri Stierlin: Given the inferior position of women in Islam, the Taj Mahal could not have been built for Mumtaz.
4. The Taj Mahal was a Hindu temple.
5. The folklore tales of the maiming/killing of the architects/artisans of the Taj Mahal propagated by tour guides and others. Koch, citing Stith Thompson's classic folklore compilation, gives the following motifs, versions of which are reported from various parts of Europe—Great Britain, Ireland, Russia—and Asia: "King kills architect after completion of great building, so that he may never again build one so great"; "Artisan who has built palace blinded so that he cannot build another like it"; "Masons who build mausoleum of princes lose their right hands so they may never construct so fine a building".

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ooo this thread is dedicated to human beings :p :D
but in my opinion one of wonders is the busses our city after rationing the petrol in tehran
http://www.debug.ir/Blogs/ShervinBlog/Images/Bus2.jpg

men in women women in men,thats good for sexual desires :mad: :D