MyAdhan Blog

Vote Link: New 7 wonders of the world: Vote via SMS for The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey

BBC Video Link: The contenders for the new Seven Wonders of the World

The Telegraph, UK Link: Telegraph: World votes for seven new wonders

It was billed as the world’s first exercise in “global democracy” but an attempt to find a new Seven Wonders of the World by a Swiss philanthropist looks increasingly likely to be determined by rather more local factors.

More than 50 million people have chosen their Seven Wonders, voting by phone, SMS text or email from a list of 20 contenders that includes the Taj Mahal, Sydney Opera House and the statue of Christ the Redeemer.

Few people are able to name more than a couple of the original seven wonders of classical antiquity, six of which no longer exist.

But where the original seven were chosen by erudite historians and only situated in the Middle East and around the Mediterranean, the New 7 Wonders Foundation believes the global public should elect the seven modern great feats of human construction.

However, as the voting deadline draws near - the result will be declared in Portugal’s Benfica stadium on July 7, or 07/07/07 - the energetic campaigning of some nations is threatening to skew the poll.