What the 7 Wonders of the World looked like

Duncan Madden (Forbes contributor); Pat Macpherson, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Seven Ancient Wonders at their prime

Duncan Madden

From the unmatched wonder of Cambodia’s Buddhist-Hindu temples in Angkor Wat to the sprawling majesty of the Theravada Buddhist temples of Bagan in Burma (aka Myanmar).

From Egypt’s Great Sphinx of Giza to the extraordinary carved city of Petra in Jordan.

The wonders of the ancient world have long cast a spell over travelers from every corner of the globe.

Portion of the Great Wall of China at Jinshanling, fortification against earthling-barbarians.

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Map: The Great Wall of China is many walls.

In fact, a quick check of any "most popular tourist attractions in the world" list (note attractions, not cities) will likely throw up more ancient human-made sites than modern attractions or natural wonders.

Peru's Machu Picchu, the Great Wall of China, the Acropolis of Greece, and Rome’s Colosseum regular contenders for the top spot.

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap

People’s interest is clear. We’ve long been fascinated by our past as and how it shapes our future -- how people lived, what technologies they had, what their homes and public spaces looked like, and just how they built these extraordinary edifices without modern machinery. More

• Duncan Madden writes topical, environmental, and experiential travel stories. Opinions expressed by Forbes contributors are their own.
• Twitter: See what seven of the great ancient ruins of the world would have looked like to those who lived with them at their peak. Enjoy.