100 Wonders Of The World: The Greatest Treasures Of Civilization And Nature On Five Continents

There were Seven Wonders of the World in classical antiquity. Today there are many more man-made wonders from those of the modern age, such as the skyline of Manhattan, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, and the Eiffel Tower, to such historical wonders as the royal palace, monastery, and mausoleum of El Escorial in Spain, the Taj Mahal built by a grief-stricken Mogul, the astonishing Great Wall of China – which is the only evidence of humankind that can be seen from space – or the remains of the civilizations of the Mayans and Aztecs. The Escorial was built for Philip II, King of Spain, whose conquistadors brought an end to the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. Nature’s wonders are shown in this volume as well. We admire them in awe as they render humankind’s efforts insignificant: the overwhelming Grand Canyon, the legendary Mount Fuji, the impressive Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia, and the almost lifeless but surreal landscape of the Dead Sea. This book reveals one hundred wonders of today’s world and takes the reader on a journey of discovery through the magnificent color photographs of these great treasures of our civilization and of nature.