20 Places That Were Almost Wonders of the World
The Wonders of the World is such a great concept we don't talk about too often. In different times of human history, some people would gather to discuss monuments and landmarks that represent the times and the history of humankind in unique ways and techniques. One of the last times this happened was in the 2000s, when people could call or text to vote their favorite Wonder of the World for posterity.
Many monuments, buildings, and other man-made structures entered the poll as nominees with a dream, but only seven were selected out of hundreds from all over the world. While the results disappointed some people, the truth is that humanity isn't really working on these kinds of monuments anymore, so they could totally get another chance the next time someone decides to hold a new contest.
So, here are some iconic places around the world that were almost new Wonders, but they didn't have what it takes to be one of the greats.
Palace of Parliament
The Romanian building is located in Bucharest.
Hongkong and Shanghai Bank
Created to facilitate the opium trade, almost Wonder of the World.
Neuschwanstein Castle
The palace is located on a hill in Schwangau, Germany, near the border with Austria.
Moai
Hundreds of theories have been written about these Easter Island giant heads.
Kiyomizu-dera
The Buddhist temple is located in Kyoto, Japan, and is more than 1200 years old.
The Forbidden City
The imperial palace complex is in Beijing, China.
Canadian National Tower
The Canadians nominated this tower but didn't get the prize.
Big Hole
While this landmark in Kimberley, South Africa, looks natural, it's considered the deepest hole excavated by hand.
Badshahi Mosque
The mosque located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, was constructed between 1671 and 1673.
Angkor Wat
The Hindu-Buddhist complex is part of Cambodia's flag.
Ananda Temple
The temple located in Bagan, Myanmar, is almost a thousand years old.
Alhambra
This palace and fortress complex is located in Granada, Spain, and it's one of the best-preserved Islamic palaces in the world.
Hagia Sophia
Also known as Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, it's located in Istanbul, Turkey.
Acropolis of Athens
The Ancient Greek citadel is an iconic landmark preserved for centuries.
Eiffel Tower
Criticised at first, it has become a symbol of Paris and French culture.
Timbuktu
The ancient city in Mali wasn't built by aliens.
Sydney Opera House
Located in Australia, it's considered one of the world's most famous buildings.
Stonehenge
People are still wondering if these rocks have any meaning.
Statue of Liberty
The French built a lot of them, but none like the one in New York.
Red Square
The most iconic square in Russia.
