Wonders of the World (Google Earth Style)

This post is going to be not really about maps but more about using Google Earth to quickly tour some of the world's most interesting and historic locations.

This is how a bird might see the Roman Colosseum. Construction started in 72 A.D. and took 8 years to build (not bad for not having any cranes or bulldozers). It could hold a crowd of 50,000 Romans and was used for sporting events such as gladiatorial competitions and was sometimes flooded and used to recreate sea battles.

Here are the Pyramids of Giza. As many people are aware these Pyramids served as tombs for the mummified remains of Egyptian pharaohs. They were created by thousands of slaves and took close to twenty years to complete the largest which was completed around 2560 B.C.

This is an areal view of Stonehenge. Located in England, the exact time this wonder was built is very uncertain (estimates range from 3000 B.C. to 2000 B.C.).  This adds to the wonder of Stonehenge because everything about is a mystery. No one is quite sure of how it was built, who built it, or what the purpose of it is. Many have speculated about the answers to these questions but the real answers will probably never be known.

This is the Great Wall of China. It was built for the same reason most walls are built, to keep something out. In this case it was nomadic people who were constantly raiding areas of northern China. It was built and destroyed many times. Building started in the 5th century B.C. and continued until the 16th century. It is about 5,500 miles in length.