Egypt appalled at pyramids in seven wonder vote

FURIOUS Egypt says a contest to name the new seven wonders of the world in which the ancient Pyramids of Giza must now compete with sites like Stonehenge, is a “disgrace”.

Top Egyptian officials have criticised the popular contest that urges people around the world to vote for their top sites from a list of 21 finalists.

The new list lumps the pyramids — the only surviving structures from the traditional list of architectural marvels — with upstart wonders like New York’s Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Peru’s Machu Picchu.

The pyramids are “living in the hearts of people around the globe and don’t need a vote to be among the world wonders”, said the head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass.

Egyptian officials refused to meet the organiser of the New Seven Wonders of the World contest, Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber, when he visited the country earlier this month, said the contest’s spokesperson Tia Viering.

When Mr Weber tried to hold a press conference near the pyramids, she said, police shut it down.

But organisers say the hostility is unwarranted, claiming the competition is supposed to renew international interest in culture and history, not strip the pyramids of their ancient status.

“The contest is not about taking something away, it’s about moving something into modern times,” Ms Viering said.

The Egyptian pyramids are the only surviving structures from the traditional list of seven wonders of the ancient world, derived by later authors from various lists of marvels cited by ancient Greek and Roman writers.According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the best known list includes the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus of Rhodes, the ancient lighthouse that once stood on the island of Pharos in Alexandria, in Egypt, and three other long-vanished edifices.

Choosing a new roster of world wonders has attracted continuing interest over the years: the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, list of world heritage sites includes 830 selections.

Mr Weber started his project in 1999, collecting nearly 200 nominations. That list was eventually narrowed to 21 by a panel of architectural experts, chaired by former UNESCO chief Federico Mayor Zaragoza.

The remaining members of the panel are:

* Argentine-born American Cesar Pelli, architect of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and London’s Canary Wharf.

* Renowned Australian architect Harry Seidler. The Vienna-born designer, author of The Grand Tour, a guide to the world’s most beautiful buildings, died in March last year.

* Iraqi-born British citizen Zaha Hadid, the first woman to win the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize.

* Self-taught Japanese architect Tadao Ando, who also won the Pritzker Prize.

* Yung Ho Chang, described as “one of China’s most accomplished contemporary architects”.

* South African Aziz Tayob, who designs for “underpriviledged communities” in his country.

The panel’s work is done, as Mr Weber wants the masses to pick the top seven. People can vote on the internet, by phone or by sending a text message until July 6. The seven winners will be announced on July 7.

Half of the cash raised by the campaign will go towards restoring historic sites, including the Bamiyan Buddha statue in Afghanistan, which was destroyed by the Taliban regime.

As part of the campaign, Mr Weber is visiting each of the 21 sites, which also include the Great Wall of China, the Sydney Opera House, Stonehenge and the Acropolis in Athens.

Almost everywhere Weber has gone, he has been welcomed, but not in Egypt.

“We think it’s about ego, and we don’t know why the hostility is there,” Ms Viering said from Belgium.

Egypt’s culture minister Farouk Hosni, according to the Middle East News Agency, called the contest “nonsense” and “an attempt ... to seek celebrity and meet Egyptian officials to give the contest significance won’t take place”.

“They have to understand the archaeological and the historical stature of the pyramids,” he said.

But Egypt’s ire may not hurt the pyramids’ chances of making it on the new list. With more than 24 million votes so far, Ms Viering said the tombs — which are more than 4,000 years old — are in the top seven.