Welcome! I am your tour guide while we travel the world and see the many architectural wonders.
These structures are hand built and many of them took hundreds of years to complete. The world’s seven wonders include The Great Wall of China, The Taj Mahal, Chitzen Itza, Machu Picchu, the Colosseum, Petra, and Christ the Redeemer.
Today, we are visiting the Colosseum, located in Rome, Italy. The Colosseum is an amphitheater and is the largest and oldest one built.
Starting in 72 AD, the Colosseum was used as a place for citizens to watch games, like the gladiator battles, in the shade.
Now, it attracts about 12 million people each year. It can seat up to 50,000 spectators.
In medieval times, the Colosseum was also known as a church and then a fortress.
Later, it was damaged due to common weathering and earthquakes. In more modern times it was damaged because of vandalism and pollution.
For 1,000 years, it was used as a quarry, which then caused decorative marble seats inside the Colosseum to disappear.
It did not start to be preserved until the 19th century.
Today, the Colosseum is 1,937 years old. Up to 100,000 were employed to construct the building, many of whom were slaves from Jerusalem.
The Colosseum’s name came from the bronze statue of Emperor Nero that used to be near the building.
The Colosseum is over 6 acres long, with 80 arches on each level. Only 31 remain intact.
Against most rumors, people were not killed in the Colosseum unless they were in an active battle for a show.
Under the Colosseum are 80 vertical shafts, which lead to tunnels and chambers where gladiators and animals were kept before the shows. This was known as the Hypogeum.
Now that you know more about one of the most popular wonders of the world, here is a stamp for your passport as a keepsake! See you at our next destination!
